How Can Hospitalists
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Summer | 2020 a publication from your friends at Huron Regional Medical Center How Can Hospitalists Help You? IF YOU’RE ADMITTED TO HURON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, A PHYSICIAN WHO SPECIALIZES IN CARING FOR HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS CAN OVERSEE AND COORDINATE YOUR CARE. THAT’S GOOD NEWS FOR YOU AND YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN (PCP). TRADITIONALLY, PCPS MANAGED the care of their patients who were admitted to the hospital for illness or injury. Now, however, many PCPs are so busy seeing individuals in clinic that it’s difficult to divide time to see hospitalized patients. Thomas Fennessy, MD, left, is a family medicine physician from Norfolk, Nebraska. That’s where hospitalists come in. He and James Kerr, MD, also a family medicine physician who lives in Yankton, Hospitalists are physicians whose sole focus is caring for South Dakota, pose for a photo in trauma room 1 in HRMC’s emergency room. patients during a hospital stay so they can safely return home or move to the next level of care. Often trained in “During an average day at HRMC, I’m caring for six internal or family medicine, hospitalists can care for patients to 10 patients in the hospital and making sure they get in almost every unit of the hospital, from the emergency the other services they need, such as physical therapy department to postacute care. or laboratory tests,” Dr. Kerr says. “I also help arrange In November 2019, HRMC established a hospitalist post-discharge surgeon or specialist consultations. When program featuring three physicians who take turns caring I’m not at the hospital, I’m always available by phone and for patients and providing around-the-clock availability, can get there in minutes. I get to know all of my patients typically for one week at a time. The program at HRMC during the week that I care for them.” is unique because PCPs can still care for their patients in Hospitalists keep community physicians updated about the hospital, unlike other larger hospitals where only the their patients and help patients transition back to their hospitalist sees inpatients. HRMC hospitalist James Kerr, physicians’ care following discharge. Studies have shown MD, has practiced family medicine and emergency medicine that receiving care from a hospitalist can reduce the in large and small hospitals throughout the U.S. for more length of a hospital stay by 30%, according to the Society than three decades. of Hospital Medicine. Story continues on page 4. Welcome, Dr. Loewen and Dr. Bronson! .............. 3 HRMC Commitment Scholarship Winners ........... 7 Breast Is Best ...................................................... 5 The Gift of Knowledge ........................................ 8 In this issue — HRMC Foundation Donors .................................. 6 Connecting With Our Community ....................... 8 Helping Students Pursue a Dream ...................... 7 A Letter From Our CEO A Time for Every Season BY THE TIME you read this, I will have entered a new season in my life – I am retired! Wow, does that feel good to say out loud! Yet, I will miss working with health care teams. Truly, I have experienced many miracles performed by caring health care professionals in my career. I have always believed in and witnessed God’s many blessings given to keep health care locally accessible in rural areas. I grew up in Nisland, South Dakota, a small rural community about 16 miles from Belle Fourche. Rural living has instilled in me what would become my life’s mission – to help rural David Dick citizens have greater opportunities. Greater opportunities mean rural citizens not only have an opportunity, but also have a choice in opportunities that are valuable to them. Though I didn’t start out working in health care administration, the role has fit perfectly with that mission. Health care organizations provide stable, rewarding jobs for rural community members. Hospitals, nursing homes, treatment centers and clinics also help rural citizens return to being productive community helpers. A rural health care system is a leader in technology and brings a high level of knowledge into our rural communities. As an administrator, I’ve also had the great opportunity and honor to serve on many boards and in civic leadership roles, allowing me to roll up my sleeves alongside many influential, community-minded leaders. They are amazing. A CEO friend once told me that he doubted I would ever retire, saying, “David, you just can’t say no to a good project.” That scared me when he said it, because I feared he was right. Certainly, not all the worthy projects are done. Yet, I realize that they are worthy projects not because they are mine, but because they are ours for our community. This is especially true of having a local nursing school, as well as other health care workforce development initiatives in Huron. I am extremely grateful for the role of the nursing task force and HRMC Foundation teams for making this project successful. All of us must continue to financially support our Foundation’s efforts because of the extreme importance of career awareness and scholarships. This gives all of us an opportunity of having choices in receiving health care services locally. I know I will continue to support the important work, even though I am retired. Now, Cheryl, my wife, has a long list of projects for me, as I will finally not have an excuse to put them off. I’m looking forward to those, Cheryl. I also look forward to the many miracles I have yet to experience. I have faith they will complement the many blessings of this lifelong career and the communities I have worked within. This is maybe not goodbye as much as it is hello to David Dick in a new role as neighbor, community volunteer and, of course, temporary golf course resident. David Dick President and CEO Huron Regional Medical Center 2 wellone CONNECTION www.huronregional.org - Welcome to HRMC! - Anthony Loewen, MD WE’RE EXCITED FOR ThiS HURON NATIVE TO JOIN OUR TEAM OF GENERAL SURGEONS. DR. LOEWEN, GENERAL surgeon at Dr. Loewen says. “The sense of Huron Regional Medical Center, is now community is why I wanted to offering his surgical services at the New come back.” Life Clinic. A native of our community, Dr. Loewen graduated from James All In The Family Valley Christian School in 2005 before As some of you may already know, Dr. Anthony Loewen, his wife, attending Tabor College in Hillsboro, Dr. Loewen will not be the only Loewen Emma, and their four sons moved Kansas. There, he earned his Bachelor on our team. Nathan H. Loewen, back to Huron in July. of Arts in premedical biochemistry, and MD, family medicine with obstetrics then earned his Doctor of Medicine physician at HRMC, is Dr. Loewen’s ■ To learn more about Anthony from the University of South Dakota father. He has offered his services to our Loewen, MD, watch his introduction Sanford School of Medicine. community for over 20 years. The father on our YouTube channel. To “Growing up in Huron was and son will practice together at the schedule an appointment, visit a positive experience for me,” New Life Clinic. www.huronregional.org/find-a-doc. Christopher Bronson, MD DR. BRONSON IS OUR DR. BRONSON JOINED our team in July exposure to sunshine in maintaining good as both an inpatient and outpatient internal health and preventing chronic illness. He NEW INTERNAL MEDICINE medicine specialist. He and his family works with patients to not just manage SPECIALIST AT HRMC became part of the Huron Community their conditions, but also improve their in June. An Illinois native, Dr. Bronson daily quality of life. PHYSICIANS CLINIC. graduated from Western Illinois University in Macomb with a Bachelor of Science in Help In Times Of Crisis psychology. He then earned his Doctor of One area in which Dr. Bronson hopes to Medicine at the University of Illinois at help our community is through treatment Chicago College of Medicine. of opioid addiction. “I’ve always enjoyed science and “It’s a huge problem all around the how it can be used to solve problems,” country, and there’s a huge need for Dr. Bronson says. “I look forward to that kind of treatment,” he says. “It’s using my fields of study to help patients something we hope to set up at Huron live fuller and healthier lives.” Regional Medical Center. The goal, Dr. Bronson believes strongly in the eventually, is to be able offer treatment to importance of good sleep and regular everyone who needs it.” ■ To learn more about Christopher Bronson, MD, and listen to a podcast interview, visit www.hrmcphysiciansclinic.org/ourproviders. To schedule an appointment, call (605) 353-7600 or request online. www.huronregional.org wellone CONNECTION 3 Story continued from cover. Vincent Hinshaw, “The hospitalists care for not DO, poses in only patients who have PCPs, but front of the also patients who either don’t have COVID-19 care a PCP or their provider does not ward on HRMC’s have admitting privileges,” says second floor. Becca McCaskell, CNP, who is a case manager on the medical floor at HRMC. “I appreciate knowing that whenever I have a question, I can contact the providers and Becca McCaskell, CNP talk through a situation or plan of care. Keeping the continuity of care is so important in our community.” Thomas Fennessy, MD, a family physician who also joined the HRMC hospitalist team, agrees that teamwork is a vital element of the hospitalist program that benefits patients. “Working with the emergency room provider and the HRMC hospitalist Vincent Hinshaw, DO, says his patient’s primary care physician, we partner to provide experience working in critical-access and large hospitals timely and seamless care from admission to discharge,” around the country has uniquely equipped him to care for Dr.