“This award from U.S. News & World Report is another example of the national reputation we have earned for excellence,” said Walter E. May, President and CEO of PMC.  We set out to become a regional referral center, and with nearly 2,000 patients transferred to us from other hospitals last year, we have achieved that goal.  Every day more hospitals and physicians realize that the best next step for their patients who need specialized treatment, is to come to Pikeville Medical Center.

“Hospitals like Pikeville Medical Center offer a high level of medical care to communities that otherwise might have limited options,” says Avery Comarow, U.S. News Health Rankings Editor. “All Best Regional Hospitals are what we call high performers’ in at least one medical specialty,” says Comarow. “They are fully capable of providing first-rate care, even to most patients who have serious conditions or need demanding procedures.”

U.S. News annually evaluates nearly 5,000 hospitals in 16 different medical specialties. Hard numbers stand behind its analysis in most specialties – death rates, patient safety, procedure volume, and other objective data. Physicians’ responses to a national survey, in which specialists are asked to name hospitals they consider best in their specialty for the toughest cases, also are factored in.

Pikeville Medical Center is ranked in the Top 10 of the more than 400 hospitals nationwide that were considered, and is the only Kentucky hospital to receive this recognition.

The award recognizes America’s most customer-friendly hospitals.

Other hospitals receiving the award at this time include the Mayo Clinic, University of California Davis Medical Center, George Washington University Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital and Vanderbilt University Hospital.

The Hospital of Choice Award requires a review of six principal areas of consideration, including Standards of Conduct, Performance Management and Improvement, Staff Development and Training, Systems of Communication, Good Citizenship, and Educational and Promotional Material available to consumers.

“I have always believed that the people of our region deserve health care that is better than, not just as good as health care available at large metropolitan hospitals,” said May.

As Pikeville Medical Center continues to be recognized alongside hospitals like Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins, we see that vision becoming a reality.

PMC’s mission is to provide quality regional health care in a Christian environment, and the organization’s strong commitment to customer service is a factor in unprecedented growth.

Pikeville Medical Center is positioned to be one of the only hospitals in the world to have two of the fastest and most accurate CT scanners on one campus. PMC is home to some of the most sophisticated, technologically advanced medical equipment to be found anywhere. As a testament to the goal of providing superior medical care to Eastern Kentucky and the surrounding region, Pikeville Medical Center has installed an Aquilion® ONE dynamic volume CT system in the Emergency Department and will be completing this project by adding the second system in the Imaging Department.

“We are fortunate to have the only dynamic volume CT system in the world, the Aquilion ONE. It offers faster, more accurate diagnosis, better patient outcomes and ultimately lower health care costs,” explained Walter May, President and CEO of Pikeville Medical Center.

Toshiba’s Aquilion ONE dynamic volume CT system utilizes 320 ultra-high resolution detector rows (0.5 mm in width) to image an entire organ in a single rotation. Dynamic volume has the ability to produce a 4D clinical video showing up to 16 cm of anatomical coverage, enough coverage to capture the entire brain or heart, and show its movement such as blood flow.

“The Aquilion ONE dramatically reduces diagnosis time from hours and days to just mere minutes for patients experiencing stroke, serious heart conditions and other life-threatening diseases,” added Mr. May. “For our patients, detecting and treating disease at its earliest stages can significantly improve their quality of life.”

In addition, the Aquilion ONE’s single, comprehensive exam can provide physicians with data to replace a variety of duplicate tests and invasive procedures.

“Toshiba designed the Aquilion ONE for today’s healthcare environment,” said Doug Ryan, vice president, Marketing and Strategic Development, Toshiba. “By replacing several tests with this single exam, the Aquilion ONE will allow physicians to treat at-risk patients immediately – saving resources and time for both health care facilities and patients.”

Along with the addition of two advanced CT systems, Pikeville Medical Center is also adding a new 1.5T MRI system to the existing outpatient diagnostic center as well as expanding services in the Cardiac Catheterization department.

By: Casey Price

The death of co-founder and former CEO of Apple Inc. Steve Jobs has focused attention on pancreatic cancer, a very deadly and painful form of cancer. Those suffering from pancreatic cancer often seek treatment and relief from facilities that offer specialized care. Many regions endure a shortage of specialized oncologists, but Pikeville Medical Center is well equipped to treat the disease and ensure a higher quality of life through its palliative care program.

According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 44,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer will be diagnosed in 2011. The disease is considered largely incurable with a one year survival rate of 20 percent.

Pancreatic cancer affects the pancreas, a gland in the abdomen that produces insulin and other hormones. It also produces chemicals that help the body digest food. Malignant tumors invade the tissue around the cells and may spread to other parts of the body. Pancreatic cancer can metastasize, or travel to another organ or area in the body, before it is diagnosed.

The Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research states the number one preventable cause of pancreatic cancer is smoking. Some accounts report smokers are two to three times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than non-smokers. The majority of cases develop in individuals ages 60-80 and the disease is more common in men than women. People with chronic pancreatitis may also have a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

In the early stages, pancreatic cancer is extremely hard to detect as there are often no symptoms. Symptoms that develop later may include pain in the upper abdomen or upper back, yellow skin and eyes, dark urine, weakness, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting or weight loss.

If you think you may be at risk for the disease you should consult your family physician. He or she may prescribe lab tests, a CT scan, ultrasound or other tests to help diagnose the disease.  Your physician may also refer you to an endocrinologist like Dr. Chih Chang at PMC. An endocrinologist specializes in and has advanced knowledge of diseases of the pancreas and other glands in the body.

“Pancreatic cancer has a low survival rate, but treatments have been approved in the last two years that have doubled survivability,” said Dr. Bharat Jenigiri, oncologist and palliative care specialist at PMC. “A new more aggressive form of chemotherapy has been approved, and the mean survival rate is much better than it used to be.”

During treatment patients may also elect to begin palliative care, a treatment option that can help relieve pain from serious illnesses.

“Patients suffer from pain with pancreatic cancer. Palliative care helps relieve the pain associated with the disease and even some of the other issues like nausea and constant hiccups. We have seen good survival in some of our patients who utilize chemo and radiation therapy along with palliative care,” Dr. Jenigiri added.

Palliative care at PMC incorporates traditional treatment for diseases like pancreatic cancer with the specialized care that allows some patients to continue on with everyday life.  PMC’s palliative care team includes a physician, nurse practitioner, case manager, social worker and chaplain.

For more information about pancreatic cancer or palliative care, contact Pikeville Medical Center’s Leonard Lawson Cancer Center at 606-218-4722.

Hospitals are selected for this prestigious annual list based on a proprietary scoring process that incorporates Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores along with a higher level of analysis that weighs criteria identified as the most important to women for patient satisfaction.

PMC is one of only three Large (251-400 bed) hospitals in Kentucky to receive this award.

“Pikeville Medical Center’s mission is to provide quality regional healthcare in a Christian environment. We are especially proud that our female patients have selected us as one of the Top 100 hospitals for Patient Experience with this award,” said Walter E. May President/ CEO of PMC.

“This is affirmation that the dedication and hard work of our more than 2,000 employees is making a difference in the lives of our patients.”

Because of its high consumer satisfaction scores, WomenCertified further honored PMC with the Women’s Choice Award. This seal represents the collective opinion and approval of women who highly recommend PMC services.

“Being recognized as a Top Hospital in Patient Experience by WomenCertified shows we are providing services our patients are pleased with,” said Juanita Deskins, COO of Pikeville Medical Center. “We are honored to receive this award, and we value our reputation among female patients.”

“Women make or influence more than 85 percent of all healthcare decisions for themselves and their families,” said Delia Passi, CEO and founder of WomenCertified and former publisher of Working Mother and Working Women magazines.

“Recognizing the top hospitals nationwide that are women-friendly and align with women’s identified preferences is important to our mission at WomenCertified.

Pikeville Medical Center expanded its women’s services earlier this year with the addition of three OB/GYNs, Dr. Angela Maggard, Dr. Erin Mullins and Dr. Rebecca McCowan along with a Gynecological Oncologist Dr. Holly Gallion.

For an appointment with Dr. Mullins or Dr. McCowan call 606-218-6249.

To see Dr. Maggard at her office in Harold call 606-478-4600.

HONORED: Pikeville Medical Center employees Tim Martin, AVP of Medical Imaging, and Joni Fields, Manager of Radiology, pose with certifications of accreditation the hospital received from the American College of Radiology for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Pikeville Medical Center recently earned accreditation from the American College of Radiology, marking the hospital as center of excellence for its use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

The accreditation acknowledges the hospital for being dedicated to a higher level of quality and compliance of policies, procedures and protocols in utilizing MRI, an advanced technology that uses a strong magnetic field to produce an electronic image that radiologists use to determine diagnosis of patients with injuries or other problems.

Accreditation is not a mandatory process throughout the health care industry.

Organizations that are committed to raising the bar of excellence take on the challenge of the three-month accreditation process to improve patient care.

The application process is followed by an overall review of processes and procedures. New guidelines are put in place to elevate the level of care for patients.

“We were excited to receive our accreditation in less than the traditional 90 day process,” PMC Manager of Radiology Joni Fields said.

“I am extremely proud of our department and their dedication to the accreditation process. They live each day with a commitment to providing excellent patient care and this accreditation proves they are doing more than industry standards.”

The PMC Radiology Department prides itself for being a “no cookie-cutter plan,” according to Tim Martin, the department’s Assistant Vice President of Medical Imaging.

“It’s all about the patient,” Martin said. “We strive to provide individual personalized attention for every patient. When you do this, great things happen.”

Martin reported that PMC leaders are planning to add a third MRI to the radiology department in the coming months.

The American College of Radiology reviews other types of services provided through advanced technologies for accreditation, including CT, PET Scan and Nuclear Medicine services, but the administering department does not receive a “blanket accreditation” for these technologies. Each machine is individually accredited through the traditional three-month process.

PMC’s Radiology Department is preparing to receive accreditation for CT, PET and Nuclear Medicine in the near future.

Shanklin

Pikeville Medical Center was recognized for its contribution to health information technology during the Kentucky eHealth Summit at the Met Center on Sept. 7. Information Systems Director

Rusty Shanklin and Dr. Brandon Smallwood accepted the Pioneer Award.

PMC is the state’s first hospital to exchange health information electronically.

“This was just a great honor for our hospital and those who worked so hard to make this technology project such an overwhelming success,” Shanklin said.

The Kentucky Health Information Exchange is the name given to the information system that supports statewide exchange of health information among healthcare providers and organizations, according to nationally recognized standards.

The KHIE is a federated system — which means that with a patient’s consent, a physician can access a patient’s health information directly from the electronic health records of the other physicians, hospitals, laboratories, and imaging centers, by whom a patient has been seen.

It is important to note that KHIE is not a databank or centralized records system.

The patient’s health information is stored at the point of care.

Through the use of highly specialized software — called a record locator service — the provider is able to pull health information from, or send health information to, other providers.

A master patient index ensures that the information being pulled belongs to the patient and not someone else with the same or a similar sounding name.

The system is Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliant and offers multiple levels of security.

Shanklin said the honor went beyond the initial Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE) project.

“We were honored as well for assisting other hospitals, clinics and the state to make this technology more widely available,” he added.

The award was presented by the Governor’s Office of Health Information (GOHI) as well as Dr. Farzad Mostashari, national coordinator for health information technology.

Governor Steve Beshear issued an executive order in August 2009 establishing the GOHI in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) to oversee the advancement of health information exchange across the state.

Shanklin said the recent summit allowed participants to discuss the progress, opportunities and challenges facing the state as it continues to develop and implement KHIE.

“Many of us working on this program spent valuable time exchanging ideas that can be beneficial to all heath care providers across the state,” he said.

The state was granted more than $9 million to advance the use of electronic health information exchange and support eligible health care providers across the state in achieving meaningful use of certified technology.

PMC and others were selected to participate in KHIE on the basis of technological readiness, volume of Medicaid patients and referral patterns by the CHFS.

PMC President/Chief Executive Officer Walter E. May said the recognition proves the hospital’s commitment to providing the best possible health care.

“Pikeville Medical Center has been responsible for many ‘firsts’ in health care in our region, and being the first hospital to join the Kentucky Health Information Exchange was an important advancement of which we are extremely proud,” he said.

This year marks the third consecutive year PMC has earned the award, making it one of only two Kentucky health care facilities to make the list all three years.

PMC is also the only Kentucky hospital to make the list.

“It is a great honor to be named a ‘Best Place to Work,’” said Assistant Vice President of Human Resources Melissa Coleman.

“Our employees are what make Pikeville Medical Center a great place to work every day.”

The Best Places to Work in Healthcare program recognizes outstanding employers in the health care industry on a national level. The company conducts two surveys to determine which companies are selected to be a “Best Place to Work in Healthcare.” The first survey is a questionnaire completed by each organization. The second survey goes directly to a random selection of employees at each organization. The scores from these surveys determine where companies rank.

Employees are questioned about eight core areas: leadership and planning, culture and communications, role satisfaction, working environment, relationship with supervisor, training and development, pay and benefits and overall satisfaction.

In 2010 PMC ranked as the #1 Best Place to Work in Kentucky and 7th in the nation. Members of PMC’s Employer of Choice Team will attend a banquet in Chicago on October 18th when they will learn where the organization ranked this year.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, making it the most common type of cancer found in American men, and the second leading cause of cancer death in men.

The ACS also states that colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer found in men and women in the U.S.

Even though these statistics are alarming, there are some risk factors contributing to these cancers that are preventable. These include: diets high in red meat, processed meat and fat, lack of exercise, smoking and being overweight.

However, there are other risk factors that can’t be controlled, including: age, family history, genetics, and race or ethnic background.

The ACS recommends that screenings for both of these cancers should generally begin at age 50.  The age each individual should be screened may vary depending on personal health and family history.

Physician for the free prostate cancer screening Dr. John Simmons stated, “Prostate Cancer is a treatable and potentially curable cancer in most cases when found early through routine screening and physical exams.”

The screening physicians for Saturday’s event include: Dr. Mark Swofford, Dr. John Simmons, Dr. Grady Stephens and Dr. Timothy Wright. Appointments can be made by calling 606-218-3560 or 606-218-4992. Walk-ins are welcome.

Floyd County seniors were entertained by a local dance group who performed to music from the 50s.

MARTIN — Pikeville Medical Center participated in Floyd County’s Free Senior Health Fair, Wednesday, August 10 at the Martin Community Center.

Nearly 100 senior citizens attended the event, as the community center was transformed into a scene from the 50s.

Those in attendance were offered free health screenings and educational information from various vendors.

Pikeville Medical Center provided free blood sugar and blood pressure checks, as well as

education on available treatments for strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, Home Health, Inpatient Rehabilitation and Cardiac Rehabilitation.

A local dance group led everyone in a sock hop dance-along and sang some of the audience’s favorite 50s tunes, entertaining both the young and the young at heart.

When asked about the event, Anne Johnson from Topmost said the health fair was fantastic. She especially enjoyed the line dancing and singing.

Judy Parham, also from Topmost, attended the event previously and said her favorite part was the fellowship, and knowing that others such as PMC take an interest in Seniors like herself, “This was a wonderful event.”

All who were at the health fair registered to win an assortment of door prizes. Pikeville Medical Center proudly gave away two prizes.

Ruby Bates from the Wheelwright Senior Citizens Center won a gift basket and Bonnie Horvath of McDowell won a free year’s subscription to The Medical Leader.