S T R I V I N G T O P R O V I D E T H E B E S T H E A L T H C A R E T O E V E R Y P A T I E N T , E V E R Y D A Y

CAMC TODAYCAMC TODAY

APRIL 2017 | CAMC.ORG

PA R T O f C A M C ’ S C O M M u N I T Y B E N E f I T , H E A L T H f E S T P R O V I D E D T H O u S A N D S O f S C R E E N I N G S A N D H E A L T H I N f O R M A T I O N T O T H E P u B L I C .

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CAMC Health Care Career Showcase Tuesday, May 2 | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.Charleston Civic CenterJoin us as we showcase CAMC career opportunities!

PatientLink helps you get health information on your time

Patient portals are an important way to stay engaged in your health care. They allow you to access your medical records and health information online when it’s convenient for you.

CAMC’s patient portal, PatientLink, was upgraded a few months ago and contains new features, including appointment requests and prescription renewals for patients of CAMC outpatient departments. CAMC now offers proxy account access, which means you can manage the records of your children or other family members.

How do I sign up?When you register at any CAMC location – hospitals, outpatient departments, imaging centers or CAMC LabWorks – the registration staff will ask you if you want to enroll in PatientLink. Once you give the staff your email address and choose a security question and answer, you will receive an email asking you to complete your enrollment in PatientLink.

If you choose not to enroll in PatientLink during registration but still want to have access, you can use our self-enrollment form.

Visit camc.org/PatientLink and click on “self-enrollment form.” To complete self-enrollment, you will need to know your medical record number.

Once you have a PatientLink account, you can use your computer, tablet or phone to access PatientLink via mobile app, by downloading the

HealtheLife app by Cerner Corporation for Apple or Android devices.

How do I manage the records of my family members?If you would like to manage the records of your child or another family member, you can fill out a form for proxy access. This is available online at camc.org/PatientLink, in CAMC registration locations or at CAMC’s Health Information Management office.

Once you have completed the form and submitted proper identification, your form will be sent to the Health Information Management office to verify your relationship to the patient. If the access is approved, you will receive an email invitation to complete the enrollment process.

How can I use CAMC PatientLink?PatientLink is a convenient way to view your medical records and other information about your care.

You can see test results (lab and radiology), medication lists and summaries of your inpatient and outpatient visits. You can also access health information and education that your health care provider recommends.

If you are a patient of a CAMC-employed physician, you can also use PatientLink to send a message to your physician and staff, and request appointments and prescription refills.

Learn more at camc.org/patientlink.

CAMC staff will help you explore career opportunities at CAMC. In addition, West Virginia higher education school representatives will be present with information about their programs in many different fields of study.

If you are in high school and interested in a career in health care, this event is for you.

As one of the largest employers in West Virginia, CAMC will showcase the many health care careers in fields such as nursing, respiratory, clinical laboratory sciences, therapies, imaging, professional, technical, service, support, clerical, administrative and more.

Call (304) 388-7424 for more information.

Check out CAMC’s new website! The new camc.org makes it easier to find a doctor, directions to facilities and information about services or employment. PatientLink has been upgraded to help patients keep track of their medical information. Patients can now create a proxy account to manage the care of their children and older loved ones. Click the “Treatments and Conditions” tab to research adult and pediatric health libraries and learn about CAMC services. There are special sections for patients, visitors, physicians and employees. CAMC’s new website is more responsive to mobile devices, easier to navigate and more user-friendly. Browse camc.org to see what it has to offer!

Discover the new camc.org

Donor human milk program gives premature babies the best start in life. Page 2

Reducing readmissions by helping patients become more involved in taking care of themselves. Page 2

CAMC’s Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) is a place where doctors can pinpoint areas of the brain causing seizures for one purpose: to help patients become seizure free. Page 2

Hand surgery offers a safer, more modern approach to carpal tunnel surgery. Page 3

Inside this issueTHE CUTTING EDGE

General Hospital’s ER has the latest technology to help stroke patients in the race against time. Page 4

CAMC is among the first hospitals in West Virginia to offer the most advanced procedures for structural heart disease. Page 4

Join us for blood work and many screenings, including stroke, vision and diabetes. You can also see if you’re at risk for heart problems, talk to a pharmacist about your medications and learn about cancer care and prevention.

There will be FREE sports physicals for middle school and high school students from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. No registration is required; however, students must have a form signed by a parent/guardian.

Registration begins May 15.

Save the date!Saturday, June 3, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.Charleston Civic Center

S T R I V I N G T O P R O V I D E T H E B E S T H E A L T H C A R E T O E V E R Y P A T I E N T , E V E R Y D A Y

Helping seizure patients

CAMC’s Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) is a place where doctors can pinpoint areas of the brain causing seizures for one purpose: to help patients become seizure-free.

Epilepsy is a debilitating disorder where clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes signal abnormally in which results in convulsions, muscle spasms or loss of consciousness.

“Epilepsy is not just a medical disease – it has many other consequences in patients’ lives. They cannot drive, sometimes they cannot think and it can be very difficult for them to maintain a job,” said David Gloss, MD, medical director of CAMC’s neurodiagnostics unit, who is board certified in epilepsy. “It’s our job to turn that around so they can engage fully in their lives – so they can be part of the occupation they want, so they can drive – all simple things, but very important, life-changing things.”

The first step is continuous EEG monitoring, which is a noninvasive test that records electrical patterns in the brain.

“A traditional EEG lasts about 30 minutes and gives us a snapshot of the brain’s activity during a short time period, but it may not provide enough information to fully understand the nature of seizures or treat them adequately,” Gloss said. “In the EMU, patients are in a safe and comfortable environment where they are closely monitored over a longer period of time as we look for changes in brain activity. This helps us to identify areas of the brain causing the seizures so we can provide the most effective, safest treatment.”

CAMC’s five-bed, inpatient EMU helps doctors accurately diagnose or rule out epilepsy for people who have experienced a seizure or for those whose diagnosis is uncertain.

“It’s important to distinguish between a patient with epilepsy who needs to be on seizure medication and a patient who has had a single seizure and usually does not need medication,” said Samip Borad, MD, who is board certified in epilepsy. “Being evaluated in the EMU helps us figure that out.”

The EMU also serves patients already diagnosed with epilepsy who may need adjustments to their medications or want to explore other treatment options.

“An EMU is a very important part of epilepsy care,” Gloss said. “Approximately one-third of patients with epilepsy cannot be seizure free with medicines alone. For those patients, there are other things we can consider. Being evaluated in the EMU is a critical step in considering those possibilities.”

CAMC’s EMU features state-of-the-art digital equipment and is staffed 24-hours a day, seven days a week by fellowship-trained and board- certified neurologists and epileptologists (neurologists with special training in epilepsy and seizures), along with a highly-trained EEG staff. There are also three mobile EEG units for monitoring patients in intensive care areas and other hospital settings.

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological problem and affects one in 26 people – only migraine, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease occur more frequently. Treatment options range from medications and dietary changes to seizure-controlling devices and surgery.

“There are very few areas in neurology where it’s our job to make people’s lives significantly better,” Gloss said. “Much of what we see is after something happens, when it’s up to us to make a process slow down or not make it worse. With epilepsy, our job is to make it better.”

CAMC’s Epilepsy Monitoring Unit is located on the fourth floor of CAMC General Hospital. For more information, call CAMC Neurology at (304) 388-6441.

It’s a well-known fact that breast milk is the best source of nutrition for newborn babies. Breast milk provides important nutrients to promote brain growth and nervous system development, as well as immune cells that help prevent infection. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be exclusively breast fed for the first six months of life. But for some babies spending time in the newborn intensive care unit at CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital, breast feeding is not an option.

CAMC cares for some of the tiniest, most fragile patients in the region. The newborn intensive care unit at Women and Children’s Hospital sees more than 500 babies each year, ranging from 24 weeks of gestation to full term (40 weeks).

These babies are in the NICU for a variety of reasons, and many times they are not able to breast feed normally. The mother can pump breast milk to provide to the baby, but some circumstances don’t allow for mothers to produce their own milk, or they may choose not to pump.

In a 2012 study, The American Academy of Pediatrics more specifically recommended premature infants receive their mothers’ own milk or banked pasteurized donor milk. The research showed that premature infants who are fed breast milk are 77 percent rless likely to develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and are less likely to be readmitted to the hospital once released.

In 2016, the NICU at Women and Children’s Hospital began providing donor human milk to babies.

“Our goal was to give all babies who weigh less than 1500 grams (3lbs 4.9 oz) at birth, a diet of human milk until they reached 34 weeks gestation,” said Denese Shinn, RN, NICU clinical management coordinator. “With parental consent, we can give these small babies donor milk and try to and decrease their risk of complications.”

The milk is ordered weekly and stored in a designated donor milk freezer. The milk comes from a bank that is a member of the Human Milk Bank Association of North America (HMBANA), the regulating body of donor human milk banks across the country. Established in 1985, HMBANA provides guidelines for testing, pasteurizing and storing donor milk.

In 2016, 56 babies benefited from a donor’s pasteurized human milk. The service is funded by a generous grant from the CAMC Foundation.

“We want to do everything possible to make sure these babies have the best start in life, and having the ability to provide them with donor human milk gives them a better shot than ever before,” said Nancy Marcus, RN, NICU nurse manager.

For information on how you can donate unused breast milk, visit www.hmbana.org.

Donor milk for preemies

It’s probably safe to say most people do not want to be in the hospital. And it’s probably safer to say that once a patient is discharged, he or she doesn’t want to come back anytime soon.

Tammie Mitchell, RN, a clinical quality specialist at CAMC, explained that there are several teams working to avoid preventable readmissions to the hospital.

One collaborative group used the American Heart Association: Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) program as a foundation. CAMC Memorial Hospital has piloted a “best practice carepath,” or checklist, to help guide health care providers with evidence-based assessments, medications and treatments for people with congestive heart failure (CHF). The next step is taking these best care practices and incorporating them into the hospital computer system to assist with standardizing excellent care.

In addition to medications and treatments, the best practice care checklist includes an important prompt for the clinician to explain the CHF diagnosis and treatment to the patient.

Patient and family involvement is extremely important to help decrease the need for readmission. Studies have shown that patients who show interest in learning and being involved in their care are less likely to be readmitted.

“People don’t all learn the same way,” Mitchell said. “That’s why we have videos, web-based information on the Internet, printed materials and verbal information from the nurse.”

Videos are an excellent method to help patients understand their disease and how their actions impact their health. CAMC is including the CHF video “prescriptions” in patient care. As the patient completes the video, the prescription is signed and documented in the medical record.

CAMC also provides a large-print calendar for patients to monitor their daily weight, watch for quick fluid gains and associate this with their symptoms. A handout called the “ZONES” divides symptom descriptions into green, yellow and red categories. Each category provides direction regarding what they should do.

The “ZONES” form includes information about the patient’s specific type of heart failure, heart function (“EF %”), medications and food choice instructions. This is in a “teach-back” format so the nurse makes sure the information provided was understood.

“The more they understand about their condition and what they need to do to prevent problems, the fewer times they’ll need to come back to the hospital,” Mitchell said.

CAMC has two nurse navigators, Natalie Osborne and Angie Fugate, and a CHF coordinator, Diane Whelan, who are active in connecting with CHF patients in the hospital. These specialty nurses also provide patient information about CHF, and how to prevent situations that stress the heart by pumping excess fluid. “After discharge, the navigators follow up with patients they have met with,” Mitchell said. “They are extra support for the patient even after discharge. “

Calls are made to check on the patients, including any problems understanding and/or following medication directions, as well as other instructions. They ask about the patient’s understanding of their condition and provide supplemental information as needed. They check to make sure that a doctor’s appointment was set up within a week, and if the patient is able to make it to that appointment.

The primary goal of all of these efforts, from admission to discharge, is to keep people healthy so they don’t need to be in a hospital.

Patients experiencing seizures or seizure-like episodes are monitored in CAMC’s advanced Epilepsy Monitoring Unit using a combination of continuous EEG testing and audio/video recording.This testing can take place over a period of hours or days, and helps doctors determine what causes a person’s seizures so they can develop the most effective treatment plans.

Mini-Medical School A Mini-Medical School for the Public May 11 WVU Auditorium Doors open at 5:30 p.m. | program begins at 6:30 p.m. Email camcinstitute@camc.org for more information or call (304) 388-9960.

CAMC foundation Run for Your Life 5-mile run, 2.5-mile walk June 17 Haddad Riverfront Park Register at tristateracer.com

Aging Successfully – Taking Control of your Chronic Condition

Reducing readmissions: Getting patients more involved in care

Calendar

A patient is monitored in EMU for seizure activity.

S T R I V I N G T O P R O V I D E T H E B E S T H E A L T H C A R E T O E V E R Y P A T I E N T , E V E R Y D A Y

Donor milk for preemiesA safer, more modern approach to carpal tunnel surgery

Hospitals and health systems all across the country have been experiencing nursing shortages for several years – and CAMC is no exception. The shortage is the result of several factors, including the aging population, rising incidence of chronic disease, aging workforce and a limited capacity of qualified nursing schools.

“We’re always looking to recruit nurses, but now the need is more serious than ever before,” said Anita Ferguson, workforce development and employment manager at CAMC. “Our goal is to not only attract experienced nurses to find a home at CAMC, but also to keep students in the pipeline, ready to join the hospital and lead the next generation of nursing.”

In addition to competitive pay and benefits, CAMC offers nurses tuition assistance for starting and continuing their education, opportunities for career advancement, a nurse residency program to help new graduates transition from the classroom to the clinical setting, and hands-on training with experienced nurse externs.

CAMC also has long-standing partnerships with several nursing schools in the state and is actively seeking opportunities to further expand the pipeline of new graduates to ensure a steady flow of incoming nurses.

“Our nurses work so hard to meet the health care needs of our community, and we’re working hard to make sure they’re getting the help they need so we can continue to provide the highest level of care to our patients,” Ferguson said. “We know that quality health care is only possible with quality nurses, and our goal is to create an environment where nurses can thrive.”

CAMC recently launched its “Be the Reason” nurse recruitment advertising campaign to generate excitement about nursing at CAMC and share the many benefits of choosing to make a career there.

“We want our nurses to take pride in their work,” Ferguson said. “The work they do makes a real difference in the lives of our patients and their families. Nursing is a rewarding career that changes – and saves – lives. Not a lot of people can say they do that every day.”

Campaign seeks to inspire next generation of nurses

Dr. Scott Ciaccia performed carpal tunnel surgery on Bonny Starkey’s wrists using a wide-awake approach, meaning that Starkey was not sedated – only the surgical area was numbed using a local anesthetic, which is safer for patients and facilitates a faster recovery.

Bonny Starkey, a graphic designer in Charleston, relies on her hands to make a living. But the daily repetitive motion of working on a computer for many years took a toll on her hands – and her quality of life.

“A couple of years ago I started feeling numbness in my hands in the mornings when I would dry my hair,” Starkey said. “I would shake them and the sensation would come back, but after a while it got worse. It got to the point where I was wakened at night from pain that went from my hand all the way up my arm, and the sensation wouldn’t come back for a long time.”

Charleston’s only fellowship-trained orthopedic hand specialist, Scott Ciaccia, DO, says nighttime pain is a common symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome – a nerve disorder that affects millions of Americans.

“Carpal tunnel is a condition where one of the major nerves that supplies the hand is compressed, and that typically results in numbness and tingling, primarily into the thumb, index and long finger,” Ciaccia said. “It can be very painful and have serious implications on your quality of life.”

The treatment options for carpal tunnel range from splinting the affected area and taking anti-inflammatory drugs to steroid injections and surgery, depending on its severity.

Nerve testing revealed that Starkey had severe carpal tunnel in both wrists. After failing to achieve adequate relief with non-operative techniques, Ciaccia recommended surgery using local anesthesia instead of the riskier anesthesia options, meaning that Starkey would be awake and alert during the procedure.

“With a wide-awake approach to hand surgery, we eliminate risks and streamline the entire process,” Ciaccia said. “Preoperatively, patients are given numbing medicine in the hand and wrist. Once numb, they are able to walk into the surgical suite, lie down for a 10 to 15 minute procedure, and get up and walk to recovery. Usually patients are on their way to their car within 15 minutes after the dressing is applied.”

This wide-awake approach to carpal tunnel surgery is steadily becoming the standard approach across the U.S. and the rest of the world, and for good reason. With extensive training in the field of hand and wrist surgery, Ciaccia understands this well.

“There are significant risks anytime one undergoes general anesthesia, or even sedation for that matter,” Ciaccia said. “We can avoid the rare but extremely serious complications with heart or lungs, along with the common side effects like nausea and vomiting, by simply working under local anesthesia.”

“Some folks are not excited about lying awake during a surgery and think they’re going to have issues with anxiety or difficulty lying still, so every time we go to the operating room we have the option of adding medicine to make patients more comfortable. But overall patients are usually surprised at how quick and easy the procedure is and there is no need for additional medicine.”

Starkey was one of those patients.

“I imagined this would be a pretty extensive surgery,” Starkey said. “I thought there would be a large incision and I would have lots of stitches and pain, but I was surprised when it only took five minutes. I felt no pain during the surgery whatsoever.”

Starkey had surgery on her left hand in June 2016, and she was so pleased with the outcome that she had the same procedure on her right hand just four months later.

“I wanted to get them both out of the way so I could go on with my life and not have the pain anymore,” she said.

Starkey returned to work just days after both procedures and required no physical therapy. She has regained full sensation in both hands, and the pain and numbness are completely gone.

“It’s just not worth living with pain that causes you to lose sleep and affects your way of life,” Starkey said. “This surgery is so minor. I’m so glad I had it done.”

For more information, call CAMC Orthopedics at (304) 388-7700.

Michelle Whanger, RNC-NIC, has been a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for 25 years. She became certified about 12 years ago. Katie Feola, RNC-NIC, has worked 15 years at CAMC in the NICU and in January became certified. Both nurses say the test was hard and the preparation was challenging, but all the work was worth it. The benefits of professional nursing certification extend to the patient, nurse and organization. Board certification validates the nurse’s knowledge, skills and abilities,and allows nurses to be recognized for competence in their specialty. “Certification denotes a nurse’s expertise in a particular field,” said Ron Moore, chief nursing officer. “For example, CCRN is the certification a critical care nurse might receive, and CNOR is the national certification for OR Nurses.” Certifications are offered for each specialty in nursing. CAMC has approximately 516 certified nurses and is hoping to increase that number. CAMC pays for initial certification as well as re-certification. Each year, the CAMC Foundation approves a grant to the CAMC Health Education and Research Institute for employee continuing education. The amount for 2017 is $125,000 and is used for nursing continued education that helps keep certifications up to date. “CAMC truly appreciates what these nurses, and others, have done to help us continue our growth as health care providers and to always build our skills together to contribute to higher standards of care and better patient outcomes,” Moore said. Registered nurses are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education (CE) each year. The certification requires nurses to complete 45 additional hours of CE during a three year period. “Recertification is not a test. It’s an assessment of a nurse’s skills. The American Nurses Credentialing Center provides education for any areas in which we can improve,”Feola said . To maintain certification, nurses are required to take continuing education courses. “You are constantly learning and refreshing your knowledge,” Whanger said.

Nurses celebrate certification

C A M C T O D A Y I S A P R O D u C T I O N O f C A M C H E A L T H S Y S T E M

CAMC is among the first hospitals in West Virginia to offer the most advanced procedures for treating defects in the heart’s valves, chambers or vessels, commonly known as structural heart disease.

“We can close holes in the heart, repair leaky valves and replace valves without even opening the chest,” said Chris Adams, MD, interventional cardiologist. “These procedures are safe and offer benefits like less scarring, less blood loss and pain and quicker recovery than open heart surgery.”

Some structural heart diseases are present at birth while others can develop with age. When you have one of these diseases, your heart must work harder to pump blood through the body, draining your energy and putting you at risk for serious complications like arrhythmia, stroke and heart failure.

CAMC’s heart specialists are at the forefront of the latest heart and vascular treatments, along with groundbreaking research studies, which brings new options – and hope – for patients considered too risky for traditional open heart surgery.

Watchman™

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) who must take blood thinning medications on a long-term basis to help prevent blood clots and stroke may have another alternative: the Watchman Left Atrial Appendage Closure Implant.

AFib is a common irregular heart rhythm that can allow blood clots to form in the heart, especially in the left atrial appendage (LAA), which is the pouch attached to the left upper chamber of the heart. As a result, people with AFib are five to seven times more likely to have a stroke than the general population.

The most common treatment to reduce stroke risk in patients with AFib are blood-thinning medications, such as Warfarin, or a new class of anticoagulant drug called novel oral anticoagulants. Despite its effectiveness, long-term anticoagulation therapy carries a significant risk for bleeding complications and is not well-tolerated by some patients.

The Watchman implant, which is about the size of a quarter, is placed in the heart through a catheter (through a vein in the leg). It is designed to close off the LAA to keep harmful blood clots from entering the bloodstream and potentially causing a stroke. By closing off the LAA, the risk of stroke may be reduced and, over time, patients are able to stop taking Warfarin anticoagulation therapy.

MitraClip®

Mitral regurgitation is a debilitating, progressive disease where a leaky mitral valve causes a backward flow of blood in the heart. The condition affects nearly 4 million people in the United States and can lead to stroke and heart failure.

Some mitral regurgitation patients who cannot have open-heart surgery due to other health complications may be candidates for MitraClip, which is a device that cardiac specialists at CAMC use to perform a procedure called percutaneous (using a needle instead of open surgery) mitral valve repair.

Less invasive options for common cardiac conditions

Published by CAMCMarketing & Public Affairs

The Cutting Edge

The MitraClip device is guided through a catheter in the leg to the heart where it “clips” the leaky portion of the valve to eliminate the backflow of blood and restore normal blood flow through the heart.

This procedure has been shown to greatly decrease the risk of heart failure, improve overall quality of life and reduce mitral regurgitation.

TAVRAortic stenosis, or narrowing of the aortic valve, is one of the most common valvular heart diseases affecting patients in their 60s, 70s and 80s. The condition prevents the aortic valve from opening and closing properly, which puts an increased amount of stress and pressure on the heart. This can lead to shortness of breath, fatigue, chronic heart failure and even death, if left untreated.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is a treatment option that enables some patients with severe and moderate aortic stenosis to receive a new heart valve without undergoing open heart surgery.

“There are no good medications for aortic stenosis, so traditionally we were only able to treat it by opening the chest to replace the valve or by using a balloon to open the valve,” Adams said. “But calcium rebuilds within six months, so that wasn’t long-lasting. With TAVR, we’re able to insert a catheter through the leg, neck or chest and put in a new valve.”

TAVR is recommended for patients who aren’t candidates for open-heart surgery due to risk factors such as advanced age, frailty and other health problems. It offers many benefits over conventional open heart surgery, including less pain, shorter procedure time, shorter recovery time and fewer risks for patients who are high-risk for complications. As surgeons have become more skilled in performing the procedure, patients who are at moderate operative risk can be candidates for the surgery as well.

The leading edge of heart diseaseCAMC stays on the leading edge of structural heart disease through research, education and technology. The hospital is currently involved in 30 clinical trials related to structural or vascular disease, which is an important step in discovering new treatments and ways to reduce the risk of the disease. Plus, the hospital’s team of highly-trained specialists in cardiology, interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiovascular imaging and cardiac anesthesia are constantly advancing the fast-evolving field of interventional cardiology.

“We have an incredible team,” Adams said. “Dr. Steven Lewis, who has been here since 1988, helped develop the field of interventional cardiology and has been involved in multiple studies. Dr. John Deel is probably one of the most skilled surgeons in the United States on catheter-based techniques. Dr. Aravinda Nanjundappa has been here for a decade and speaks internationally regarding interventional cardiology. I also just completed two years of specialized training at the University of Kentucky, where I was involved in multiple trials for cardiac devices and worked with some of the leaders that helped develop this field.”

“There’s no need to leave the area for the best care,” Adams said. “We have it all right here.”

The MitraClip® device is a small clip that is attached to the mitral valve. It treats mitral regurgitation by allowing the mitral valve to close more completely, helping to restore normal blood flow through the heart.

The Watchman™ device is a permanent implant to close the left atrial appendage to prevent blood clots from entering the blood stream in the heart in an effort to reduce the risk of stroke.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is a procedure to replace the aortic valve in patients with severe aortic stenosis. TAVR is less invasive than open heart surgery because it uses a catheter to replace the heart valve instead of opening up the chest and completely removing the diseased valve.

New telemedicine technology brings faster treatment for stroke patientsAt the first sign of a stroke, the clock starts ticking as blood flow to the brain stops and brain cells die. “Time is brain” means the faster you are treated, the better chance you have of recovering with little or no disability.

CAMC General Hospital’s emergency department is now equipped with the latest technology to help stroke patients in the race against time by providing direct, immediate access to a neurologist whenever the neurologist is off-site.

“If someone is having a stroke and I am at another hospital, normally I would need to get in the car and drive over. That can take 15 or 20 minutes, which doesn’t sound like a long time, but because time is brain, the quicker we can see someone, the better,” said Melanie Ward, MD, neurologist.

Based on that initial video consultation, the neurologist can give care orders to be carried out by the stroke team while the doctor is on the way to see the patient in person.

“Telestroke technology allows us to see someone through the computer quicker than we would be able to [in person].”

By logging into a secure system from their smartphone or tablet, doctors who are off-site can connect to a camera and monitor in General Hospital’s emergency department and video conference with hospital staff, which enables them to evaluate the patient, view scans and lab work, and determine the best, and fastest, course of treatment.

“Telemedicine gives us the opportunity to be virtually present, take action, give the appropriate medication in a timely manner and provide the excellent care that patients need,” said Samip Borad, MD, neurologist.

Telestroke technology is credited with helping CAMC achieve its fastest door-to-tPA time ever. “Thanks to this technology, we were able to give the tPA in 23 minutes,” said Amie Lopez Smith, RN.

CAMC is the only designated primary stroke center in the region. This certification recognizes hospitals that meet certain standards that support better outcomes for stroke care, including a dedicated stroke-focused program, staff of qualified medical professionals, streamlined flow of patient information and quality improvement measures. CAMC provides comprehensive stroke care, from acute stroke treatment in

DesignerBrian Jarrell

Writers Julia NolandAshley HarmonLindsey LillyScott Jarrell

EditorElizabeth Pellegrin

Editors/WritersDale Witte Jessica Duffield

the emergency room to neurointerventional and cardiovascular surgery and rehabilitation following discharge.

“Telestroke has revolutionized stroke care,” said neurologist and stroke specialist, Konark Malhotra, MD. “We are lucky to have this technology at CAMC as it further improves our stroke care.”