Jan15

HaysMed Welcomes New Cardiology Providers

By Gayla Wichman - DeBakey Heart Institute News,HaysMed News

Hays, KS) – HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System, is pleased to welcome Dr. Patricia D. Crawley, Cardiologist and Megan F. Homolka, BSN, MSN, RN, APNP to the DeBakey Heart Clinic.

“We are always pleased to add additional providers to our cardiac team,” said Bryce Young, Chief Operating Officer. “The need for heart care in western Kansas remains steady and we are committed to having the specialty services available locally.”

Dr. Crawley graudated from medical school at The University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City. She completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita and a fellowship in cardiology at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville. She is board certified in both internal medicine and cardiovascular disease.

Homolka completed a bachelor of science in nursing at Chamberlain College of Nursing, Arlington, and a master of science in nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington. Her area of focus is cardiovascular care.

“We are committed to caring for the cardiology needs of patients in western Kansas,” said Shae Veach, Vice President for Regional Operations. “As part of the region’s premier academic health system, we will continue to offer access to specialists and resources to ensure the continued good health of the communities we serve.”

For more information call 785-623-6544 or go to haysmed.com/debakeyheart

Jan3

HaysMed Cardiologist Using New Device for Heart Attack Patients

By Gayla Wichman - DeBakey Heart Institute News,HaysMed News

( Hays, Kansas) – HaysMed cardiologist Dr. Byungsoo Ko is now using a new device to treat heart attack patients whose hearts aren’t strong enough to sustain traditional open heart surgery. The Impella, which is the world’s smallest heart pump, allows cardiologists to perform percutaneous coronary intervention (opening up the blockage in the heart arteries with stents) in patients whose heart function is not strong enough to withstand heart surgery. This percutaneous (being placed without requiring any surgery) heart pump can also be used in patients with a life threatening condition called “cardiogenic shock”, meaning the patient is dying from an acute heart (“pump”) failure.

“This is the only FDA approved device that can be used in this sickest of the sick patient population with a rapidly failing heart” said Dr. Ko.

Inserted through a groin artery, the Impella pumps the blood from the heart into the aorta (the big artery that comes out of the heart) thereby helping the pumping function of the weakened heart. It can pump as much as 3.5 liters of blood per minute (more than half of how much a health heart can pump) to provide extra blood flow to important organs such as brain or kidneys to protect any irreversible damage.

“Now we have a heart pump that can be inserted within 15 minutes in cardiogenic shock patients either from a heart attack or from heart failure. Furthermore, we can use the device in patients with blockages in the heart but whose heart function is too weak to withstand an open heart surgery.” Said Ko.

Within a couple of weeks of the launch of the program, two patients have benefited from this device. Both patients had very weak hearts and were too sick to undergo surgery. With the help of the device and the expertise of the cath lab staff and anesthesia, both patients’ blockages were successfully opened with stents.

“I am very grateful to HaysMed’s commitment to provide a full cardiovascular service to people in Western Kansas.” Said Ko. “Many patients will benefit greatly from this device”

Oct31

HaysMed Recertified as a Primary Stroke Center Hospital

By Gayla Wichman - DeBakey Heart Institute News,Emergency Department News,HaysMed News

(Hays, KS – Oct 31, 2018) – HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System, recently successfully completed an on site survey of their stroke program. The hospital was awarded a three year extension of their certification as a Primary Stroke Center hospital by DNV Healthcare reaffirming the hospitals’ readiness to handle a full range of stroke-related medical problems. HaysMed was the first hospital in Kansas to receive this designation in 2013 and has remained certified since that time.

The three-year certification from DNV Healthcare, a hospital accreditation organization with some of the toughest standards in health care, means HaysMed’s stroke response staff follows the best methods to fast-track patients suspected of stroke so doctors can begin brain-saving treatments immediately.

“This certification let’s our community know we have the resources and commitment to provide the best possible stroke care.” Said Erin Hemphill, MD, Hospitalist and medical director of the stroke program at HaysMed. “It’s a combination of the right medical teams, equipment, and training to quickly assess and treat strokes. Achieving certification validates all the effort we have put into this program to improve every life we touch.”

HaysMed stroke response includes in hospital collaboration that speeds diagnosis and treatment during a patient’s crucial first moments at the hospital. The Hospital’s Emergency Department hospitalists, neurology and critical care departments work together – sharing lab results and CT scans, examining patients and recommending treatment all within a short time of a patient’s arrival.

As part of its review, DNV inspected actual and potential patient outcomes, as well as required processes followed by the hospital’s stroke care team. DNV surveyors assessed the care provided at HaysMed, including the appropriateness of the care and hospital services within the context of the certification requirements.

Surveyors also visited the areas where stroke patients are diagnosed and treated and reviewed clinical records, staff records and other documentation to validate information gained from observations and interviews.

“HaysMed will continue to put quality processes and programs in place to provide the best health care for the people of Western Kansas,” said Hemphill. “Achieving certification shows commitment to excellence, and it demonstrates that the hospital is performing at the highest level.”

Oct4

HaysMed Expands Cardiac Care Services with New Heart Failure Clinic

By Gayla Wichman - DeBakey Heart Institute News,HaysMed News

Hays, KS (Oct 4, 2018) – HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System, recently added a monthly heart failure clinic at the DeBakey Heart Institute.

Bhanu Gupta, MD, Nicholas Haglund, MD and Andrew Sauer, MD, all with The University of Kansas Health System, will be in Hays on a regular basis to see patients diagnosed with heart failure. This team brings advanced treatment options for heart failure that are not currently available in the region, such as CardioMems and ventricular assist devices.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 5.7 million adults in the United States have heart failure. Early detection and diagnosis are critical for improving quality and length of life. Common symptoms include:

Shortness of breath
Cough or wheezing
Fatigue
Swelling of the feet, ankles or legs
Sudden weight gain
Reduced appetite and nausea

“We’re fortunate that being part of the system has afforded us the opportunity to offer specialized expertise and advancements not previously available in our region.” Said Jeffery Curtis, MD, FACC, FACP, cardiologist and director of cardiology services at HaysMed DeBakey Heart Clinic. “Our cardiology team continues to explore innovative ways to broaden the depth of heart services for our patients.”

For more information please call 888-625-4699 or go to www.haysmed.com

Sep18

HaysMed Celebrates 1500th Robotic Surgery

By Gayla Wichman - DeBakey Heart Institute News,HaysMed News,OB-GYN,Urology

Hays, KS (Sept 18, 2018) – HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System, will be celebrate the 1500^th Robotic Surgery on September 25, 2018. A special Chamber ribbon cutting will be held at 8 am at Entrance C and the public is invited to attend. In addition a mobile robotics unit will be on site and available from 8 am to 5 pm for people to try out the robot and see how the technology works.

The Robotic Surgery program, the first in Western Kansas, was launched in April of 2014. HaysMed offers robotic surgery for a wide range of surgical procedures. The surgeons use a surgical robot to minimize surgical incision and trauma, improve surgical visualization and improve surgical accuracy. Throughout the surgery the surgeon not only controls every aspect of the surgery in real time but sees it clearly via high definition that results in pinpoint accuracy for greater precision.

Robotic surgery is another form of minimally invasive surgery that offers many advantages to patients. Because of the smaller incisions patients usually see less pain, shorter hospital stays, less scarring, reduced risk of infection and a quicker recovery and return to regular activity.

Robotic surgery is available for general surgeries including gallbladder, hernia, colon resection and bariatrics, women’s surgeries including hysterectomies, prostate/urological surgeries and thoracic/lung surgeries.

In 2016 the hospital added single site surgeries for several procedures. The single site technology allows surgeons to perform the surgery through a small incision in the belly button virtually eliminating scarring.

Currently 11 physicians at HaysMed are trained in robotic surgery: Samuel Durham, MD, Cardiovascular Surgeon, general surgeons Charles Schulz, MD, Paul Teget, DO, Zurab Tsereteli, MD and Jerod Grove, MD, OB/GYN physicians Joel Fort, MD, Lee Hodny, MD, and Timothy Hospkins, MD and Urologists Ernesto Lopez-Corona, MD, Kevin McDonald, MD and Srinivas Samavedi, MD.

“Bringing innovative surgical technology to Western Kansas is something we are very proud of.” said Bryce Young, Chief Operating Officer at HaysMed. “We are committed to providing quality healthcare to our patients.”

Aug14

HaysMed Foundation Campaign Surpasses Goal

By Gayla Wichman - DeBakey Heart Institute News,HaysMed News

In April of last year, the HaysMed Foundation announced the Powerful Technology Campaign. The goal was to acquire several new key technologies that would signal a major turning point in patient care. The campaign, chaired by Dr. Tom and Debra McDonald, surpassed its $3 million goal, with a total of $3,822,342 in gifts and pledges.

The Powerful Technology Campaign included four major components:

-A new CT scanner

-New equipment in the HaysMed DeBakey Heart Institute’s two catheterization labs -Integrated patient monitors -Endowed funds to benefit department needs both now and for generations to come

The new, large-bore CT scanner, a technological breakthrough, captures detailed images of vital organs in only a fraction of a second. This remarkable speed significantly reduces radiation doses up to 82 percent from traditional CT scanners. New patient monitors tie into HaysMed’s larger electronic medical record system, which tracks patients’ health status at any given moment. The two catheterization labs can now also offer higher quality imaging, while minimizing radiation exposure to patients and providers.

Campaign co-chairs Dr. Tom and Debra McDonald expressed their appreciation to the donors of the Campaign. “The success of the Powerful Technology Campaign is important, not only because of the state-of-the art tools now available, but because of the increased standard of care they facilitate for our patients and for their families. We owe this achievement to the advocates and benefactors in our community who constantly seek to improve the lives of those who call our region home.”

Jul16

HaysMed Receives Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award

By Gayla Wichman - DeBakey Heart Institute News,HaysMed News

American Heart Association Award recognizes HaysMed’s commitment to quality stroke care

Hays, KS July 16, 2018 ― HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System, has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines^®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

HaysMed earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

“HaysMed is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Erin Hemphill, Hospitalist and Medical Director of the Stroke Program at HaysMed. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

HaysMed additionally received the association’s Stroke^SM Elite Plus) award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

“We are pleased to recognize HaysMed for their commitment to stroke care,” said Eric E. Smith, M.D., national chairman of the Get With The Guidelines Steering Committee and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

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Apr23

HaysMed Welcomes New Heart Surgeon

By Gayla Wichman - DeBakey Heart Institute News,HaysMed News

Hays, KS (April 23, 2018) – HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System, is pleased to welcome Dr. Samuel J. Durham, Cardiothoracic Surgeon to the DeBakey Heart Institute. Dr. Durham will begin seeing patients at the DeBakey Heart Clinic on May 1.

“We are so excited to have a full time heart surgeon a t HaysMed once again,” said Bryce Young, Chief Operating Officer. “Dr. Durham will be a great asset to our heart program.”

Young noted that heart surgery has been limited since Dr. Elizabeth Ashworth left HaysMed to care for her family. In the interim, Dr. Richard Toon, a cardiac surgeon from Salina has been performing surgeries on a regular basis.

“We’re very fortunate that Dr. Toon was willing to step in and continue to allow us to offer heart services to our patients.” remarked Young.

Dr. Durham graduated from Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. He did a residency in cardiothoracic surgery at the University Health Center in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

He also completed a fellowship in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery and is board certified in general surgery and thoracic cardiovascular surgery.

His areas of focus include cardiothoracic surgery, adult cardiac surgery, adult cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, minimally invasive surgery, peripheral vascular surgery, thoracic surgery thoracoabdominal surgery and vascular surgery.

Feb7

Local Cardiologist Returns to DeBakey Heart Clinic

By Gayla Wichman - DeBakey Heart Institute News,HaysMed News

Hays, Kansas (Feb 7, 2018) – Dr. Jeffery Curtis, Cardiologist will be returning to the DeBakey Heart Clinic on February 12. He will resume seeing cardiology patients and also begin a new administrative role as Director of Cardiology Services. In that capacity he will be promoting HaysMed’s cardiology services locally and in Western Kansas.

“I have appreciated the support and collaboration with my fellow colleagues while practicing at Medical Specialists” said Curtis. “But I am also very excited about my new role and look forward to the opportunity to promote our cardiology services in the region.”

Dr. Curtis began seeing patients full time in Medical Specialists a little over three years ago. All current patients are being notified of the change and will be given the opportunity to establish themselves with other providers in Medical Specialists and Family Medicine.

Dr. Curtis, a Hays native, has been a practicing physician in Hays since 2002, and has practiced medicine and cardiology in Kansas since 1988.

Jan9

Hansen Foundation Helps Provide HaysMed Cath Labs with New Technology

By Gayla Wichman - DeBakey Heart Institute News,HaysMed News

Hays – The Dane G. Hansen Foundation has approved a grant of $250,000 in support of new technology for the two heart catheterization labs (cath labs) at HaysMed’s DeBakey Heart Institute. The primary objective of new equipment is to serve the cardiac health needs and improve cardiac patient outcomes of our residents and visitors to western Kansas. Clinical advantages of the new equipment include the ability to see more detail while minimizing risk to the patient through the use of higher resolution viewing equipment using less contrast. The newly outfitted labs also improve the safety and working conditions of our providers and patients through significant reductions in radiation exposure. More than 4,000 heart cath procedures have been completed by HaysMed’s team of interventional cardiologists in the last five years.

“HaysMed is proud to partner with the Dane G. Hansen Foundation in improving healthcare outcomes for the citizens of western Kansas. As a certified chest pain center, the DeBakey Heart Institute at HaysMed provides the people, the technology, and the facilities to allow folks to get quality cardiac care normally only available much further from home,” said HaysMed CEO Eddie Herrman. HaysMed remains the only health care facility in the region having achieved American College of Cardiology (ACC) Chest Pain Center Accreditation.

As with hospitals nationwide, HaysMed is faced with decreasing revenues in government and insurance reimbursement. Philanthropic support is critical. The Dane G. Hansen Foundation is committed to providing opportunities for the people of northwest Kansas to enjoy the highest possible quality of life through philanthropic support through a variety of areas, including healthcare. Over the past ten years, Dane G. Hansen Foundation Grants to the HaysMed Foundation have provided more than $1.25 million in support for projects benefitting the healthcare of families in western Kansas, including a $500,000 grant in 2016 towards the new CT scanner at HaysMed.

About the DeBakey Heart Institute at HaysMed

Hays Medical Center has a full service heart program developed under the guiding hand of the Father of Heart Surgery, Dr. Michael DeBakey. The program includes two full time catheterization labs, interventional cardiology, nuclear cardiology, open heart surgery and cardiac rehabilitation. The heart program at HaysMed is committed to including referring physicians in the decision making process and keeping them updated on patient status. Priority is given to returning patients promptly to their local community hospitals and health care providers.
About the HaysMed Foundation
The HaysMed Foundation is a qualified 501(c) (3) charitable organization whose mission is to support HaysMed, a private, not-for-profit hospital that provides the only tertiary level services in the region. The Foundation, in partnership with donors, seeks to meet both immediate and long-range health care needs of the people of western Kansas. An 18-member volunteer board guides the efforts of the Foundation. Donations can be sent to the HaysMed Foundation, 2220 Canterbury Drive, Hays, KS 67601 or by visiting www.haysmedfoundation.org/donate.

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