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HEALTH & FITNESS 99
© Section A, Page 8
Herald/Times
A sp
ports-Related
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Injuries:
Common sense is the key to
Dean Jenks, Ph.D.
Carolinas HealthCare System Public
Information and Marketing
Dr. Bill Stucky loves sports. He also loves helping
others through his practice of medicine. Both of these
loves, however, can clash during a typical work day. As -
a surgeon with the Miller Orthopaedic Clinic, Dr. Stucky
gets involved with sports-related injuries almost daily.
And, although he enjoys being around athletes, Dr.
Stucky would rather see them on the field of competition
than in his office or the emergency department.
“There are several common types of injuries I
frequently see that are the result of sports- related
activities, with some being more serious than others” he
says. Among those most common include strains and
sprains to the ankles, wrists, shoulders and complaints
of back pain “Strains to joints, including the ankle and
shoulder joints, are due primarily to overexertion and
stress to the joint,” Stucky notes. Other common but more
serious injuries include cartilage tears in the knees, wrists
and ankles, various types of fractures and rotator cuff
tears in the'shoulders of his patients. When patients see
Dr. Stucky with an injury resulting from participating in
a sport, he can sympathize because he has participated
in sports all of his life.
“Growing up in Michigan, I participated in sports all
of the time. In fact, my love of medicine grew partly from
observing athletic performance,” Stucky said. “I
appreciated the mechanics of the human body at an early
age and knew that I would somehow be involved in a
biological science.” Becoming a physician and surgeon
was a natural progression for him. And, as busy as he is,
Dr. Stucky still finds time to engage in sports activities
He participates in a recreational league basketball
program as well as-an indoor soccer program at the
Cleveland County Family YMCA.
“I guess my greatest thrill is being around athletes,”
Stucky quickly admits. It is so much of a thrill for him
that he is involved, and is in demand, at several athletic
and educational institutions around Cleveland County.
Stucky takes care of sports-related injuries from Kings
their livings from sports, the course of treatment for them
may differ a little from professional athletes.” He is quick
to point out that the treatment goal for the “weekend
athlete” first addresses the individuals return to being a
productive part of his or her family and to get back to
work before venturing back into the world of competition.
Thankfully, the recovery period for most sports-related
injuries is fairly quick. Dr. Stucky noted that the average
recovery for a strain or sprain is from several days to
several weeks and the period that one can expect to be
incapacitated from a fracture of the ankle is anywhere
from four to six weeks. Recovery is different because
individuals are different and it may take a little longer
for some to get back to regular participation in a sport
than others,” he said. Dr. Stucky, however, remembers
one avid golfer that just couldn't be sidelined. “I had one
patient that was back on the golf course within two weeks
after a fracture. He played in a walking cast!,” Stucky
exclaimed. :
Some injuries, however, are more serious and require
more than just rest. Fractures and cartilage tears are two
prime examples. “Most fractures require casting and if
the bone is not properly aligned, pinning may be
required,” Stucky said. Pinning is a process by which a
small wire or “pin” is used to help hold the bone in proper
alignment. The pin provides the appropriate support to
the healing bone and helps secure the bone-to-bone
‘contact much better than casing alone. In addition,
physical therapy is often prescribed to assist the patient
in fully recovering from a fracture. Having a licensed
therapist direct the postoperative healing process is very
important. These people can focus on the patient’ s
abilities and defects and guide them through a well-
planned recovery process.” Although not every fracture
requires physical therapy, those that do significantly
benefit from the sessions.
Cartilage tears and tears in the shoulder” s rotator cuff
may also require physical therapy. In some cases,
however? Nonsurgical treatments will not suffice. Dr.
Stucky is quick to note that while surgical treatment is
reserved for injuries that cannot be treated otherwise, it
is often less invasive and debilitating than the patient
in the activities that they love and those they have been doing
for years” he said. Non-contact sports such as golf, tennis
and running yield some of the highest injury rates for the
“weekend athlete.” Participating in sports activities can put
a strain on joints and muscles if they are not conditioned for
the activity. And, it is not just young people that are injured.
Dr. Stucky has treated senior citizens for sports-related
injuries and considers this group to be prime examples of
the benefits of regular exercise. “Although I work with
young athletes at Kings Mountain High School and Gardner-
Web University, some of the most dedicated participants in
sports activities are the seniors of the community,” he notes.
By now you may be under the impression that nearly
everyone that participates in a sport or related activity will
automatically be injured. That simply is not the case. There
are several things that we can do to minimize the potential
for injury from participation in a sports-related activity. Dr.
Stucky says that developing a regular exercise program is
the number one prevention measure we can take to lessen
the chance for injury and to minimize the severity of an
injury if one does occur. “If people would exercise every
other day? They would be considerably less likely to have a
over exertion type of injury??? he said. He adds that
exercising every day is optimal, however, an every other
day routine is usually sufficient for all but the most
competitive people and activities. “People that exercise
regularly build endurance and condition their muscles and
joints for the extra stress that sports activities often demand.’
There is one additional point regarding exercise that is
important. Dr. Stucky recommends that people periodically
change their exercise routine. The term “cross-training” came
into fashion in the mid-eighties. Although somewhat of a
buzz word, cross-training is extremely beneficial to a proper
exercise routine. ‘I see injuries from people that regularly
exercise. But, for the most part, thee people do the same
exercise all of the time,” Stucky said. “If people would
change their routine, their chance for injury would be
significantly reduced.” Dr. Stucky gave the example of a
runner. He noted that the runner, although in potentially
excellent physical condition, is continuously using and
taxing the joints and muscles in his or her legs. If that same
athlete would rotate running with bicycling for example,
DR. BILL STUCKEY
injury because the joints and muscles become more
limber and ready to accept the stress of the activity,
After the muscles and joints are warm, the activity does
not seem as demanding on the body. We've all heard
that warming-up your car’s engine is important before
beginning a drive. It is not much different for your
body.
A final precaution to avoid sports-related injury is a
proper cool-down period following an intense activity.
These measures, along with the right nutrition and the
appropriate rest in between activities will give you the
edge in voiding injury. After all, sports activities are
supposed to be fun.
expects it to be. “We have a variety of diagnostic and
treatment options available today that lessen the severity
of surgical procedures and help speed the healing
they would get virtually the same benefit from the exercise
without the isolated strain on the legs.
Although preconditioning of the body is the most
As the weather warms up, more and more people
will be out doing their thing Before you jump in all at
once, however, remember Dr. Stucky’s tips for injury
Mountain High School. His pride with the high school
affiliation is evident. Whether it’s football, basketball or
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SARE IRES ERENT TIE
ARTES
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track and field teams, Dr. Stucky treats the injuries of all
participants. In addition, Stucky works with Gardner-
Webb University’s sports programs and treats their
athletes as necessary. This perhaps takes Stucky back to
his days of basketball and track and field at Vanderbilt
University, in Nashville, Tennessee. He participated in
Vanderbilt's varsity programs for four years during his
undergraduate studies. After that, it was on to medical
school at the University of Michigan where as student,
he was sent out to cover all types of sporting events and
assist with the healthcare for all of the teams. After
medical school, Dr. Stucky completed his residency
training in orthopaedic surgery at Wayne State
University.
“The athlete is a unique individual. They expect more
from themselves than most others and do not like the
fact that an injury has them sidelined,” Stucky $ays.
‘Because most of the athletes I see as patients do not make
process,” Stucky notes. The majority of surgeries for these
types of injuries are performed arthroscopically. “The
arthroscope is a very small instrument that is inserted
into the joint to assist in diagnosing the injury as well as
to deliver the actual treatment,” Stucky explains. By using
arthroscopic techniques, the patient is treated with
minimal surgical invasion and the recovery process is
accelerated. Stucky performs these and other surgical
procedures at Kings Mountain Hospital. “The atmosphere
at Kings Mountain Hospital is great. The nurses and other
support staff personnel are extremely competent and
bend over backward to help the patients and physicians,
he said.
Although many may think that sports-related injuries
stem from only fierce competition,
Dr. Stucky notes that nothing could be further from the
truth. “People are injured everyday from participating
Kings Mountain Hospital
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Kings Mountain Hospital
Carolinas HealthCare System
706 W. Kings Street
P.O. Box 339
Kings Mountain, NC 28086
(704) 739-3601
effective method for avoiding an injury, there is another
measure that we can take that may be just as effective.
‘Proper warm-up activities and stretching of the muscles and
joints is essential before beginning any activity,” he notes.
As the body becomes warms, there is less likelihood of the
prevention. And, if you see a six-foot six-inch man in
green hospital scrubs on the basketball court this
spring, it may just be Dr. Stucky. If I were you, I think
twice before challenging him to a game of one-on-one.
Shannon Blanton: Part of the
Heritage at Kings Mountain Hospital
by Dean Jenks, Ph.D.
Carolinas HealthCare System Public |
Information and Marketing
Shannon Blanton was fascinated by the healthcare
industry at an early age. Her fascination must have had
an impact because she has devoted her entire 39-year
career to it. And, as you may imagine, she is still
fascinated with the rapid advancements of technology
and patient care. After being in the middle of it all for
the last 39 years, however, one may think a bit of the
excitement may have diminished. Not for Shannon.
Maybe her lingering fascination stems from witnessing
the ongoing evolution of modern medical and support
technology at Kings Mountain Hospital. Maybe it’s
because she has a bit of ownership in that evolution.
Perhaps both thoughts are correct. You see, Shannon
Blanton has not only witnessed the evolution of the
modern medical facility in Kings Mountain, she has lived
it. Her entire career has been devoted to local healthcare
here in Kings Mountain.
“I was hired in 1960 as a medical records clerk for
Kings Mountain Hospital,” she proudly states. Although
Kings Mountain Hospital was a very small facility, “it
was as modern as any hospital I had ever been in,” she
added. Indeed Kings Mountain Hospital was modern in
1960, however, practically everything has changed at the
A A A a A oie tin. En. A Aa ad 2
hospital, including the specialty area of medical records.
“Way back then, people could be admitted to the hospital
for just about anything,” Blanton said. “Nobody ever
questioned the physicians and there was no pressure
from insurance companies and governmental agencies
to speed the process of hospitalization and patient
discharge.” Patient records were basically laid aside and
used only when information was needed. “There was
not too much in the patient record back then and it was
not considered a vital part of the hospitalization process
as it is today,” Blanton said.
After graduating from Number Three Township
High School and earning an Associate Degree in Liberal
Arts from Gardner-Webb College, Shannon went to work
at Cleveland Memorial Hospital for a period of one year.
“I worked at Cleveland as part of my field experience
and that experience allowed me to take the exam to
become an Accredited Record Technician,” she said. After
her brief stay at Cleveland Memorial Hospital, she was
hired to head the practically nonexistent Medical Records
Department at Kings Mountain Hospital. “Back then, the
department consisted of a small office across from
administration. Quarters were so tight that I could almost
reach out and touch the nursing department from my
desk,” she noted. Overall medical records technology had
not reached its zenith and Shannon was placed in world
of index cards, manual filing drawers, simplistic dictation
equipment and one typewriter. “As simple as it seems
now, I was awed by the system of medical records and
thought the process was as good as it was ever going to
get” she said.
That was, however, simply not the case. As third party
payors began requiring more proof of illness and
governmental programs like Medicare came into being,
things became very different in the life of a medical
records professional. “All of a sudden, medical records
were important and we were required to include a lot
more information about our patients,” Blanton said.
Physicians began dictating more and more patient
information and payors along with regulatory agencies
began wanting to see every bit of it. Now, instead of index
cards and manual filing, there are computerized records
and digital equipment that allows dictation to be
downloaded directly to Shannon's computer at the
hospital via modem from any home-based
transcriptionist in the United States. “Today’s technology
for medical records is staggering when compared to that
of the 1960's,” she said. Shannon, however, is quick to
point out that although the technology has changed and
medical records have become more complicated, the
efficiency of the department has grown right along with
the sophistication. “We remain proud of our efficiency,”
Blanton says. “We could always have a medical record
retrieved in about three minutes at Kings Mountain
Hospital, and still can,” she added. “Rapid retrievals are
important when we have an emergency patient and the.
physician is waiting on the information that may save
his or her life.
As time passed and the healthcare needs of Kings
Mountain changed, so did the hospital. “I have been
through several expansions at Kings Mountain Hospital
and it feels good to know that when the needs of our
community changed, we have been able to grow and
respond to those needs appropriately,” she said.
Although Blanton has been a part of Kings Mountain
Hospital for the past 39 years, she has only worked for
three administrators. “Mr. Grady Howard hired me and
I worked for him from 1960 to 1985. He still comes by to
visit me once in a while,” she said. From 1985 until 1994,
Shannon was under the leadership of Huitt Reep and
from 1994 until the present, she has worked for current
administrator Hank Neal.
“I have always had a great rapport with the
leadership and the medical staff of the hospital,” Blanton
said. In fact, she thinks of the employees and physicians
at Kings Mountain Hospital as her second family. “It may
sound old fashioned, but I really love my job and sort of
feel like this is my hospital and I have some ownership
inits progression,” she said. In fact, she loved and trusted
the organization so much that she chose Kings Mountain
Hospital as the place to deliver her only daughter. “I
worked the day I delivered,” she remembered. “I
grabbed my suitcase at the end of the day and checked
into the maternity area.” Things have indeed changed
since then. Her stay was seven days after a normal
delivery and her hospital bill, including medicine and
nursery services, totaled a whopping $167.11.
“The people at Kings Mountain Hospital are great
and I have made some real good friends here,” she notes.
And, her friends and memories of the past 3 years are
filling her mind these days. You see, Shannon plans to
retire March 31. Yes, after nearly four decades of
dedicated service to the Kings Mountain community, she
will give up her position as Director of Medical Records
and concentrate on other important things.
“There is joy mixed with anxiety in my heart. [ am
happy and sad at the same time, if that makes any sense,”
she explains. She is not the only one with mixed feelings
about her looming retirement. Hank Neal, administrator
of the hospital says “Shannon's wealth of knowledge and
years of experience have been an invaluable asset to
Kings Mountain Hospital and it will be a tremendous
challenge to replace her.” Indeed there may be a void in
the organization after Shannon's retirement, but hardly
time for one in her personal life. “I want to spend time
with my husband, Bill and follow my three
grandchildren in their sports,” she said. I want to take
piano lessons, do some volunteer work at a nursing
home, take some bible study courses at Gardner-Webb
University, get going with my physical fitness and
continue to strengthen my spiritual life,” she added.
All of that could bog-down a youngster, but not
Shannon Blanton. She has a special drive and itis evident
to those that know her. She is an unassuming woman
that has significantly contributed to the advancement of
health in Kings Mountain by working diligently behind
the scenes. Now, she is ready to turn her energies toward
her family and herself. “I plan to keep busy doing the
things I want to do and I want to continue living a simple
life,” she said. “If, howevef, my hospital needs me to
help out once in a while, that will be fine too,” she added.
Her plans seem to fit the natural progression of her life
and blend with the continual evolution that she is
accustomed to. Retirement sounds like a great beginning
to the next step of Shannon's life and we all wish her
well.
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