Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / June 24, 1999, edition 1 / Page 8
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Section A, Page 8 HEALTH & FITNESS 99 Herald/Times Thursday, June 24, 1999 New technology and continued compassion at Kings Mountain Hospital Dean Jenks, Ph.D. Carolinas HealthCare System Public Information and Marketing New Technology and Continued Compassion at Kings Mountain Hospital Dean Jenks, Ph.D. Caro- linas HealthCare System Public Information and Marketing Over the years, Kings Mountain Hospital has taken the necessary steps to remain on the forefront of medical technology to serve the people of this community. The hospital's commitment to quality patient care has lead to many enhanced service of- ferings. The most recent example is in use each day. It’s the new Helical CT Scanner that went into ser- vice approximately one month ago. Because of the rapidly changing technology within the field of radiology and imaging products, this new addition scanner was both a service enhancement and a planned replacement. Phyllis Phillips, RT(R), (M)RDMS, is the Director of Radiology at Kings Mountain Hospital. She is proud of the new addition to the diagnostic capa- bilities at the hospital and is excited about its pos- sibilities. “The new helical scanner allows faster scanning procedures and helps to increase patient satisfaction,” she said. Indeed, the new scanner is faster and provides significant patient benefits. It also, however, enhances the staff’s capabilities to. remain efficient and effective in their delivery of services to their patients. National Survey: “We are here for our patients. That's why we all come to work each day,” Phillips said. “The new scanner will allow us to do our job better and with a more patient focused effort. It has, however, in- creased the staff's efficiency in terms of patient scheduling, training opportunities and departmen- tal productivity,” she added. Because the new scan- ner is equipped with the latest technology, it func- tions in ways that the previous model did not. “We can now scan over longer distances and without pauses in the scanning cycle. And, the scanner and the table move simultaneously. This reduces the amount of radiation a patient receives during a pro- cedure,” Phillips said. “We get a better image qual- ity because of less patient motion while breathing.” Ava Gash, RTR (CT), is the scanning specialist at the hospital. Part of Phillips’ staff, she provides the expertise and daily operation of the new scan- ner. “It is more comfortable for the patient than the previous unit and images can be reconstructed for different views after the initial exam. This keeps patients from having to be exposed to additional radiation,” Gash noted. “We are able to serve more patients in a typical day and achieve the results faster than we ever could before,” she added. Because the radiology staff is small compared to other regional facilities, all of the members are cross-trained in at least two other diagnostic mo- dalities. “We can almost always provide the needed expertise and services our patients have come to expect, and perform them at the patient's conve- nience,” Phillips said. That to Phillips, however, is only part of the staff’s function. “We offer a per- sonal touch in this department that many other larger facilities cannot provide. And, because we live in a small community, we see our patients each day at the grocery store, the local restaurants and on the street.” Phillips explained that her expecta- tion for the staff was to be the best department in the hospital. “With the new technology, we have become quite an efficient team and I am very proud of the staff here.” Working closely with the emergency department and all nurses, the staff in the radiology department must be ready in a moment's notice to deliver qual- ity diagnostic procedures to those in need. The new technology now available at Kings Mountain Hos- pital will enhance the department's capabilities in providing quality service at a rapid pace. Being around Phyllis Phillips, you get the imme- diate impression of a person that is dedicated to her patients. She is, in a word, a dynamo that never seems to slow down. “I am from this community and know most everyone here,” she proudly states. “I have to provide a competent service with an ex- tra friendly attitude for the patients because many of them are my friends.” : Phillips received her training in the radiologic modalities at Cleveland Community College, Bow- man Gray School of Medicine and Caldwell Com- munity College. She was hired at Kings Mountain Hospital right after attending Cleveland Commu- nity College and planned to remain at the hospital for only one year. “I just never left,” she said. “I love the people here and I have loved the way our little hospital has changed with the times.” Phillips re- members when the only type of diagnostic capabil- ity the hospital had was its x-ray machine. “We used to have a mobile CT scan service and then moved to an in-house system,” she remembered. “Now just look at what we can do.” The hospital's radiology department is affiliated with Shelby Radiology Associates. All seven radi- ologists rotate through the hospital. That adds tre- mendous value to the radiology process because of their diverse experience. One of the radiologists, Dr. Jess Powell, commented on the new scanner. “The new equipment allows for different contrast levels of the films, which can be very important in appro- priately reading and interpreting specific images. And, it provides the patient with a higher degree of comfort during the/process.” The new high-speed helical scanner is definitely an enhancement at Kings Mountain Hospital. High technology has not, however, replaced the “high touch” focus of Phyllis Phillips and her staff. “We want to be the best in the System and I believe that we're getting there,” she said. After being around Phyllis and the department’s staff, one can’t help but believe her! People with osteoarthritis find condition physically and emotionally debilitating Nearly 21 million Americans are affected by osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. Many people believe this condition is an inevi- table part of aging and that they must endure the everyday aches and pains that accompany the disease. But osteoarthritis can be a physically debilitating and emotionally draining disease. A recent national survey of 500 Americans with osteoarthritis revealed that three-fourths of people with osteoarthritis say their condition interferes with routine daily activities and nearly six in ten admit that living with osteoarthritis has a negative effect on their mood and interaction with others. Given the impact of this disease, it is not surprising that approximately three-fourths of «those surveyed turn to medication to treat the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis. Though it, appears there is room for improvement in patient’ satisfaction with current therapies. The survey found that prescription medications received “very satisfied” ratings from 25 percent of users, compared to over-the-counter medications which received “very satisfied ratings from 14 percent of users. One factor affecting satisfaction with arthritis medication is side effects. Not surprisingly, if . people with osteoarthritis do not tolerate their PY " - - SEPERATE TERROR ESTER RAN TANNA EER 2 TIS IETRITIIIIIRIRERILT PESSRIEIINNG AE gee IITIIRNSSY YER FEIIITIIIAIIFIIIIIL medication well, many will stop taking their treatment. According to the survey, 58 percent of those who have ever taken arthritis medica- tion report they have either switched to a new medication or stopped taking medication altogether in response to side effects. In addi- tion, when patients were asked about arthritis medication, they rated “freedom from side effects” as high as “effective symptom control” (80 percent gave freedom from side effects an equal or higher importance rating). “The important point here is that each patient is an individual who will tolerate a medication differently from the next patient. We must work with each individual patient to find a therapy that works best for that person in terms of both effectiveness and tolerability,” said, Theodore Pincus, MD, Professor of Medi- cing, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "Osteoarthritis can affect the hips, knees, fingers, feet and spine. The most common symptoms are joint stiffness and pain, backache, increased symptoms during cold, damp weather, and limited movement. This survey was funded by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. For more information on osteoarthritis or other forms of arthritis, please contact the Arthritis Foundation at 1-800-283-7800 or at www.arthritis.org. on Oh, those jarring joints! BW Nearly 21 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis. The impact can be both physical and emotional. 73% of people with osteoarthritis state their condition interferes with routine daily activifies” 7% 357% of people with osteoarthritis state their condition negatively affects their mood and interaction with others Sv) mn Christian Anderson, MD Abdul Gangoo, MD These Doctors Privileged 10 Serv Pam Shergill, MD Austin Osemeka, MD And, We Feel Privileged To Have Them On Our Staff. When you're ill or injured, there is nothing more challenging than making important healthcare decisions. That's why our community is fortunate to have a skilled team of Internal Medicine physicians to manage your healthcare. On staff at Kings Mountain Hospital, these Internal Medicine to offer our community. §Z © Kings Mountain Hospital Carolinas HealthCare System 706 West King Street - Kings Mountain, NC 28086 - 739-3601 Syed Thiwan, MD e & i ki physicians can provide the care you need - from diagnostic tests and outpatient procedures to inpatient hospital care. To have the skill and train- ing of these physicians on our staff at Kings Mountain Hospital is a privilege, one we are proud year. Everett Thombs, MD : : risk. Abdul Gangoo, MD 810 W. King Street Kings Mountain, NC 739-8946 Christian Anderson, MD 706 W. King Street Kings Mountain, NC 734-0576 103 W. King Street Kings Mountain, NC 739-9586 doctor. Austin Osemeka, MD Pam Shergill, MD Syed Thiwan, MD Everett Thombs, MD Internal Medicine & 103 S. Watterson Street 608 W. King Street 103 W. King Street Gastroenterology Kings Mountain, NC Kings Mountain, NC Kings Mountain, NC 739-3681 734-2820 739-9586 the website at www.siemens.de/ med or call 732-321-3277. fur Unsume Heroes Aud Henomes Cardiologists: The Heart Of The Matter Cardiologists are helping us to live longer and better lives. These medical specialists are making immense progress in the fight against heart disease, which kills more than 700,000 Americans each However, according to experts at Siemens Medical Systems, cardiology is facing the same problems that other medical disci- plines have addressed in the past few years: rising pressure to contain costs, falling subsidies at teaching hospitals, increased competition, rising influence of managed care on medication decisions, and declining reimbursements. In order to address this trend, cardiologists must do more and do it more efficiently. Fortunately, new technologies are leading the way. Virtually every new imaging system offers faster patient throughput, as well as high-resolution images. ! Recent advances in cardiac networking have brought unprecedented efficiency to everything from diagnosis to inventory control. One of the newest technologies with the potential to diagnose heart disease is Calcium Scoring. This non-invasive procedure scans the heart to determine the amount of calcium deposited within plaques in the coronary arteries: = =“ Calcium deposits in the coronary arteries-the arteries that deliver blood to the heart-can be'a'prime indicator of heart-disease Calcium buildup causes a narrowing of the blood vessels which can lead to heart attacks and other cardiac problems. Aiding the physician in diagnosing such potential risk early on are devices such as the Somatom Plus 4 CT scanner by Siemens Medical Systems, which can indicate the approximate amount of calcium deposits in half a second- literally within beats. With the help of an ECG unit, the machine knows exactly when the heart is in its resting phase, triggering the scan. This diagnostic method may soon become the gold standard in cardiac imaging because it provides a measure of cardiac calcification and costs so much less than previously used Electron Beam devices. If you think you are at risk for heart disease, it may pay to discuss this procedure with your To learn more about the latest cardiac technology, visit New technology that scans calcium deposits on the heart may help many people live longer, healthier lives.
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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June 24, 1999, edition 1
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