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Py a aE HEALTH & FITNESS 99 Page 10, Section A Horald/ Vimes Laboratory services at Kings Mountain Hospital: Advameed technology, Dean Jenks, Ph.D. ~ Carolinas HealthCare System Public Information and Marketing Hospital laboratory work is not something that people spend a great deal of time thinking about. . In fact, not many people know the complexities of _ themodern lab. It is, however, one of the most im- portant tools a physician can have to understand and treat disease. At Kings Mountain Hospital, ap- proximately 10,000 laboratory tests are performed each month and all of them are completed in one hour, or less! Christine “Chris” Stewart serves as the Labo- ratory Director at Kings Mountain Hospital. She is a veteran of five years at KMH, and has seen her share of changes within the laboratory environment. “I am very proud to be a part of this hospital and am extremely proud of our laboratory staff,: Stewart said. And, from their track record, she has every right to be. Under her leadership, the laboratory at Kings Mountain Hospital has undergone significant changes. One of the most important has been the replacing of their major equipment and computer- izing their operations. “Now, we have very mod- ern equipment and have test results to physicians in a very timely manner,” Stewart said. “And, we can deliver accuracy along with our speed..,” she added. Since Kings Mountain Hospital's affiliation with Carolina’s HealthCare System, protocols and tech- niques have been standardized. “Procedures and techniques at Kings Mountain Hospital's Labora- tory are the same as those from any hospital within the System. Although we do not perform as many - different types of tests as some of the larger hospi- tals, those that we do are well within the standard,” she noted. Kings Mountain Hospital performs what is commonly known as routine laboratory testing. That is, they administer physician-ordered test that aid in the diagnosis and management of a patient's illness. “We deal with the front line tests, and deal with them quickly,” Stewart said. “We are proud of our turnaround time and know that it adds value to the healing process,” she added. Kings Moun- tain Hospital's Laboratory also utilizes major labs within the region. They send microbiology and ref- erence laboratory tests to Charlotte to be able to con- centrate on the procedures that they do well. One of the most stressful processes for any lab, and hospital in general, is preparation for their ac- creditation. Kings Mountain Hospital's Laboratory underwent their latest accreditation survey from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of HealthCare Organizations (JCAHO). “Accreditation surveys are always tough and stressful, however, we came through it very well. The survey team had very positive comments about our lab and staff,” Stewart said. “Now , we are preparing for the next one,” she added. Surveys for most hospitals occur every three years. In the laboratory, however, surveys oc- cur every two years, and they are inspected during the routing hospital surveys too. “We seem to get surveyed all of the time!” Stewart said. Besides all of the routine inpatient lab tests, Kings Mountain Hospital's Laboratory offers com- prehensive outpatient tests. The outpatient envi- ronment is different from most hospitals. “We know the majority of our patients by name and have been seeing them for long time,” Stewart said. Indeed the rapport between the staff and patients set them apart. There are very short waiting times and pa- tients do not hesitate to give the lab personnel their appreciation. “Our staff gets hugs and pats on the back regularly,” Stewart noted. “We really care about our patients. and they know it. We try to make them feel comfortable in the hospital environment and they seem to really appreciate it,” she added. Because Kings Mountain Hospital is small as compared to others within the region, the staff is a close-knit group. “Our lab staff works together very well and have become sort of a family. They help each other and other departments within the facil- a a ee a re October 28, 1999 old fashioned caring ity. Everybody here works together for the patient,” In addition to being a friendly staff, they are very competent. All of the technicians are certified and all have college degrees. Chris Stewart currently maintains three licenses and has significant experience in both laboratory procedures and departmental management. two of her three certifications are Federal licenses, recog- nized by the American College of Clinical Patholo- gists and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. She also has a State of Florida license from the Department of Health and Human Services. She came to Kings Mountain Hospital from Clearwater, Florida and spent six years in the military. Receiv- ing most of her formal training in laboratory proce- dures from the military, she was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. She also earned a degree in Medical Stewart proudly stated. Technology from Temple Community College. Chris enjoys spending time with her husband and two small children. In addition, she enjoys cross-stitching and cooking. Chris and her family reside in Shelby. Kings Mountain is fortunate to have such dedicated laboratory services within the community and indeed fortunate to have the dedi- cation and leadership of Christine Stewart. Pharmaceutical industry said to be Y2K OK While some have expressed concern that the Y2K event may effect their bank records, others are worried that it may also effect the contents of their medicine cabinet. Y2K has become the shorthand term for problems that may occur if business and personal computers are not able to accurately interpret the date 01/01/2000. Over the past two years there has been a ground swell of concern that such computer problems will render everything from regional power grids to ATMs useless. More recently these worries have extended to the health care and pharmaceutical industries. Glaucoma’s Losing sight of good eye care cold, mean ; losing your sight permanently. Especially if you re at risk for glaucoma, a leading cause of irrevers- ible vision loss. In the United States, glaucoma affects about three million people. “Up to half this number may be unaware they have the disease,” said Carl Kupfer, MD, director of the National Eye Institute, one of the federal government’s National Institutes of Health. “Higher risk population groups are everyone over the age of 60, African-Americans over the age of 40, and people who have a family history of glaucoma.” In many people, glaucoma occurs when the ve ‘ormal fluid loge ingideithe Consumers and practitioners have expressed concern over whether or not there may be short- ages of prescription medication as a result of Y2K related problems. Recently, representatives of the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA) Foundation, government organizations, physician advocates, pharmacy organizations and insurers sat down to discuss their concerns with the President's Council on Y2K Conversion. While the participants emerged from these proceedings confident that prescription medica- tion supplies will be adequate during the last quarter of this year and into the first quarter of lack of symptoms presents challenge the eye progressively Na leading to optic nerve damage and * reduced peripheral (side) vision. As the disease worsens, the field of vision gradually narrows and blindness may result. A dilated eye exam, in which drops are placed in the eye to dilate the pupils, is considered the best way to detect glaucoma. Experts recommend that people at risk for the disease have such an examination at least every two years. If detected and treated early in its progression, glaucoma can usually be slowed and serious vision loss can be prevented. “Glaucoma has no early warning signs of next year, they also made a series of obser- vations and recommenda- tions. * On average the pharmaceu- tical industry operates with a 90-day supply in the distribution system so local pharmacists should have access to an ample supply. e The period around January 1, 2000 will be no exception. Plus, any Y2K issues that should arise should be handled within five to seven days. ply remaining. possible vision loss,” said Kupfet. “So people at. risk for glaucoma often presume that if their? vision is fine, there is no need to be concerned. It is only when they notice vision loss that they take action. And while steps can be taken to preserve ~ remaining vision, such as with eye drops or laser surgery, vision already lost from glaucoma is lost forever.” A free brochure, “Don’t Lose Sight of Glau- coma,” is available by writing to Glaucoma, 2020 Vision Place, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-3655 or via their website at http: / /www.nei.nih.gov. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. This nationwide effort is coordinated by the National These Surgeons Could Practice Anywhere, Kings Mountain Hospital Carolinas HealthCare System 706 West King Street - Kings Mountain, NC 28086 - 739-3601 231-5118. Vv Vv y Health Face y 1022 Oak Grove Rd w Kings Mountain, NC 28086 Vv 739-4833 y Date: November 6, 1999 A Can \ 9. Time: 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m. Our new physicians left to right: Obinna N. Eruchalu, MD, FACS, FICS - Eric S. Young, MD v Place: Fellowship Building Paul A. Armstrong, DO - Augustine R. Eze, MD - Inderjeet Singh, MD y Healthy snacks will be provided by the WMU J 1 d h h 0 : Booths bailable We're Glad They Chose To Practice Here, [gsr ~~ a : - @ Glucose- Kings Mountain Parish Nurse Ministry When it comes to surgery, you want to be selective procedures including: Vascular Surgery, Laparoscopic > Cholesterol- Kings Mountain Parish Nurse Ministry about the surgeon you choose. And because you want Surgery, Hernia Repair, Breast Biopsies, Abdominal @ Blood Pressure: Kings Mountain Parish Nurse Ministry the most skilled surgeons, we've expanded our surgical ~~ Surgery, Gallbladder Surgery and Varicose Vein Surgery. ® Vision: The Cleveland Eye Clinic staff to include the highly qualified surgeons of You can rest easy knowing that these physicians ® Hearing: Kings Mountain Parish Nurse Minlstry Metrolina Surgery. Located at 120-118 S. Railroad utilize the latest technology and surgical expertise to help @ & ; Avenue, these surgeons are on staff at Kings Mountain ~~ you recover safely. So, if you need surgery, depend on the - © Education: Hospital and offer a diverse range of surgical services - surgeons right here at home. To learn more about the $ prostate Cancer Cleveland County Health Department from minor procedures to more complex surgical Sov of Megmling Surgery call 730-9131. _ @ Self-Breast Exam- Kings Mountain Hospital > Hypertension Class- Dr. Ian Stamp $@ BL) No Fee YoVYVYVYY As a rule of thumb, patients should refill their medications when they still have a five to seven day sup- To educate Americans on heart attack prevention, The American College of Emergency | Physicians has partnered with Bayer® Aspirin to provide Americans with a free Heart Attack? React! brochure and refrigerator magnet with lifesav- ing steps to take during a sus- pected heart attack. Call 1-800- To learn about childhood Individuals with specific concerns should consult their pharmacist, physician or insurance plan. According to Ben Bluml, for research at the APhA Foundation, “Y2K computer problems may cause minor interruptions in normal services, but alone cannot cause medica- tion supply shortage” For more information visit ww ie e Institute and sponsored by*or, a tions * i a the National Bye Hea ducation’ Program Partnership, to educate the p about the importance of preventive eye care. People at risk for glaucoma should have a dilated eye exam at least every two years. FREE THINGS T0 SEND FOR depression or other mental American Psychiatric Association’s web site at www.psych.org or write to the American Psychiatric Associa- tion, Division of Public Affairs, Washington, D.C. 20005 For information on the Commu- nity Campaign for Diabetes, call the American Diabetes Associa- tion at 1-800-232-8580. YY YY TY IIIIVIVIYIIVIVIYIYIY y For more information call ‘Charlotte Craig, Parish ® k Nurse or Laura Senter, Parish Nurse at 730-5138 v VVVPVVIVIIIIIVIIIVIVIIVIIVIY pharmacist and senior director illnesses and treatments, visit the CEE eeeeeeeeeeeeeteeeeeeeseeeeeeeess £ Re SRR = Perey
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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Oct. 28, 1999, edition 1
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