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Community Open House - October 2, 2010

Sat, 4 Sep 2010 01:00:00 CDT

Join us October 2, 2010 to celebrate the opening of the new Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

11:00 am - 6:00 pm

Columbia St. May's Hospital Milwaukee
2323 N. Lake Drive
Milwaukee | WI

Hospital Preparing For Move To Milwaukee's East Side

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 01:00:00 CDT

Since 1919 the corner of Newport and Maryland avenues in Milwaukee has been the home of Columbia Hospital, now Columbia St. Mary's.

But come October the hospital will move to a new 835,000 square foot, state of the art facility on Milwaukee's Lake Drive. View the full Channel 12 story and video by clicking here.

Triple-V Screening - Cover All Your Bases

Thu, 5 Aug 2010 00:00:00 CDT

With a painless Triple V Screening you can make a triple play towards good health!This screening includes:

Carotid artery imaging of the neck to assess stroke risk
Abdominal aorta imaging to detect aneurysm
Ankle brachial index to check for peripheral arterial disease of the legs

This screening is perfect for individuals aged 55 and older with risk factors such as high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, or a family history of cardiovascular disease. The cost of these three tests is only $99, or $40 for individual tests. Pre-payment and pre-registration are required. Results will be mailed within seven business days.

Thursday, September 16
Appointments between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm based on availability.
Call (414) 961-8272 to register.
Columbia St. Mary’s Vascular Institute
Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital, Columbia
2025 E. Newport Ave., Milwaukee

The cost is $99 for the entire screening; $40 for individual tests.
Pre-payment and pre-registration are required.

Call Tiffany Wachowiak at (414) 961-8272 to register.

Patient & Family Advisory Council Seeking New Members

Wed, 4 Aug 2010 01:00:00 CDT

The Patient and Family Advisory Council of Columbia St. Mary's draws on specific experiences of patients, families, and health care teams to influence and enhance the quality and culture of care. The council reinforces our belief that patients and families have a unique expertise and knowledge that is essential to improving services, while also recognizing that patient and family satisfaction impacts positively on treatment outcomes.

Since their founding in 2007, the group has made considerable impact throughout Columbia St. Mary's — from providing input on process flows, signage and marketing for the new hospital to reviewing patient education materials and hospital policies.

We are seeking new council members who can advocate for patients and family members as well as for the hospital. Council members will learn about the health system’s mission and vision while maintaining confidentiality regarding any patient experiences. The council meets monthly and selected members will serve three-year terms.

For more information about the council or to request an application for membership, please call Serra Sudemir (414) 270-4919 or email ssudemir@columbia-stmarys.org.

Emergency vs. Urgent Care: It Pays to Know the Difference

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 01:00:00 CDT

By Robert Pachner, MD

On a Saturday morning, 12-year-old Melissa falls while rollerblading and hurts her wrist. Her mother rushes to check on her and sees that Melissa’s wrist is beginning to swell. Melissa is having trouble moving her wrist. Her mom doesn’t think her wrist is broken, but she can tell that it is injured. What should Melissa’s mother do?

It can be difficult for those in need of care to know whether an urgent care center or the nearby hospital emergency department is most appropriate for their condition. In this case, Melissa’s mother should take Melissa to urgent care. But, what can you do to help answer this question when a situation arises? If you’re not sure about whether it is necessary to see a doctor, the best advice is to call your primary care physician. He or she can advise you based on the symptoms.

However, because many people don’t have personal physicians, we recognize that urgent care offers another point of access to quality healthcare. You can call the closest urgent care center and ask to speak with a nurse or physician to find out which facility is most appropriate for your care.

In addition to asking for professional advice, patients can use the following guidelines when deciding if an emergency department or urgent care center is most appropriate.

Conditions that are appropriate for urgent care:

Minor cuts with mild bleeding
Sinus infections, sore throat or fever
Cough and cold symptoms including ear aches
Mild headache
Rashes
Pink eye
Urinary tract infection
Back pain
Injury to foot, ankle, knee, hand, wrist or elbow
Minor burns
Insect or minor animal bites

Conditions that require an emergency department include:

Severe bleeding that will not stop
Serious difficulty in breathing
Change in mental status (such as unusual behavior, confusion, difficulty arousing)
Chest pain
Choking, coughing or vomiting blood
Fainting or loss of consciousness
Feelings of wanting to harm yourself or someone else
Head or spine injury
Severe or persistent vomiting
Sudden injury due to a motor vehicle accident
Burns or smoke inhalation
Near drowning
A deep or large wound
Sudden dizziness, weakness or change in vision
Swallowing a poisonous substance
Severe abdominal pain
Carbon monoxide exposure
Sudden blindness or severe eye injury
Partial or full paralysis
Sexual assault
Pregnancy-related concerns

Columbia St. Mary’s has four urgent care centers, one of which is located in Cedarburg, and another center in Grafton is slated to open at the end of the year.

Dr. Robert Pachner is Medical Director of Columbia St. Mary’s Urgent Care Centers. For more information, call Columbia St. Mary’s Cedarburg Urgent Care Center at (262) 387-4930.

Now through July 30, schedule a Heart Scan for Calcium Scoring for only $100.

Wed, 7 Jul 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Hold On to the Ones You Love With a Gift From the Heart.

Now through July 30, schedule a Heart Scan for Calcium Scoring
for only $100.

Treat the ones you love to one of life’s greatest gifts – a clean bill of health. Ensure their heart health with a Heart Scan for Calcium Scoring. It’s quick, painless and can identify calcium build-up in the coronary arteries before it leads to symptoms or worse, a heart attack. Now through July 30, Columbia St. Mary's will offer Heart Scan for Calcium Scoring screenings for just $100. It’s one of the best ways to show you care. Call (414) 326-1800 to schedule an appointment.

About a Heart Scan for Calcium Scoring
We all know that eating right and exercise can help keep us healthy. But research has also shown that in many cases, leading a healthy lifestyle is no guarantee against heart disease. Heart disease is more than eating right, more than watching your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Sometimes, we’re genetically prone or have other conditions that make us more likely to develop the disease. A Heart Scan for Calcium Scoring shows what is unseen and unfelt, the presence of plaque in the coronary arteries.

At Columbia St. Mary’s, Dual Source CT technology is used to produce a Heart Scan for Calcium Scoring. The scan itself is quick, less than ten minutes. It allows physicians to clearly see early calcified plaque in the arteries. Utilized as a preventative tool, a Heart Scan for Calcium Scoring allows treatment to begin before a heart attack or heart disease symptoms even occur!

Benefits of Dual Source CT Technology for Calcium Screening

Freeze-frame nearly any beating heart without the need for beta blockers
Accurate without being invasive
Decreased radiation doses
Patient prep and test within 10 minutes
Reliable and reproducible plaque discrimination
Fast results
Offers peace of mind to patients concerned about developing heart disease

Click here for more information on how calcium scoring saves lives by Dr. Melish Thompson, Cardiologist.

Who Should Consider a Heart Scan?
A heart scan is appropriate even when symptoms are not present. The most appropriate individuals are typically:

Men 45 years and older
Women 55 years and older
Those suffering with hypertension, diabetes, or family history of disease
Individuals who smoke, are overweight, or physically inactive

Is a Heart Scan for Calcium Scoring Covered by Insurance?
At this time, a Heart Scan for Calcium Scoring is not typically covered by insurance. The cost at Columbia St. Mary’s is $150. A small price to pay when compared to the peace of mind that a heart scan can provide.

How to Schedule a Heart Scan for Calcium Scoring
You can schedule a Heart Scan for Calcium Scoring for you or a loved one by calling (414) 326-1800.

About the Technology
Taking better pictures of the heart for diagnostic purposes has been a long-time pursuit among cardiologists and radiologists.

The current gold standard of cardiac imaging is the angiogram, which is administered via catheter using a dye to provide image contrast. CT imaging was developed to improve medical imaging in a non-invasive manner. However, with earlier generations of CT imaging, doctors gave beta-blockers to slow the heart down so the x-ray could capture the heart without blurring the image. Beta-blockers often take up to 30 minutes to begin working and patients with asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other breathing conditions are not able to take beta-blockers.

The 64-slice CT is faster and eliminates the need for dye. The machine's speed is an important advance. Because this technology is twice as fast, it captures images of the beating heart in seconds without the need to slow the heart with beta blockers, as with other CT scanners. This results in a faster, more accurate diagnosis for patients, reducing preparation time and making advanced CT imaging an option for more patients.

In addition, studies can be obtained with less radiation exposure than the most advanced single-source CT systems.

Dual source CT heart scanning is ideal for patients with mysterious, undiagnosed chest pain - those with no obvious signs of heart disease or blockages based on standard blood, EKG or stress testing.

While CT studies have not replaced angiograms, their use is growing and many doctors use the CT images to confirm the need for an angiogram. The 64-slice CT is also:

a less invasive alternative to cardiac catheterization for those with inconclusive cardiac stress test results
beneficial for obese patients who are difficult to image with less powerful CT scanners
helpful for people at very high risk for heart disease based on family history, smoking, diabetes or other risk factors.

Over 500 attended the 8th Annual Picnic for Cancer Survivors.

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Over 500 attended the 8th Annual Picnic for Cancer Survivors Hundreds of cancer survivors and their families gathered on Sunday, June 6, 2010 for Columbia St. Mary’s Eighth Annual Cancer Survivors’ Picnic. This celebration of life is a chance for survivors and caregivers to re-connect and is the only event of its kind in Southeastern Wisconsin that takes place on the National Day of Recognition. The event is held each year at Heidelberg Park at the Bavarian Inn, 700 W. Lexington Blvd. in Glendale. “Columbia St. Mary’s Cancer Centers believes it is important to provide cancer survivors and their families with the chance to get together and celebrate their lives and experiences,” said Margaret Allen, Columbia St. Mary’s oncology dietitian and lead picnic coordinator. “We are happy to provide this opportunity for our patients and staff.” Columbia St. Mary’s Cancer Centers staff members, Sue Katzka (on left) and Molly Megan (on right) with Shawanda Williams, Anthony Harris and Tanisha Harris. Pictured from left to right: Bevery Liess, Milton Liess and Carole Kaufmann Picture of crowd and the band
Interviews with Margaret Allen, Columbia St. Mary’s oncology dietitian and lead picnic coordinator.
Margaret's thoughts about the 8th Annual Cancer Survivors' picnic?
Margaret explains more details about the picnic.
Margaret, is there anything else you would like to add?
Patient Interviews
Interview with pateint, Doreen.
Interview with patient, Vic.
Other Picnic Festivities
Magic show and picnic festivities

Groundbreaking for columbia St. Mary's Medical Commons - Grafton June 28, 2010

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Grafton, Wis., June 23, 2010 – Columbia St. Mary's will break ground this month for a 14,500-square-foot medical clinic to enable the regional health system to respond to the needs of its patients in Grafton and surrounding communities. The clinic will be called Columbia St. Mary’s Medical Commons – Grafton. The groundbreaking will take place on Monday, June 28, 2010 at 10 a.m. During the ceremony executives from Columbia St. Mary’s as well as area business leaders will give remarks. The clinic, located at 2061 Cheyenne Court, Grafton, is slated to be open by the end of this year.

The clinic will provide convenient access to a variety of medical services, including:

Pediatricians, internal medicine and family medicine physicians
A wide range of specialty care, including gastrointestinal and bariatric services
Urgent care, with weekend and extended-day hours
Imaging services, including general X-ray and ultrasound
Laboratory services
Digital mobile mammography

“Throughout the many years that Columbia St. Mary's has served the Grafton community, we've paid very close attention to what our patients want and need,” said David Olson, President of Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Ozaukee. ”This new clinic is a response to what we have heard, and it will allow us to enhance the healthcare we currently provide to the many Columbia St. Mary’s patients that call Grafton home.”

The clinic will make health screenings and other preventive care more accessible to Grafton-area patients. It will be equipped to perform colonoscopies, a key screening for the early detection of colorectal cancer, and upper GI endoscopies, which are used to diagnose and treat digestive disorders.

The clinic will also serve as the home base for a new 38-foot mobile digital mammography vehicle that will provide state-of-the-art digital mammograms. “We are excited to bring digital mammography to Grafton because it will allow us to expand access to this important screening tool for breast cancer,” Olson said. “With the new mobile unit, we will be able to offer mammography at a convenient, central location as well as at work places and other offsite locations.”

The clinic’s Bariatric Center will also bring to Grafton high quality, comprehensive care for the treatment of obesity. It will be staffed by physicians and providers from Columbia St. Mary's Bariatric Center, which has been designated a “Center of Excellence” by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) and the organization’s Surgical Review Corporation.

“With our new Grafton medical clinic, Community St. Mary's will provide the additional healthcare services that our patients want at a location that is both convenient and accessible,” Olson said. “It marks another milestone in our long-term relationship with the community.”

Columbia St. Mary's Medical Commons - Grafton Groundbreaking Ceremony June 28, 2010

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Representatives from Columbia St. Mary’s, area business and civic leaders break ground (left to right): Dr. Bruce McCarthy, EVP & President of Columbia St. Mary’s Physician Division; James Kacmarcik, President of Kapco Metal Stamping; David Olson, EVP & President of Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Ozaukee; Sue Sanicola, Vice President of Columbia St. Mary’s Community Physicians; Dr. Robert Pachner, Medical Director of Columbia St. Mary’s Urgent Care Centers; Darrell Hofland, Administrator-Village of Grafton; and, Dr. Mark Shewczyk, Family Medicine Physician.

Columbia St. Mary's broke ground on Monday, June 28, 2010 for a 14,500-square-foot medical clinic to enable the regional health system to respond to the needs of its patients in Grafton and surrounding communities. The clinic will be called Columbia St. Mary’s Medical Commons – Grafton. The clinic, located at 2061 Cheyenne Court, Grafton, is slated to be open by the end of this year.

The clinic will provide convenient access to a variety of medical services, including:

Pediatricians, internal medicine and family medicine physicians
A wide range of specialty care, including gastrointestinal, obstetrics/gynecology, and bariatric services
Urgent care, with weekend and extended-day hours
Imaging services, including general X-ray and ultrasound
Laboratory services
Digital mobile mammography

Columbia St. Mary's Behind Major Relief Effort for Afghan People

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Three Cargo Shipments to be Loaded June 3

Milwaukee, WI, June 1, 2010 — Columbia St. Mary's Health System is donating medical equipment and materials to help save lives in war-torn Afghanistan. The equipment, which is obsolete or expired but still useful in Third World nations, fills three 40-foot shipping containers. The shipment is set to leave Milwaukee on June 3, and, after a long ocean transit and overland travel, will arrive in Afghanistan in mid-August.

The medical and surgical supplies will benefit five Afghan medical facilities including Kabul Medical University Hospital, Kandahar Hospital, Herat Medical School, Korean Hospital at Bagram, and El Salam Egyptian Hospital in Bagram. The 405th Army Civil Affairs Battalion in Bagram and 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment H&S Company in Marjah, Afghanistan also will receive some of the donated goods.

This is the second time in two years that Columbia St. Mary's is making such a donation to Afghanistan. Columbia St. Mary's is the only US hospital system to provide this type of aid to the Afghan medical community. "We are sending outdated equipment that would otherwise end up in a landfill somewhere if it was not donated," said Jennie Johns-Ford, manager of the Columbia St. Mary's Distribution Center. The equipment is still functional, but had been replaced or taken out of service. "For just one example, we are donating an X-ray viewing box because our sites primarily use digital imaging now," she said.

Among the urgently needed items being donated by Columbia St. Mary's are critical care beds, birthing beds, ventilators, infant incubators, physical therapy tables, portable surgical tables, X-ray light boxes, defibrillators, pediatric and neonatal medical and surgical supplies, and more. Columbia St. Mary's is the largest donor, but some other goods are being donated by DaVita (hemodialysis units), Medline (medical supplies needed by the US Military), Children’s Hope Network (humanitarian aid items), the Grafton Soccer Club (soccer equipment and balls) and Starbucks of Grafton (instant coffee for military in Afghanistan working on this project).

Last summer, Dr. Karim Seddiq, Advisor to Afghanistan's Ministry of Higher Education and Kabul Medical University, paid a personal visit to Wisconsin to thank Columbia St. Mary’s for the first shipment and to see some of the other of items that will go to equip Kabul University Hospital, which was destroyed and rebuilt last year. "Our own materials are very basic or scarce, and we are so very appreciative of the donations," he said.

The truckloads of equipment have been waiting at Columbia St. Mary's warehouse to be shipped for more than one year. Political and financial roadblocks prevented the shipment from leaving Milwaukee, a common and frustrating occurrence, according to Johns-Ford. "Shipping costs about $25,000 per truckload and we had promises of funding, but nothing materialized until now," she said.

Funding was achieved by Becky Tenges, a Columbia St. Mary's volunteer who worked for more than a year to find a source. "In the span of just 18 days, the project exploded into a collaboration of many organizations, private individuals and the US Military. But the efforts of one individual, Major David W. Lewis of the 405th Army Civil Affairs Battalion, were responsible for finally finding a donor to fund the shipments. Somehow, Major Lewis found out about our shipments and he connected us with Spirit of America, a California-based charitable organization that helps Americans serving abroad to assist local people in need. They approved funding for one shipping container in just a few days," Tenges said.

"Spirit of America's commitment to donate the funds required to ship the first container of medical supplies is the catalyst that has brought forth donations by others including an Afghan-American organization, Afghans for Civil Society, Starbucks and several individuals. These donations are funding the shipment of the additional containers," Tenges said.

Like the first shipment, which arrived in Kabul in January 2009, this one has been organized by a grassroots group including Columbia St. Mary's, Children's Hope Network, a local non-profit organization run by Sandy Destrampe, a nurse case manager at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee, and Shoreland Community Church in Brown Deer, WI. Afghans for Civil Society was also instrumental in funding the shipment and getting it to its proper destination.

Leo Brideau Named To Health Care Reform Advisory Council

Thu, 3 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Five hospital leaders have been asked by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle to serve as members on the new Office of Health Care Reform Advisory Council. Columbia St. Mary's President & CEO & Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) Health Reform Task Force Chair Leo Brideau, WHA Rural Hospital Council Chair Ed Harding, Past WHA Chair Mary Starmann-Harrison, Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative Executive Director Tim Size, and WHA President Steve Brenton have been named members of the Advisory Council that is being formed to "keep health care providers, insurers, and advocates informed and to hear from different viewpoints as Wisconsin health reform moves forward" according to Governor Doyle's office.

According to the Governor's office, Advisory Council members will "help identify opportunities to leverage provisions of federal legislation with existing efforts in Wisconsin to make health care more accessible, affordable and efficient." The group is expected to meet several times, beginning in June. WHA will provide updates relative to the work of the Advisory Council.

Columbia St. Mary's Receives Grant for Green Roof Project

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Columbia St. Mary's has been awarded a $325,000 grant from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's (MMSD) 2010 Regional Green Roof Initiative Program to install a second green roof at the new Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee. The hospital design currently includes a 6,000 sq. foot green roof area above the hospital's atrium on the corner of Lake Drive and North Avenue. The second 12,400 sq. foot green roof will be located above the middle building section along North Avenue.

"The green roof, also known as a 'live roof system' will positively impact the environment and patient experience" said Paul Westrick, Vice President of Mission Integration & Advocacy for Columbia St. Mary's. "This additional grant money will allow us triple our green roof space and have a greater visual and educational impact on the nearly 3,000 employees and 1,000 patients and visitors that will utilize our hospital every day. It will be one more key element in our efforts to provide a calm healing environment for our patients and their families," he said.

The purpose the green roof initiative for the MMSD is to capture rainwater on rooftops to keep that water out of the regional sewer system. According to the MMSD, green roofs also provide other environmental benefits including to significantly lower energy costs, reduce urban 'heat island' effect, and extend roof life.

The first green roof was planted this spring and construction and planting of the additional green roof space will occur prior to the new hospital opening in October. The roofs will contain a variety of green plants that are expected to be in full bloom when the new hospital opens.

Hospital officials worked in conjunction with our architects and building contractors to design and build structural reinforcements on the roof deck in order to support the additional weight of the green roof system. According to Westrick, once the project is completed there will be more than 18,000 square feet, almost half-an-acre of green space to absorb rain and protect the roof. A maintenance plan will be developed to ensure the green roof systems remain healthy and functioning.

Milwaukee Heat Brings Health Dangers

Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

On May 25, 2010, Todays TMJ4 posted an article featuring Columbia St. Mary's Dr. Robert Pachner. To view this article click here.

Columbia St. Mary's to Exhibit the MEGA Heart, World's - Only Inflatable Walk-through Heart

Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Mequon, WI, May 21, 2010 — To raise awareness about cardiovascular health Columbia St. Mary’s will host The MEGA Heart Fair on Saturday, May 22, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee in Mequon. This event will feature the MEGA Heart™, the world's only inflatable, walk-through heart exhibit. The MEGA Heart is 21-feet long, 12-feet high. In addition, The Mega Heart Fair will feature bystander CPR instruction, free health screenings, exhibits on cardiovascular health and wellness, several physician question-and-answer sessions, as well as a number of children’s activities.

The MEGA Heart provides visitors with a highly interactive educational experience about America's number one killer, heart disease. Visitors can step inside the human heart, learn about cardiovascular functions, observe examples of various types of heart disease, and see displays explaining some of the latest medical treatments for heart problems.

WHAT: The Mega Heart Fair

WHEN: Saturday, May 22, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

WHERE: Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Ozaukee, 13111 N. Port Washington Rd., Mequon

Note: The media is welcome to cover this event. This will prove to be a very visual event as the public walks through the "human heart" and visits with physicians and other medical professionals from Columbia St. Mary's Health System.

Mega Heart Fair - Journey through a larger than life interactive heart!