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Spotlight on local doctor as statewide
physician shortage report released |
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When the Wisconsin Hospital Association
and the Wisconsin Medical Society recently released
a report on the shortage of primary care physicians, some
news media turned their attention to Dr. Gary Grunow of
the Mineral Point and Dodgeville Medical Centers. Dr.
Grunow is a family practice physician who was born and
raised in Dodgeville, graduated from the UW Medical College
and returned to Dodgeville to practice medicine. |
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"I wouldn't want to practice any where
else," Dr. Grunow says about his desire to work in
a rural area and serve the communities that supported
him when he was younger. He says he likes knowing his
patients, delivering his classmates' babies, caring for
former teachers and neighbors, and in general "giving
back" to his hometown communities. |
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Dr. Grunow was interviewed by Fox 47 News
and has been invited to be a guest on the "Here and
Now" show with Frederica Freyberg on Wisconsin Public
Television. Reporters were interested in Dr. Grunow's
thoughts on how to recruit other doctors to practice in
rural areas, and Dr. Grunow encouraged the development
of better and creative funding to help medical students
and young doctors finance their educations. |
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After Dr. Grunow's residency was completed,
Upland Hills Health worked out an agreement to help
pay back some of his student loans and guarantee his income
in exchange for Dr. Grunow's willingness to serve
on the active medical staff and care for patients in the
Uplands region of southwest Wisconsin. |
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The new report released by the hospital
and medical associations talks about longer wait times
to see doctors, the difficulties to recruit primary doctors
to rural and medically underserved areas, and the need
for more general surgeons and radiologists, particularly
in rural areas. "Our future physicians are much more
likely to return to underserved areas if they share a
common culture," according to a news release by
the Wisconsin Medical Society. |
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For more information or a full copy of the
report on the shortage of physicians, visit www.wha.org. |
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‘CheckPoint’ reports hospital
quality, safety measures |
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This month the Wisconsin Hospital Association’s
CheckPoint project will roll out to the public. The goal
of CheckPoint is to report valid and timely information
on the quality of care being provided in Wisconsin hospitals.
Upland Hills Health is not currently participating, but
looks forward to future participation and enthusiastically
supports the project. |
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The WHA focused on measures that are useful
to consumers, because they include data on three of the
main causes of hospitalization: pneumonia, heart
attack, and congestive heart failure. By giving consumers
information about these three conditions, hospitals share
with patients the kind of care they should expect to receive.
The processes that are reported in CheckPoint were selected,
because they are scientifically proven to produce quality
outcomes. |
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To learn more about CheckPoint, visit www.wha.org/qualityAndPatientSafety/accountability.aspx
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Linda Griffiths receives RWHC Rural Health
Ambassador Award |
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The Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (RWHC)
recently bestowed its 2004 Rural Health Ambassador Award
to Linda Griffiths, RN, at Upland
Hills Health. The award recognizes health care employees
at RWHC hospitals who have gone “above the call
of duty” in promoting their respective organizations,
while making significant contributions to rural health.
Eighteen individuals from across the state received awards
this year. Each recipient demonstrates a history of fostering
positive communication and relations within the hospital’s
service area. Linda was nominated for her efforts to coordinate
prostate screenings each fall for nearly a decade. The
number of men screened has steadily increased, and Upland
Hills Health has conducted approximately 900 screenings
over the years. Linda coordinates a myriad of details
to support the screenings each year. Approximately 11
percent of the participants have abnormal PSAs or digital
rectal exams. In these instances, a follow-up letter discusses
the need for further testing. Many of these men are referred
to a urologist for ultrasound and biopsy of the prostate,
and some receive surgery or radical treatment if cancer
is indicated. Congratulations, Linda! |
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Upland Hills Health scholarship given at
SWTC-Fennimore |
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The Southwest Wisconsin Technical College
and its foundation recently presented their 10th annual
Scholarship and Awards Ceremony. Receiving an Upland Hills
Health Scholarship for $500 was Lori
Kohn, Associated Degree Nursing student. Lori works
in the Upland Hills Emergency Department part-time while
attending classes. She and her husband, Ron, and two children
live in Darlington. “I feel that education is one
of the most amazing aspects of our American culture. My
children have also been impacted by my return to college.
I find that they want to do well in their studies, because
they know how important college is in obtaining a career,”
Lori states in the printed awards program. |
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Indoor walking club keeps pace with local
walkers |
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With more and more walkers using our hallways
during inclement weather, it’s important to follow
the indoor walking guidelines. If you would like to don
your sneakers and walk indoors, consent forms and walking
badges are available in the Auxiliary Gift Shop, open
most weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., as volunteer schedules
allow. The fitness walking hours are 6:30 a.m. to 8:30
p.m., seven days a week. On weekends, please enter at
the main entrance reception desk. Log in each time you
walk, follow the approved route, wear your badge, and
wear clean athletic shoes with good support and traction.
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Click
here for more Upland Hills Walking Club information. |
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| Welcome, Senator Dale Schultz... |
| Ray Marmorstone, CEO, recently
gave Senator Schultz a tour of our 2002 building
addition and discussed the state legislative
climate as it relates to healthcare. |
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Senior depression is treatable |
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Up all night? No appetite? Can't find
the energy? Could this be depression? While you may
occasionally relate to one or more of these symptoms,
if you're experiencing them for two or more weeks, it's
time to get help. Your doctor will assure you that:
- Depression is treatable
- Depression is not a normal part of aging
- Depression is not your fault -- and it doesn't
mean you're "crazy."
Upland Hills Health, St. Marys Hospital Medical Center,
Madison, and other healthcare providers are working
together to heighten awareness of depression treatments.
For more information about depression, request your
free Senior Health kit by clicking below, or by calling
1-800-457-2338:
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www.stmarysmadison.com/internet/home/stmarymadison.nsf/depressed
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Messages currently broadcasting |
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On the D99.3 radio station for the Dodgeville
and Mineral Point areas, Upland Hills Health sponsors
"To Your Health" which delivers timely and informative
medical and wellness news, weekdays. Current topics include
flu shots, childhood cancer survivors, menopause and memory,
magnetic insoles, tobacco diseases, high-fiber diets,
Warfarin and cranberry juice caution, brisk walking, and
wet road deaths. Listen to "To Your Health"
during either the morning drive time or noon hour, or
read the transcripts at www.uplandhillshealth.org by clicking
on "At Your Service." |
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Adjacent radio ads on D99.3 give emphasis
to the Nursing and Rehab Center's positive customer comments;
Dr. Swanson, new Optometrist; eHealthFlash
healthy email messages; and the new Dean Family Practice
Associates Barneveld Clinic. The current telephone on-hold
messages include these topics, plus an invitation to call
the CommentLine with comments or complaints. |
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New shelving donated by Lands' End |
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Thanks to an in-kind gift from Lands' End,
we now have nearly new shelving for many of the medical
records that had been housed in the sub-basement. Both
the Plant Operations and Health
Information Management staff worked hard to move
records to a more convenient area. Appreciation is extended
to Lands' End for the gift. |
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Adam Dachman: a surgeon who touches
many lives in many ways |
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Many people have been touched by Dr. Adam
Dachman's hands. He has spent eight years at Upland Hills
Health perfecting the latest innovative surgical procedures
and keeping up with advances in technology. This is evident
to his patients and their families, who come to learn
they are in good hands. |
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As a passionate physician dedicated to personal
growth, Dr. Dachman has traveled near and far to bring
the latest advances to southwest Wisconsin. He and a talented
staff have successfully performed nearly 3,800 procedures
in Dodgeville – many that were previously not available,
nor heard of. Click
here to read more. |
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Medical Rehabilitation Services now offered
at Upland Hills Health |
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Through a cooperative agreement between
Upland Hills Health, Inc. and Meriter Hospital in Madison,
Courtney Hogendorn, MD, is initiating physiatry services
within Upland Hills Physician Specialty Services. Physiatry
is a branch of medicine that focuses on restoring function
lost from illness or injury. |
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"This is wonderful news for the people
of Dodgeville and surrounding communities," says Upland
Hills Health Administrator Ray Marmorstone. "With
only 4,000 physiatrists in the United States, we are very
proud that we can offer this service locally. Having Dr.
Hogendorn on staff will save families countless hours
that would otherwise be spent driving to Madison or other
larger cities." |
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As a physiatrist, Dr. Hogendorn is a board
certified physician who has completed an additional four
years of specialty training in acute and chronic pain
and musculoskeletal disorders. He evaluates and treats
patients recovering from or living with conditions, such
as: |
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- Stroke
- Amputation
- Neuromuscular diseases
- Arthritis
- Brain trauma or injury
- Musculoskeletal trauma and disorders
- Back or neck injury
- Nerve injury
- Acute and chronic pain
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On a typical day, he may see a factory
worker with back pain from lifting a heavy object, a basketball
player who sprained an ankle and needs rehabilitation
to play again, an office worker with carpal tunnel syndrome,
or an elderly person recovering from a broken hip or stroke.
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Whatever the condition, Dr. Hogendorn uses
an aggressive, non-surgical approach to add quality to
his patients' lives. As he puts it, "My goal is to
get people back into the game of life – not just
back on the sidelines." |
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After earning his medical degree from the
University of Wisconsin, Dr. Hogendorn completed his residency
in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University
of Kentucky. He will schedule appointments at Upland Hills
Health beginning in April. Patients must have a referral
from their family physician before scheduling an appointment
through Meriter at 1-800-236-6175. |
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More
about Dr. Hogendorn... |
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New, advanced technology at Upland Hills
Health helps physicians diagnose cancer earlier and more
accurately |
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Upland Hills Health has added a new imaging
system provided by Shared Medical Services, "SMS" of Madison
that will help physicians detect, diagnose and treat patients
with Cancer and other diseases earlier and more accurately
than before. |
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This system uses a technology from GE Medical
Systems called Positron Emission Tomography, or PET, to
provide physicians with images that represent changes
in cells and variations in metabolism, even before anatomical
changes can be detected. |
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"Now patients in southwest Wisconsin have
a new alternative for their medical diagnosis of life
threatening diseases like Cancer," said Bill Lineberger,
Director of Radiology. "Images from the new PET system
become the 'eyes' that allow our physicians to visualize
how the body is functioning at the cellular level, which
can lead to earlier, more effective diagnosis and more
precise treatment," Lineberger added. |
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Click here
to learn more about how PET works. |
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Equipment Purchases Advance Radiology Offerings
at Upland Hills Health: |
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With the recent addition of more than $1.5
million in radiology equipment advances, Upland Hills
Health continues to offer the people of southwest Wisconsin
important health services close to home. In the past,
many of the procedures now available at Upland Hills Health
were only offered in Madison. An upgraded mammography
system, digital developing center, portable x-ray unit,
a state-of-the-art CT scanner, and a PET scanner are just
some of the advancements at Upland Hills Health. |
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According to Bill Lineberger, Upland Hills
Health Radiology Director, the new technology not only
brings additional choices to area patients, it can also
decrease waiting time, reduce discomfort during procedures
and offer more accurate results. |
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For example, the mammography system now
utilizes a new paddle that flexes to the woman's breast
size, making the scan process more comfortable. With the
upgraded equipment, new mammography processes were put
into place as well. "We increased the number of radiology
technicians certified to perform mammograms from four
to eight," says Lineberger. "With that increase,
we reduced the time needed to schedule a mammogram from
several weeks to one week." If a woman has a lump
or other urgent concern, we often get her in quicker,
he added. |
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More efficient operations are also one of
the benefits of the recent equipment advances. By upgrading
the traditional film developing process to a digital process,
technicians have more time to spend with patients and
to learn equipment. The digital system means all radiology
images go straight to a computer, eliminating the need
to develop film. The digital detail is better and allows
technicians and radiologists to manipulate the data. |
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The addition of the portable x-ray unit
has helped local surgeons. As one example, General Surgeon
Adam Dachman, DO, says the new portable "C-Arm"
helps offer relief for patients with gallstones. With
the unit, he's the only surgeon in southwest Wisconsin
able to laparoscopically remove common bile duct stones
that--without the C-Arm--would be out of reach. In the
past, patients needed to travel to Madison to remove these
bile duct stones. "The C-Arm enhances all the laparoscopic
procedures I do," says Dr. Dachman. "I get a
much better visual that allows me to get into tiny spaces."
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Another piece of equipment with a significant
impact is the new CT (Computed Tomography) Scan. CT Scans
are able to image cross sections of a combination of soft
tissue, bone and blood vessels. Lineberger says the cross
dimensional pictures provided by the new CT Scan can help
to diagnose such conditions as blockage of an artery in
the lungs, appendicitis and brain tumors in less than
a minute. "The image quality of our new scanner is
excellent. And because the new system works so much quicker,
patients are much more comfortable." In fact, a CT
scan of the head using the old scanner took 15 to 20 minutes.
The new machine completes the scan in just 20 seconds.
Recently, staff attended training to learn more about
the CT scanner's ability to do "virtual colonoscopies,"
a less invasive way to examine the colon for possible
polyps or tumors. |
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The CT scanner has also replaced the need
for a separate bone densitometer, as the CT provides more
detailed bone scans and better details for physicians.
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With additional software added, the current
CT scan can also perform heart scans and cardiac scoring.
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Above and beyond these radiology improvements,
the current "shining star" at Upland Hills Health
is its PET Scanner. Short for Positron Emission Tomography,
PET is used to diagnose and monitor the stage of certain
types of disease, including cancer. Leased as a mobile
unit with Shared Medical Services of Madison, the PET
Scanner is available here on a regular basis, eliminating
the need for patients to travel far distances. It is utilized
in Oncology to determine the location and extent of tumor
growth and in Neurology to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease,
dementia, stroke, brain tumors and seizures. In Cardiology,
it is used to determine the viability of the heart. |
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These purchases help provide the people
of southwest Wisconsin some of the best radiology equipment
available anywhere. According to Dr. Dachman, "We
were in good shape before the advances. These (improvements)
took us ahead of most hospitals." |
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Cable TV Commercials: |
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We combine the benefits of today's advanced
medical technology with a personal approach to care that
is patient-driven. |
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Our
GE Lightspeed "CAT" Scanner produces vital information
faster, allowing a more precise diagnosis, which can mean
everything from "more suitable treatment" to a "better
surgical outcome" ore even a "life-saving difference."
And in all of southwest Wisconsin, it's only available
here at Upland Hills Health. |
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"PET"
Scans, short for Positron Emission Tomography, are a state-of-the-art
tool Radiologists can use to help assess our patients'
progress. This highly sensitive technology can be vital
in the early detection of many conditions. It helps us
give you better care. |
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Local graduate returns to practice medicine |
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Dr. Kent
Kramer has joined the active medical staff at Upland
HIlls Health, administration has announced. Dr. Kramer
is a native of the Cobb area and a graduate of the UW-Madison
Medical School and Residency Program. His experience as
Chief Resident at St. Marys Hospital Medical Center prepared
him well to join the Mineral Point Medical Center. To
learn more about Dr. Kramer and other doctors on the active
medical staff at Upland Hills Health, visit www.uplandhillshealth.org. |
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New phone numbers |
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Upland Hills Health has a new communications
system with more conveniences for patients and new telephone
numbers. Click here
for a printable list of the new numbers. Please note,
our Nursing and Rehab Center phone number has now changed
to 930-7600. |
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Memorial Hospital of Iowa County is now
Upland Hills Health! |
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In November 2001, our corporate identity
changed to Upland Hills Health, Inc. We want to reassure
our customers that while our name is changing, we are
not merging or re-affiliating with another organization.
The people who provide health care, our mission, and
our values have not changed. As Upland Hills Health,
we will remain committed to the local needs of the people
in our service area.
The new name will apply to our business entities, including
the Medical Care Facility Nursing Home, Allied Home
Care, Building Blocks Child Care, and Lifeline Community
Hospice, which are now named Upland Hills Nursing and
Rehab Center, Upland Hills Home Care, Upland Hills Child,
and Upland Hills Hospice. We believe this is a stronger
tie to one brand and less complicated for the people
we serve.
We realize the transition to the new name will be a
difficult one. In advance, we would like to thank you
for your patience and support as we roll out the Upland
Hills Health name. Please contact our Community Relations
Department with questions or concerns. |
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