Memorial Medical Center designated as a Highmark Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement

HighmarkBlue Cross Blue Shield of Pittsburghhas designated Memorial Medical Center (MMC) as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement.

Memorial is the only Blue Distinction Center for Hip and Knee Replacement in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Somerset, Indiana and Westmoreland counties.

“We have nine highly skilled, board-certified orthopedic surgeons on the Medical Staff, who perform approximately 650 knee and hip replacement surgeries a year at Memorial, and that number is growing,” says Steve Tucker, President, Memorial Medical Center. “In 2009, HealthGrades named our Joint Replacement Surgery program one of the top 10 in Pennsylvania, and the fact that we continue to earn accolades for our clinical outcomes in Knee and Hip Replacement is a testament to the high caliber orthopedic surgeons and specialized nurses and staff at Memorial.”

MMC’s Orthopedic Surgery program offers comprehensive knee and hip replacement services, including CT-guided Knee, MRI-guided Knee, Gender-Specific Knee and Minimally Invasive Hip Arthroplasty utilizing Memorial’s new HANA table.

“This program supports Highmark’s consumerism approach to give members a greater hand in their health by providing tools to help members make informed choices about their health care,” said Carey Vinson, M.D., Vice President for Quality and Medical Performance Management at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. “The Blue Distinction Centers designation offers members reliable quality-based information pertaining to Blue network-participating facilities when selecting a provider.”

The selection criteria used to evaluate facilities were developed with input from a panel of expert physicians. To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement, the following types of criteria were evaluated. More information on selection criteria is available on www.bcbs.com:
•Established acute care inpatient facility, including intensive care, emergency care, and a full range of patient support services with full accreditation by a CMS-deemed national accreditation organization


•Experience and training of program surgeons, including case volume

•Quality management programs, including surgical checklists as well as tracking and evaluation of clinical outcomes and process of care

•Multi-disciplinary clinical pathways and teams to coordinate and streamline care, including transitions of care

•Shared decision making and preoperative patient education

The Blue Distinction designation is awarded by the Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plans to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacement, spine surgery and transplants. The program is part of The Blues® efforts to collaborate with physicians and medical facilities to improve the overall quality and safety of specialty care.

“With the talented surgeons and advanced technology that the Orthopedic Surgery program at Memorial offers, why would people go anywhere else for a knee or hip replacement surgery?” says Don Lowry, MD, Divisional Chairman, Orthopedic Surgery, MMC. “We pride ourselves on our clinical outcomes and tailor our comprehensive services to each individual patient. I feel that the best orthopedic care is right here, and I’m very proud to be a part of it.”

Emergency physician published in national newsletter

Michael H. LeWitt, MD, who has served as an emergency medicine physician at Memorial Medical Center since 2006, authored an article entitled “The Expert Witness in Emergency Medicine” featured in the March/April 2010 issue of Common Sense.

Common Sense is the bi-montly newsletter of American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) with a circulation of more than 5,000 emergency physicians, residents and other professionals interested in emergency medicine.

Dr. LeWitt, also Senior Core Faculty for Memorial’s Emergency Medicine Residency Program, spent much of his career in the Philadelphia area. He received his medical doctorate from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and completed postdoctoral training at Mercy Hospital of Philadelphia, formerly known as Misericordia Hospital and the University of Cincinnati. He also has a Master of Public Health degree, which he earned from the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Memorial Medical Center named a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery

Pictured: Kevin Zitnay, MD, and Zafar Chowdhry, MD, both neurosurgeons, and Vincent Vena, MD, orthopedic surgeon, were among 12 physicians recognized during a recent celebration for Memorial's recent designation as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement.

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Pittsburghhas designated Memorial Medical Center as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery. Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery are part of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s expansion of its Blue Distinction® designation.

Memorial is the only Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Somerset, Indiana and Westmoreland counties.

“Studies show that approximately eight out of 10 Americans suffer from back pain. Many of these individuals are candidates for surgery; therefore, it’s wonderful that people from across the region can feel confident knowing that they are getting the best in spine surgery right here at Memorial,” says David Carlson, DO, Chief Medical Officer, Conemaugh Health System. “Our highly-trained neurosurgeons offer the latest minimally invasive techniques and have the most advanced technology to treat conditions of the spine available to them. We are very proud of the care they provide and their dedication to ‘Excellence. Every Patient. Every Time.’”

Memorial’s neurosurgery program offers comprehensive spine surgery, including all aspects of spinal decompression, fusion and instrumentation, in addition to ProDisc-C Total Disc Replacement to treat cervical disc disease and kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty, which uses cement-like substances to stabilize spinal fractures caused by osteoporosis, falls or traumatic injury.

“This program supports Highmark’s consumerism approach to give members a greater hand in their health by providing tools to help members make informed choices about their health care,” said Carey Vinson, M.D., Vice President for Quality and Medical Performance Management at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. “The Blue Distinction Centers designation offers members reliable quality-based information pertaining to Blue network-participating facilities when selecting a provider.”

“Blue Distinction puts a high value on research and evidence-based health and medical information,” said Allan Korn, MD, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Chief Medical Officer. “Blue Distinction Centers show our commitment to working with doctors and hospitals in communities across the country to identify leading institutions that meet clinically validated quality standards and deliver better overall outcomes in patient care.”

The selection criteria used to evaluate facilities were developed with input from a panel of expert physicians. To be designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery, the following types of criteria were evaluated. More information on selection criteria is available on www.bcbs.com:


•Established acute care inpatient facility, including intensive care, emergency care, and a full range of patient support services with full accreditation by a CMS-deemed national accreditation organization

•Experience and training of program surgeons, including case volume

•Quality management programs, including surgical checklists as well as tracking and evaluation of clinical outcomes and process of care

•Multi-disciplinary clinical pathways and teams to coordinate and streamline care, including transitions of care

•Shared decision making and preoperative patient education


The Blue Distinction designation is awarded by the Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plans to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality healthcare in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacement, spine surgery and transplants. The program is part of The Blues® efforts to collaborate with physicians and medical facilities to improve the overall quality and safety of specialty care.

“Being recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery is a very significant achievement,” says Alfred P. Bowles, Jr., MD, FACS, FICS, Chairman of the Department of Neuroscience and Divisional Chairman of Neurosurgery at Memorial. “My colleagues, Dr. Zafar Chowdhry and Dr. Kevin Zitnay, and I are committed to providing the safest and highest quality of care to our patients. While we appreciate this distinction, the true reward lies in the patients that we’re able to help.”

Memorial's first-ever Cameos of Caring award winner selected

As part of National Nurses Week (May 3-7), Elizabeth Tressler, a nurse on Memorial Medical Center’s Palliative Care Unit, was selected as Memorial’s first-ever Cameos of Caring award winner. The Cameos of Caring® Program honors exceptional bedside nurses who work at acute care hospitals. Proceeds from the Cameos of Caring® Program & Awards Gala benefit the Cameos of Caring® Endowed Nursing Scholarship Fund, established in 2000, to offer financial support for nurses to enhance their education.

Caption: Elizabeth Tressler, Cameo of Caring award winner, with Claudia Rager, Vice President, Patient Care Services, Memorial Medical Center

Stroke Care

May is Stroke Awareness Month

Click below to view:


A segment on Stroke.An interview with Denise LeHew,Certified Neuroscience RNAn Interveiw with Dr. Joseph Clark, Medical Director MMC Emergency Department

When it comes to diagnosing and treating stroke, there’s not a minute to waste. Every second counts.

Throughout Conemaugh Health System, our medical teams are specially trained to provide immediate care to anyone who arrives at our hospitals with stroke symptoms. Our services begin with rapid action to diagnose and treat stroke, and continue with hospital-based, outpatient or at-home rehabilitation.

A stroke is a “brain attack.” Just as a heart attack weakens and damages the heart, a stroke can cause permanent damage to the brain. Know the warning signs. Seek immediate medical attention if you think you or a loved one is having a brain attack.

Stroke Program earns perfect score from Joint Commission

The Joint Commission formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations recently recognized Memorial Medical Center (MMC) with disease-specific accreditation as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center - a title recognized nationally as the Gold Seal of Approval™ in health care.The honor was awarded following The Joint Commission’s on-site review of MMC’s stroke treatment protocols and abilities.“I’m extremely proud of our physicians, nurses and staff who have worked very hard to ensure that our program not only meets, but exceeds, national standards,” says David Carlson, DO, Chief Medical Officer, Conemaugh Health System. “In the event of a stroke every second counts. The faster and more effectively a stroke patient is treated, the better their chances for a positive outcome; therefore, it’s encouraging to know that we have the resources at Memorial to provide them with the specialized care they need, when they need it.” Memorial’s Stroke Program includes a team of neurologists, neurosurgeons and nurses trained in stroke care, along with two designated stroke units, Crichton inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services, a Stroke Specialty Clinic and a Stroke Support Group.“People may not realize that every 45 seconds, someone has a stroke. It’s the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in the United States,” says Jeremy Meisel, MD, Medical Director, Stroke Program, MMC. “Due to the large number of people stroke impacts each year, including patients and their family members, Memorial has made stroke care a top priority. For more than a year, we’ve worked diligently to make sure that our Stroke Program is second to none, and being named an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission is evidence that we’re doing our part to provide the best stroke care to our patients.” In 2008, Memorial implemented a “Stroke Alert,” much like a Trauma Alert, which notifies Stroke Program team members about an incoming stroke. A few months following the adoption of the alert, stroke response times were significantly improved. In one particular case, the entire work-up, including labs, CT and the neurology consult was completed in a total of 13 minutes, that’s compared to the national average of more than 35 minutes. “The Stroke Alert system is one piece of the puzzle,” says Dr. Alfred Bowles, Chairman of the Department of Neurosciences and Divisional Chairman of Neurological Surgery, MMC. “Over the past year and a half, we’ve been able to dramatically cut the time it takes to bring all of the specialized staff together, necessary to treat these patients and help ensure the best possible outcomes. It’s wonderful to see what we’ve been able to accomplish with teamwork and, as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center, how we’re supporting Conemaugh Health System’s vision, ‘Excellence. Every Patient. Every Time.’”

Strokes, also know as brain attacks, occur when there is a blockage or hemorrhage of a blood vessel leading to the brain, causing inadequate oxygen supply. In addition to death, depriving the brain of oxygen can result in body weakness, paralysis and speech difficulties.

Symptoms of Stroke:

1.Numbness, weakness or paralysis of face, arm or leg on one side of the body
2.Difficulty speaking or understanding
3.Sudden blurred or decreased vision in one or both eyes
4.A sudden, severe, unexplainable headache
5.Dizziness or loss of balance, especially along with one of the above symptoms

Risk Factors of Stroke:

•Age: the risk of a stroke more than doubles each decade after 55
•Gender: the incidence of a stroke is 30% higher for men than women, until menopause when the incidence is nearly equal
•Race: African Americans are at 60% greater risk for stroke than Caucasians
•Other risk factors include: hypertension, heart disease, smoking, diabetes, heavy alcohol use, high cholesterol, obesity and a family history of stroke

To request a Stroke Warning Sign Magnet, send an email to abradle@conemaugh.org or call (814) 534-9124. or call (814) 534-9124.

Click here to print information on our Gold Seal of Approval™.

Contact Us
For more information, please contact us at (814)534-3797, visit our Health Library and log on to the following recommended links:
http://www.strokeassociation.org/
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All-Cancer Education Day--May 10

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, attributed to more than 7.4 million deaths in 2004, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). While the figure is staggering, WHO also notes that approximately 30 percent of cancer deaths can be prevented, with tobacco listed as the most significant risk factor for cancer.

In order to enlighten the public and Conemaugh Health System employees about cancer prevention, Memorial Medical Center will host a Community All-Cancer Education Day, themed “Hope. Support. Cure.” on Monday, May 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Clinical Pavilion Atrium, Memorial Medical Center's Main Campus.

The event will coincide with the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition’s “67 Women, 67Counties” display, which will be featured in Memorial’s Atrium during the All-Cancer Education Day event.

The American Cancer Society will join various departments at Memorial Medical Center to provide education concerning cancer-related topics including:

•Women’s’ cancers: ovarian, cervical, uterine and breast
•Men’s’ cancers: prostrate and testicular
•Cancers affecting both genders: lung, skin, colon, etc.
•Conemaugh Regional Hospice
•Memorial’s Palliative Care Unit
•Conemaugh Cancer Care Center

Attendees will also have the opportunity to support cancer patients and survivors through the Conemaugh Health Foundation’s Cancer Fund which helps assists with medical bills, travel expenses for treatment and other related expenses. “Hope-Support-Cure” beach towels, featuring nine cancer awareness ribbons with lavender “all cancer” awareness ribbon highlighted in the middle of the towel, will be on sale for $20. To date, more than 400 towels have been sold.

PA Breast Cancer Coalition's 67 Women, 67 Counties coming to Memorial

The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) is pleased to work with Conemaugh Health System to bring its traveling photo exhibit “67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania,” to Cambria County from May 6 to May 16. The photo exhibit will be displayed for the public to view in Memorial Medical Center’s Clinical Pavilion Atrium.

An opening reception is scheduled for Thursday,May 6 at 6:30pm. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. To RSVP for the opening reception, please call 1-800-377-8828 x101.

This work of art features women from each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, along with a message about how breast cancer has touched their lives. The women reflect the diversity of Pennsylvania, and their stories reflect the impact of breast cancer on themselves, their families and their communities. The exhibit encourages women to learn about early detection and celebrates life, courage, hope and dignity of women and families who have battled breast cancer.

Pat Halpin-Murphy, PBCC President and Founder, encourages everyone to visit the exhibit. “Breast cancer is not a rare event separate from the fabrics of our everyday lives. It impacts our mothers, daughters and friends. We must educate ourselves about this disease and fight to find a cure now…so our daughters won’t have to.”

“It is exciting for Memorial Medical Center to host the “67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania” traveling photo exhibit,” said Steve Tucker, President, Memorial Medical Center. “This unique display is a great way to raise awareness about breast cancer and the need for education, early detection and hopefully, someday soon a cure. We invite everyone to view the exhibit to celebrate life and to remember those that have struggled and struggle even now with the diagnosis of breast cancer.”

“67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania” is sponsored by the PBCC and funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The exhibit travels to several select Pennsylvania communities each year, and has been to over 80 communities since its launch ten years ago.

The PA Breast Cancer Coalition represents, supports and serves breast cancer survivors and their families in Pennsylvania through educational programming, legislative advocacy and breast cancer research grants. For more information please call 1-800-377-8828 or visit the website at www.pabreastcancer.org.