News from Port Huron Hospital

Port Huron Hospital to hold ice cream social in observance of National Night Out

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

On Tuesday, August 3, neighborhoods throughout Port Huron will join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the “27th Annual National Night Out” crime and drug prevention event. National Night Out will involve over 11,000 communities from all 50 states, US territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. In all, over 35 million people are expected to participate in “America’s Night Out Against Crime.”

In conjunction with the observance, Port Huron Hospital will hold an ice cream social for the residents of the Town North neighborhood. Town North is the area of Port Huron bounded by the Black River, the St. Clair River and the I-94/Blue Water Bridges corridor.

Sponsored by the Port Huron Hospital Foundation, the free Ice Cream Social will be held from 4:30 - 6:30 pm, Tuesday, August 3, in the Employee Courtyard of Port Huron Hospital. The entrance of the Courtyard is off of Stone Street on the hospital campus. No registration is necessary.

On this special night, residents throughout Port Huron and across the nation are asked to turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors and police.

Port Huron Hospital awards 24 scholarships totalling $27,300

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Port Huron Hospital and its Healthcare Partners have awarded scholarships totaling $27,300 to 24 students pursuing degrees in nursing, physical therapy, allied health, informatics and professions represented within the hospital and community.

“There were a large number of applicants,” says Port Huron Hospital President & CEO Tom DeFauw. “The selection of these students reflects excellence in academic achievement, enthusiasm for the advancement of healthcare professions and dedication to making a difference in the health of the community.”

Scholarships and recipients are:

Port Huron Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship

Claudia Bartle, Sandusky
Megan Cross, Clyde
Tracie Frank, Marine City
Alynne Markel, Marine City
Melonie Rose, Kimball
Tracy Taube-Krueger, Port Huron

Port Huron Hospital Employees That Care (ETC) Scholarship

Theresa Strauch, Casco

Marwood Nursing & Rehab Karen Susan Draper Memorial Scholarship

Rachel McDowell, St. Clair
Melissa McGovern, Port Huron
Danielle Adent, Kimball
Sarah Kettlewell, Kimball
Shawn Rotondi, Port Huron

Port Huron Hospital Foundation Shirley Jardine Carter Memorial Scholarship

Kathryn Collica, Chesterfield
Melissa Holstine, E. China
Curtis Jevens, Port Huron
Kathleen Juzysta, North Street
Michael Kinyon, Port Huron

Port Huron Hospital Foundation Theron & Eleanor Godbold Nursing Scholarship

Denise Gray, Marysville
Jessica Pikura, Avoca
Matti Rood, St. Clair

Port Huron Hospital Employee Scholarship

Megan Slyford, Clyde
Gerri Keith, Yale
Birgitte Murphy, Port Huron

Port Huron Hospital Ellen Ross Employee Graduate Nursing Scholarship

Christine Harrington, Lakeport

Port Huron Hospital LAP-BAND® Center of Michigan designated Center of Excellence

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

In April of 2010, Port Huron Hospital LAP-BAND® Center of Michigan received a three-year renewal as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. This designation is a reflection of our commitment to exceptional care for patients seeking laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding weight loss surgery.

Port Huron Hospital LAP-BAND® Center of Michigan has been designated as an American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) Center of Excellence since 2006. This designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes in bariatric surgery.

To earn a Center of Excellence designation, Port Huron Hospital underwent a series of site inspections during which all aspects of the program’s surgical processes were closely examined and data on health outcomes was collected. The hospital's LAP-BAND® Center of Michigan and other centers receiving the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence designation agree to continue to share information on clinical pathways, protocols and outcomes data.

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding weight loss surgery has been performed at Port Huron Hospital since March, 2002. Port Huron Hospital LAP-BAND® Center of Michigan was the first comprehensive weight loss surgery center dedicated exclusively to LAP-BAND® surgery in the State of Michigan.

Zubin Bhesania, MD and Anthony W. Boutt, MD, independent surgeons on the hospital’s medical staff are among the most experienced LAP-BAND® surgeons in the country. Between them, they have performed more than 2,500 LAP-BAND® weight loss surgeries. Dr. Bhesania is a proctor for Inamed (now Allergan, Inc.) the creator of the adjustable gastric LAP-BAND®. As a proctor, he trains other surgeons across the country how to do LAP-BAND® procedures.

About American Society for Bariatric Surgery

The American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) is the largest society for this specialty in the world. Founded in 1983, foremost American surgeons have formed the society’s leadership and have established an excellent organization with educational and support programs for surgeons and allied health professionals. The purpose of the society is to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery by continued encouragement of its members to: pursue investigations in both the clinic and the laboratory; interchange ideas, information and experience pertaining to bariatric surgery; promote guidelines for ethical patient selection and care; develop educational programs for physicians, paramedical persons, and lay people; and promote outcome studies and quality assurance. For more information about ASBS, please visit http://www.asbs.org.

About Surgical Review Corporation

Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to surgical excellence. SRC’s mission is to promote the delivery of surgical care with the highest levels of efficacy, efficiency, and safety possible. For more information about SRC or to download a Center of Excellence application, please visit www.surgical review.org.

Loving hands create newborn hats

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Volunteers knit or crochet over 1,500 newborn hats per year

Our memories of the birth of our children and grandchildren are special. Tucked away in memory boxes are precious mementos – congratulation cards from loved ones… a tiny hospital bracelet… a beautiful handmade little hat put on the baby shortly after birth. If you had a baby at Port Huron Hospital, that little hat, perhaps now among treasures, was lovingly crafted by someone you probably don’t know.

The “anonymous” crafters are volunteers of Port Huron Hospital who knit or crochet over 1,500 hats a year. According to Volunteer Coordinator Darcy Macke, the hats come from a variety of people, such as individuals and groups in local senior centers, and others who have the time and enjoy making the hats. Darcy says there a couple of basic patterns that crafters can use. Some crafters provide their own yarn. The hospital’s Volunteer Services Department has a supply of yarn for others who wish to make the hats, but can’t provide the yarn.

“We all love to see the bags of hats as they’re delivered for the Acheson Family Birth Place. It’s fun to see the creativity and many times they are designed according to the season. For instance, we’ll see pastel colors in spring, deeper colors in the fall, and at Christmas time, we get cute red and white striped caps with little pom-poms,” says Darcy.

In addition to being adorable, the hats serve a vital purpose in the health of newborns. According to Ardie Hayes, RN, babies lose the greatest amount of their body heat from their heads and their heads are about one-half the size of their bodies.

“It’s particularly important to help newborns maintain their body temperature so they don’t expend unnecessary energy,” she says. Crafters earn five hours of hospital volunteer service to the hospital per hat. This adds up in volunteer recognition at the hospital. Even if someone is not an “official” volunteer of the hospital, they may donate handmade caps by dropping them off at the hospital’s front desk or in the volunteer office. For security and health reasons, hats should not be delivered to Acheson Family Birth Place. If there is enough interest in learning how to make the hats, Volunteer Services may hold a group class. For more information, call Volunteer Services at 810-989-3796.

Cure Seakers Take to track for Cancer Research

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Port Huron Hospital Cure Seekers raised a total of $11,542.21 this year!

Hospital Relay for Life Cure Seekers cancer research fundraising team when she started as a nursing administration secretary in 2005. Back then, Ellen says, “I just wanted to get involved.” Little did she know that the event would come to have a deeper personal meaning. In March, 2008, Ellen lost her mother to breast cancer. And then, two months later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer herself. Now, she is co-captain of the hospital team, and she participates in the poignant “survivors ceremony,” in which cancer survivors receive a pin from their oncologist to recognize the number of months or years since their diagnosis. This year, Ellen celebrates two years of cancer survival.

Relay for Life is a two-day overnight American Cancer Society fundraising event, During the event, teams continuously walk laps in “relay fashion” around a track. As night falls, there is the survivor’s ceremony and the emotional lighting of luminaries for those who have died from or are living with cancer. As the walkers walk through the night, the names of the luminary honorees are scrolled on a large screen. Co-captain Marsha Dugas, a data technician in Quality Management, says the evening, with the flicker of the luminaries and the scrolling of names, is “unbelievably moving and touching.”

Fifty-one employees from across the hospital, along with a few family members, comprise the Port Huron Hospital Cure Seekers. Each team member pledges to individually raise at least $100, with the team raising additional money throughout the year with candy bar and luminary sales. With assistance from the hospital’s Dining Services, they also sold large cookies and snow storm
treats of ice cream mixed with candy or cookies. This year, the total raised by the team was $11,542.21. The Port Huron Hospital Cure Seekers were recognized for donating the most money from a team.

“It’s a wonderful community event,” says Marsha. “As moving as it is, it is also uplifting and fun. We all have our reasons for being involved.” Ellen adds, “We really are a team and we couldn’t do it without each other. We all have the same goal in mind.”

No downside to AARP Safe Driving School offered by 55 Plus

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Many people over 50 years-old scoff at the idea of attending a driver safety course. After all, with experience comes expertise. “I hear from a lot of people that they don’t need this, they’ve been driving for over 40 years,’” says certify end AARP Driver Safety Instructor Rich Woods, adding that while experience is extremely valuable, it can also lead to a degree of complacency. “The goal at the end of the class is for the participants to decide for themselves if they need to change any driving habits. We don’t have tests and there are no judgments.”

The two-day AARP Driver Safety Program is offered twice a year by Port Huron Hospital 55 Plus. The course is designed to help participants tune up their driving skills and defensive driving techniques, update their knowledge of the rules of the road and look at new ways to handle left turns, right-of-way, highway traffic and blind spots.

“While many people are doing just fine, we need to remember it’s been over 40 years since we’ve taken driver’s training,” says Rich. “Back when we were learning, we didn’t have the super highways.” The course also addresses adapting to changes in our bodies as we get older and as we take medications, including changes in reflexes and reaction times. Some technology changes have created a need to modify what used to be safe driving habits. A good example are the air bags in steering columns. Instead of the traditional “10 and 2 o’clock” hand placement on the steering wheel, it’s now safer to have your hands in the “8 and 4 o’clock” positions. There are also more electronic distractions such as cell phones to contend with.

Aside from the obvious benefit of safer and more confident driving, many auto insurance companies provide reduced rates for those who have completed the course, says Ann Poirier of 55 Plus. Participants should check with their insurer for details. “There’s really no down side to this,” says Rich. “It’s all good information.”

The next safe driving course will be offered September 23 and 24 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. The cost is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. For more information or to register, contact HealthAccess at 1-800-228-1484, visit www.porthuronhospital.org, or call 55 Plus at 989-3121.

Best of area high school graduates honored by Port Huron Hospital and RadioFirst

Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Area high school valedictorians and salutatorians were honored this week during the 16th Annual Salute to Youth reception sponsored by Port Huron Hospital and RadioFirst.

As part of the annual Salute to Youth program, the students are honored in individual radio spots on all of the RadioFirst radio stations throughout the month of May. Students are also invited to attend a reception at Port Huron Hospital at the end of May where they receive medallions honoring their academic achievement.

The program held Monday, May 24, included a keynote presentation by Port Huron Hospital President & CEO Tom DeFauw, a welcome by Larry Smith, general manager of the five RadioFirst radio stations, and introduction of students by RadioFirst on-air personalities Paul Miller of WPHM-AM and Chuck Santoni of WSAQ-FM, as well as Ben Coburn of WBTI-FM and News Director Bill Gilmer. Students honored were:

Algonac High School
Megan Fisher
Kaylin Hulburt
Kaitlyn Kastler
Joshua Rivard
Brooke Ruhlman
Ronald Schroeder III

Brown City High School
Michael Angerbrandt
Kristen Greene
Brad Richardson
Kyle Bailey

Capac High School
Christina Robert
Elizabeth Pruitt
Gianna Sabatino

Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School
Karishma Goel
Elyse McKenna
Andrew Torey

Carsonville Port Sanilac High School
Courtney Schneider
Elizabeth Hughes
Patricia Thoms

Croswell-Lexington High School
Casey Ferranti
Brendan Western
Deckerville High School
Sarah Michalek
Benjamin Hazelton

Marlette High School
Megan Duff
Kristen Hirsch

Marysville High School
Kelly Warsinske
Adam Cieslinski

Memphis High School
Samantha Kowatch
Katherine Cummings

New Life Christian Academy
Amanda Stocker
Brittini Whetstone
Erica Cope

Peck High School
Shayna Bedy
Daniel Cook
Erin Navarro
Nicole Pries
Tyler Bradley
Julia Bush

Port Huron High School
Shelby Baker
Laura Fielitz
Adam Lee
Alisha Parlin
Zachery Prax
Tiffany Weiss
Henry Chen

Port Huron Northern High School
Andrea Betrus
Charles Coop
Christine Cuthbertson
Shaya Jewani
Erika Johnson
Kayla Koppel
Jassim Kunji
Samantha Lindsey
Allison McDonald
Ryan Tibble
Elizabeth Wallace
Angela Sparling

Sandusky High School
Katelyn Ruggles
Marissa DeMott

Yale High School
Christopher Silverthorn
Brian Fagan
Janae Trombley

Port Huron Hospital offers Skin Cancer Screenings May 19, 2010

Tue, 11 May 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Port Huron Hospital is offering free skin cancer screenings on Wednesday, May 19, 2010

James C. Acheson Foundation Creates $75,000 Challenge for IV Smart Pumps at Port Huron Hospital

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

The James C. Acheson Foundation has awarded $75,000 to Port Huron Hospital in the form of a matching grant to fund the purchase of new IV Smart Pumps, the most advanced technology in IV Therapy. The grant will encourage other donors to support this important patient safety initiative at Port Huron Hospital.

Having earned both state and national recognition for patient safety and quality of care, Port Huron Hospital continues its pursuit of excellence and improving medication safety with this $1.5 million project and the implementation of Smart Pump technology. Smart Pumps are pre-loaded IV medication library pumps that are programmed with dosage, age and weight parameters that make it nearly impossible for clinicians to make medication errors. Alarms alert the clinician if the dosages are set beyond a predetermined set of parameters.

The Smart Pump -- along with the bar coding of the drug order, the IV bag, and the patient wrist band -- assure that the RIGHT drug is being given in the RIGHT dose to the RIGHT patient at the RIGHT time by the RIGHT route.

To learn more or to make a donation, contact the Port Huron Hospital Foundation at 810.982.3776 or click on the following underlined text: www.porthuronhospital.org/giving.

No butts about it: Port Huron Hospital offers special evening program to help you quit smoking

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Port Huron Hospital offers special program to help you quit smoking

Kearns Little Black Dress Event benefits Port Huron Hospital's Look Good Feel Better program for women with cancer

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Kearns Little Black Dress Event benefits Port Huron Hospital's Look Good Feel Better program for women with cancer

Port Huron Hospital only Michigan Hospital to receive 2009 Commission on Cancer Outstanding Achievement Award

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Port Huron Hospital only Michigan Hospital to receive 2009 Commission on Cancer Outstanding Achievement Award

Dr. John Brooks recognized for his leadership in patient safety at Port Huron Hospital

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

John V. Brooks, MD,Port Huron Hospital Chief-of-Staff-elect, is one of four individuals statewide to win the 2010 MHA Keystone Center Patient Safety & Quality Leadership Award.

Port Huron Hospital Participates in statewide push to sign up organ donors

Thu, 8 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Port Huron Hospital Participates in statewide push to sign up organ donors

Temporary restricted visitor guidelines lifted at Port Huron Hospital

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

The temporary visitor guidelines that Port Huron Hospital had in place during influenza season have been lifted and general visitor guidelines are now in effect.