TeleStroke program is making gains for patients and physicians

By Mikala Lindhardt

 

It has been six months since Logan Regional Hospital incorporated the new stroke diagnostic and treatment technology, TeleStroke, and it is paying off for patients and physicians.

“We use the services all the time and it has been worth it,” said Anne Anderson, the stroke coordinator at Logan Regional Hospital.

 TeleStroke is a program where hospitals can have a stroke neurologist skype-in within four minutes to consult with physicians and patients. For Logan Regional Hospital, the consulting specialist is usually from Intermountain Medical Center in Murray.

“This is very highly sensitive and very digital accurate equipment,” Anderson said. “The doctor can hear even the slightest whisper if the patient can’t talk very loud and can even see the drool on the patient’s mouth.”

Timing is an important factor when it comes to strokes, so the hospital staff is setting goals to achieve using the new technology.

“It is estimated that 32,000 brain cells die every second if they do not have adequate blood flow,” Anderson said.

With that in mind, Logan Regional’s goal with stroke victims is to reduce the time from when the patient enters the facility to the time they are treated with clot busting medication by 15 minutes.

In September nearly 40 patients used TeleStroke and were diagnosed with either a stroke or a mini stroke, Anderson said.

Those patients and nurses who have used TeleStroke have seen a difference in the confidence of the patients.

“I think the patients like it because they know they are getting a really specialized opinion on their condition and they are able to talk with the doctors face-to-face” said Tana Loan, a registered nurse who has experience with TeleStroke. “Patients have responded really well.”

The positive response has brought the topic of expansion to the stroke department.  While there are not yet details of expansion, “it’s in the works and we hope to get a clinic where we can use the technology for follow-up appointments with patients where they can talk to the specialist and don’t have to travel,” Anderson said. 

Shop Healthy Program joins with Hispanic community

By Mikala Lindhardt

 

Beginning next year, the Shop Healthy Program will partner with the Hispanic community to continue its efforts to promote healthier living. 

On Thursday, Jennie Murr, the dietician for Bear River Health Department, met with owners of La Ranchera and La Racherita to make plans encouraging healthier shopping by placing whole grain, low fat and low sodium items near check-out stands.

“The owner was very excited about being able to promote healthier items in both stores,” Murr said.

According to Holly Budge, the public health resource manager for Bear River Health Department, the goal of the Shop Healthy program is to change the retail environment and help people buy foods that are better for them.

Three local stores in Cache Valley began making changes last September. Macey’s, Theurers Market and the Island Market have changed check-out isles to have healthier snacks such as apples, nuts and water.

There has also been signage placed around the store to prompt buyers to choose healthier products.

In a report done by the Center for Disease Control, 86 million adults have pre-diabetes and nine out of 10 people with pre-diabetes don’t know they have it. 

“If we don’t do something to treat all those pre-diabetic cases then that’s our next epidemic,” Budge said.

Just three months into the program, the health department is happy with the success thus far and is looking for it to grow and include more businesses.

“This has been a great program to get started in our community,” Murr said. “I am hopeful that it will continue to expand.”

Faster care to be available come January

By Mikala Lindhardt

 

 

According to the National Emergencies Medical Services Information System, it takes nearly 9.5 minutes for an average ambulance to arrive on the scene where a patient is in need and more than 30 minutes for a patient to get to a hospital.

 

Now patients can receive care in a matter of seconds.

 

Beginning next month, Logan Regional Hospital will use a program called telehealth. This new technology allows patients to FaceTime with a physician and receive care and diagnostic treatment.

 

“We plan to implement this on a limited basis in January to SelectHealth patients and then expand it broadly to the community in 2016,” said Jana Huffman, the regional operations officer for Cache Valley Intermountain Healthcare.

 

Huffman said patients who use the telehealth program will be treated as if at an Instacare facility, but it will be in their own home using FaceTime. There will be a physician on call 24/7 to answer such calls.

 

“One of the biggest advantages for something like this would be for a physician to provide care to patients without the need for them to travel,” said Takiko May, a hospitalist trained in internal medicine at Logan Regional Hospital.

 

Telehealth will be for mild to moderate sicknesses such as colds, fevers, urinary tract infection and sprained ankles. For major illnesses where x-rays and labs are needed, patients will need to visit a facility for further care.

 

In order for patients to receive these services, they will need to submit an online credit card payment before the FaceTime appointment.

 

“It is a retail healthcare service, so they have a basic fee for the visit you pay upfront before the start of the visit,” Huffman said.

 

It is not anticipated a majority of patients will begin to use it, but the hospital is hopeful for it to grow.

 

“It is expected that 1 to 2 percent of patients will use this over time,” Huffman said.

Allergist now available in Cache County

By Mikala Lindhardt

 

 

In a county where agriculture plays a role in livelihood, allergies can be a problem, but traveling to find treatment is no longer a struggle in Cache County.

 

Four months ago Dr. Scott Dickson’s started working as Cache County’s first allergist and the clinic has been working to serve more clients.

 

“I’m not as busy as I would like to be, but that is to be expected with starting a new practice,” Dickson said.

 

Dickson and his staff see about seven patients daily, but hope to increase that number to 15 in the next few months.

Before July, Logan Regional Hospital had been looking to employ an allergist for the Budge Clinic because of the demand in the valley. The closest allergist was previously in Ogden.

 

“The main reason Logan was looking to recruit and hire an allergist was for residents’ convenience,” Dickson said.

 

Dickson said he has seen patients who have been suffering from allergies for years and now because of the convenient location they can be treated.

 

Local doctors and physicians are trained to deal with mild to moderate allergies and asthma, but a certified allergist allows for more services such as a methacholine challenge, patch testing, skin testing and drug challenges are offered to patients without the travel.

 

Alecia Lee, a resident of Cache County, is grateful for the convenient care that is offered with having an allergist.

 

“I’m able to go outside and go on hikes now,” Lee said. “I am able to enjoy being outdoors and not worry about my allergies acting up because of the care I have been provided.”

 

Dickson, originally from Cache Valley, is looking forward to the coming years as he serves the public.

“I think over time more people will learn about our clinic and we will be able to help more people,” he said.

AquaWorx bounces back to original number of patients after temporary decline

By Mikala Lindhardt

 

When a local hospital purchased two underwater treadmills, the number of patients at AquaWorx Physical Therapy and Fitness dropped, but the facility is seeing a rebound after three months.  

AquaWorx is the original location in Cache County which offered these treadmills to the public.

“I knew when the hospital’s pools opened because we suffered a little dent in numbers, but it’s back to normal now,” said Michelle Harmon, the administrator of AquaWorx Physical Therapy and Fitness.

Harmon said client visits have recovered to around 200 to 250 a week. These numbers include physical therapy patients and those with a gym membership. This client load keeps the staff of three physical therapists and assistants busy.

Many patients who left to try another physical therapy facility ended up returning to AquaWorx, bringing the numbers back up.

“I know we had patients who went up to try the pools at the hospital, but just came back to AquaWorx,” Harmon said.

According to Harmon, the AquaWorx facility operates differently than any other physical therapy and fitness location in the valley.

“What sets us apart the most is our consistency and our attention to the little details,” she said.

AquaWorx holds a weekly staff meeting to discuss goals and ideas on how to show better customer service and be more attentive to patients.

“It’s in the little things,” Harmon said. “I know we have staff members who are focused on learning everyone’s name who walks through the door.”

Krista Thunell, a Cache Valley resident, has been going to the gym facility for more than two years. She enjoys the environment and everyone she meets.

“After retiring I decided I need to start working out,” she said. “I love this place because everyone is so nice and friendly.”

Additional information about AquaWorx can be found at http://www.sunshineterrace.net/physical-therapy.