Highlights from Previous Issues: 2005 Archive

• This issue of HealthMatters is dedicated to what we have accomplished together in the past year.
  To meet your growing and changing health care needs, the medical center has added several new programs and facilities in 2005. We consider every new building, every new piece of technology and every new program to be our gift to you, the residents of the communities we serve.
• Women’s Diagnostic Center
  
• Work Begins on New Parking Garage
  
• The Latest in Full Hip Replacements
  
• Radiation Oncology Center Opens
  
• Wellness Center Opens
  
• Emergency Department Expanded
  
• Live and Learn Expo
  

• Jefferson Regional Recognized for Vascular and Orthopedic Excellence by National Study
  Jefferson Regional Medical Center has received five-star ratings for clinical excellence for vascular and orthopedic services for the second year in a row. “Quality patient care is our top priority,” said Jefferson Regional President and CEO Thomas P. Timcho.
• Echement Family All Faiths Chapel Dedicated
  At a blessing service held at Jefferson Regional Medical Center, the chapel in the hospital lobby was dedicated to the family of John R. Echement, a long-time board member and healthcare leader.
• Jefferson is one of 50 Best Places to Work
  Jefferson Regional Medical Center has been selected as one of 2005’s “50 Best Places to Work in Western Pennsylvania.”
• Protect Yourself From the Flu
  Families waiting for their loved ones in Jefferson Regional’s emergency department will receive packets that contain key elements to minimizing the transmission of flu and other viruses and bacteria. “If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, we know these packets will help prevent the spread of the flu and colds in our emergency department this winter,” says Director of Emergency Services Karen Kunak.
• Outreach Programs Get a Boost
  In an effort to provide increased opportunities to reach the communities it serves, Jefferson Regional Medical Center has named Blanche Buscanics to the new position of manager, Community Outreach. Suzanne Smith has been named to the position of manager for Jefferson Regional Senior Services.

• Providing Support for Hurricane Victims
  The employees of Jefferson Regional Medical Center have opened their hearts and their wallets to help with the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief effort. Overall the Jefferson Regional family contributed more than 35,000 dollars in cash and supplies.
• Area Nurse Earns Cameo of Caring Honors
  Antoinette "Toni" Thalman, RN, BSN, health and certified diabetes educator, is the Cameos of Caring representative for Jefferson Regional Medical Center.
• Wellness Center Opens in Pleasant Hills
  A new era of patient care began in September with the opening of the Jefferson Regional Wellness Center, a new offsite facility located in the K-Mart Plaza on Route 51. The Wellness Center offers cardiac and pulmonary rehab patients maintenance exercise programs.
• Area Residents Picnic with Their Surgeons
  Special guests at Jefferson Regional Medical Center’s Joint Care Center picnic held September 9 at Andrew Reilly Park in Jefferson Hills were 235 former patients who have had total joint replacement surgery at Jefferson Regional.
• Occupational Medicine Gets New Medical Director
  Mary Ellen Wyszomierski, MD, has been appointed Medical Director of Employee Health and Occupational Medicine for Jefferson Regional Medical Center. In her new position, she will oversee Business Plus Healthcare, Jefferson Regional’s occupational medicine program.

• Expanded Emergency Department Opens
  The Emergency Department opened an addition that increases the number of patient treatment areas from 29 to 36. The new treatment areas have been added to VitalWorks, an emergency department patient tracking and electronic medical records system. Also new is a state-of-the-art digital x-ray unit as well as various amenities designed for the comfort and convenience of patients.
• Proactive Approach to Disaster Preparedness
  As a tool to guide the development of practical response plans in preparation for a real or suspected bioterrorism attack, a group of Jefferson Regional Medical Center employees participated in emergency preparedness training recently.
• Onorato Commends Community Health Council
  Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato paid tribute to Jefferson Regional Medical Center and its Community Health Council at the 24th annual Community Recognition Night Tuesday, August 23 in the Jefferson Room.
• Medical Center Welcomes New Director of Spiritual Care
  Judi Pasino, a Catholic laywoman who is board-certified by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, is the new director of spiritual care at Jefferson Regional Medical Center.

• Congratulations, They’re Twins!
  Jefferson Regional Medical Center is pleased to announce the addition of two new state-of-the-art 16-slice Computerized Tomography (CT) Scanners that provide highly detailed images for faster and more accurate diagnoses.
• Thanks for Helping Us Celebrate!
  Several hundred seniors joined Jefferson Regional Senior Services in celebrating its tenth anniversary at the Live & Learn Senior Expo.
• Join Us at Senior Services for Exercise Classes
  Jefferson Regional Senior Services will offer exercise classes beginning in September.

• Award for Excellence in Vascular Services
  Jefferson Regional is the recipient of a Vascular Specialty Excellence Award from HealthGrades. The medical center’s performance ranks it among the top five percent of hospitals in the nation for vascular services.
• Jefferson's Bond Rating Upgraded
  Moody’s Investors Services has upgraded Jefferson Regional Medical Center’s bond rating to stable from negative, recognizing Jefferson’s increasing inpatient and outpatient demand, measurable operating improvement and new leadership’s fortitude to restructure operations and foster greater financial discipline.
• Live & Learn Expo July 29
  All area seniors are invited to the FREE Live & Learn Senior Expo to be held at CCAC South Campus in celebration of 10 years of Senior Services.
• Rev. Lois Morrison Moving to Tennessee
  Rev. Lois Morrison, who has played an integral role in the spiritual lives of so many during her eight years as chaplain and director of spiritual care at Jefferson Regional, will complete her hospital ministry at Jefferson on July 26.
• Open-Heart Program Strong
  The Heart Institute conducted 50 open-heart procedures in the month of May, a record since it opened in March of 2002.

• Jefferson’s Open Heart Program Earns National Honors
  Jefferson Regional Medical Center is a winner of the prestigious Premier Award for Quality in the area of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG), commonly referred to as “open-heart surgery.”
• Gov. Rendell Helps to Raise Awarness of Health Programs for Uninsured
  Governor Ed Rendell stressed the importance of helping Pennsylvania’s uninsured to get access to quality health care at a recent press conference at Jefferson Regional Medical Center.
• Jefferson Regional Cardiopulmonary Wellness Center To Open
  Jefferson Regional is adding an off-site location for patient care with the Cardiopulmonary Wellness Center, a division of The Heart Institute at Jefferson Regional Medical Center.
• Senior Services Celebrates 10th Anniversary
  For ten years, Jefferson Regional Senior Services has provided area residents with a link to thousands of programs and services available to the South Hills, Steel Valley, and Mon Valley.
• Home Health Legacy Continues at Jefferson
  The South Hills Health System (SHHS) Home Health Agency Alumni Association commemorated its legacy and contributions to the evolution of home health care by dedicating a painting during a luncheon held at the medical center on May 18.
• Excellence in Wound Care Marked with Open House
  The Wound Care Center® at Jefferson Regional Medical Center has offered outpatient treatment for nonhealing wounds for five years. To celebrate the thousands of area residents who have gotten their life back through the support of The Wound Care Center®, an open house will be held.
• Sr. Nancy Kline Faithfully Served Medical Center’s Spiritual Needs
  After 19 years of providing counseling, emotional and spiritual support for patients, families, medical staff, employees and volunteers, Sr. Nancy Kline, CSJ, resigned her position to meet the needs of her family.

• Nurses Week Celebrated
  Jefferson Regional salutes all 707 members of its nursing staff, expressing appreciation to them through various activities including a Blessing of the Hands, a brunch, and gift baskets offered by the leadership team. In addition, for the month of May, a billboard on Route 51 North Salutes our nurses who care for you like family.
• Volunteers Appreciated
  More than 300 area residents provide 102,000 hours of volunteer service at Jefferson Regional Medical Center annually. During National Volunteer Month, Jefferson held a number of activities to show appreciation.
• Construction Buzz
  The Allegheny County Department of Public Works began the reconstruction of Coal Valley Road on April 25. The project should take about three weeks to complete. Construction of the RadiationConstruction of the Radiation Oncology Center is underway and it is anticipated that it will be completed in September.
• Exercise Classes Offered
  Jefferson Regional Senior Services is offering summer health and wellness classes beginning in June.
• Cancer Survivor Day
  Jefferson Regional Medical Center is hosting the 13th annual Cancer Survivor Day on June 12.

• Medical Center Expansion Underway
  The current construction project at Jefferson Regional will result in an expanded emergency department and surgery center, a new pharmacy and inpatient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facility.
• Visit Hospital Compare
  To make the most informed health care decisions, consumers should use Hospital Compare, a medicare initiative that compares the quality of selected services at specific hospitals.
• Patient Safety is Paramount at Jefferson
  Jefferson Regional Medical Center has made substantial investments in patient safety. Just a few months ago, Jefferson received accolades from the Commonwealth Fund for being one of only four top-performing hospitals in the country.
• Health Concern Program Provides Free Care
  Over the past 25 years, Jefferson Regional Medical Center has provided free care to patients of its communities through its Health Concern Program. The the annual Health Concern Golf Benefit, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, has raised more than $2.5 million to offset these costs.

• March Marks Awareness for Colorectal Cancer
  Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in North America, but it does not need to be.
• Construction information available to the public
  Three planned construction projects will cause some disruption to the normal traffic flow at the medical center. To help keep everyone informed, we have established dedicated communication channels you can access.
• Hand and UpperEx Center Goes Digital
  The new Hand and UpperEx Center at Jefferson Regional uses chartless office management and filmless x-ray technology to provide efficient and thorough patient care.
• Federal Appropriations Grant to Benefit Senior Services
  Jefferson Regional’s Senior Services received a major boost from a $146,866 Federal Appropriations Grant received from the offices of Pennsylvania Rep. Tim Murphy and Senator Arlen Specter.

• February is dedicated to medical matters of the heart and this issue of HealthMatters is dedicated to your heart health
  High quality heart care begins at Jefferson Regional Medical Center’s state-of-the-art facility, The Heart Institute, designed to meet the specific needs of cardiology, pulmonary, and vascular patients.
• Jefferson Establishes New Clinical Trial Research Department
  Jefferson Regional Medical Center established the first official department for clinical trial research at the medical center. A clinical trial is a research study that is done using volunteers under a specific protocol or plan. The purpose of a clinical trial is to answer particular questions about health, improve health care, and find effective medical treatments.
• Heart Disease is the Number One Killer of Women
  As a woman, there’s something you need to know about heart disease: it has claimed the lives of more women than men since 1984. To overcome the growing epidemic of heart disease, Jefferson Regional Medical Center’s cardiologists and Health for Her program are providing a free, three-part community education program on women and heart disease called, “The Heart of a Woman.”.

• We’ve dedicated this issue of Health Matters to encouraging our neighbors to keep those New Year’s resolutions
  Happy New Year from your family at Jefferson Regional Medical Center

	Print this page