2011ALSOINSIDE

CampaignDrive for new cancerequiment continues

PAGE 2B

AnniversaryHospital marks40 years of addiction counseling

PAGE 3B

With distinctionMarquette General getsrecognition for spinalsurgery.

PAGE 3B

Best & brightestMGH honored by Michigan business groupfor valuing employees.

PAGE 4B

A new networkMGH teams up withMichigan State, downstate organization toboost cancer treatment.

PAGE 5B

GrantBrain and Spine Centergets funding.

PAGE 6B

PartnershipSuperior Health Partner-ship marks one year.

PAGE 8B

CryotherapyNew treatment options.

PAGE 9B

Stroke centerMGH has first Joint Com-mission Primary StrokeCenter in the region.

PAGE 10B

New protocolFinding ways to help heart attack patients

PAGE 11B

MARQUETTE GENERAL HOSPITAL — SECTION BMONDAY, MARCH 28

PROGRESSA SPECIAL SECTION OF THE MINING JOURNAL

MGH makesTop 50 cardiofacilities list

MARQUETTE — In January, MarquetteGeneral Hospital was named one of thenation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitalsby Thomson Reuters.

A. Gary Muller, MGH’s president andSuperior Health Partners president andchief executive officer, announced theranking in one of the hospital cardiaccatheterization labs. For the 2011 rank-ings, the field was narrowed from 100hospitals to 50.

“To be recognized nationally for our ex-pert health care for the fifth year in a rowis an honor to everyone at MarquetteGeneral,” Muller said. “We are privilegedto have an incredible team of physiciansand staff at the Marquette General HeartInstitute who provide nationally renowned

cardiovascular care to patients throughoutthe Upper Peninsula. Most of all, this des-ignation verifies that our patients do notneed to leave the Upper Peninsula forheart care that is ranked among the bestin the country.”

This marks the fifth consecutive yearthat MGH has been nationally recognizedfor cardiovascular health care.

“It demonstrates that excellence in heartcare has gotten even better over the pastdecade at Marquette General,” Mullersaid. “If you have heart issues, it is betterto be here than somewhere else.”

Marquette General joined the elite 50Top cardiovascular program list, which in-cludes the Mayo Clinic and the ClevelandClinic. Thomson Reuters is consideredthe industry’s nationwide leader in healthcare data.

“It’s not just another ranking, it’s the onethat matters,” Muller said.

The Thomson Reuters study examinedthe performance of 1,022 hospitals by an-alyzing outcomes for patients with heart

failure and heart attacks and for thosewho received bypass surgery and surgicalinterventions such as angioplasty. Thom-son Reuters analyzed 2008 and 2009Medicare data and costs reports. Hospi-tals were scored in key performance ar-eas including mortality, complications, 30-day mortality rates, 30-day re-admissionrates and other factors.

The MGH Heart Institute is a joint part-nership operating between MGH, cardiol-ogists and cardio-thoracic surgeons fromUpper Michigan Cardiovascular Associ-ates. Together they perform more than

4,000 procedures a year, including bal-loon angioplasty, stents, electrophysiolo-gy and atherectomy.

“This award is a real credit to the team-work focused on each patient at the Mar-quette General Heart institute,” said Dr.Thomas LeGalley, of Upper Michigan Car-diovascular Associates and the medicalstaff at MGH. “We take great pride inachieving a national benchmark level per-formance, especially five years in a row.We work very hard to assure that our pa-tients receive the highest national stan-dards of care.”

Top and below, a heart surgery team operates at Marquette General Hospital. Above, acloseup of an open heart operation at MGH. Marquette General joined the elite 50 Top car-diovascular program list, which includes the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic. The MGHHeart Institute is a joint partnership operating between MGH, cardiologists and cardio-tho-racic surgeons from Upper Michigan Cardiovascular Associates. Together, they performmore than 4,000 procedures a year, including balloon angioplasty, stents, electrophysiolo-gy and atherectomy. (MGH photos)It’s not just another

ranking, it’s theone that matters.

“

- A. GARY MULLERMGH president

”

Heart leader

By JOHN PEPINJournal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — Effortsare continuing to raisemoney for new cancerscreening equipment atMarquette General Hospi-tal.

In October 2009, Mar-quette General Health Sys-tem, the Marquette Gener-al Cancer Center and theMarquette General Foun-dation formally announceda $4 million fundraisingcampaign to purchase anew linear accelerator andCT simulator for the Radia-tion Oncology Departmentat Marquette General.

The cost of the new lin-ear accelerator, CT simula-tor and necessary facilityrenovations is approxi-mately $6 million. Mar-quette General has com-mitted $2 million as a capi-tal expense, leaving $4 mil-lion to be raised. Of that,about $2.6 million hasbeen raised through giftsmade by the MGHS andFoundation boards, MGHSemployees and physiciansand donors across the Up-per Peninsula.

More than 1,000 peoplea year are diagnosed withcancer in the Upper Penin-sula. The Marquette Gen-eral Cancer Center is theonly program in the U.P.accredited by the Ameri-can College of SurgeonsCommission on Cancer.

The “Accelerating theFuture Capital Campaign”is the first undertaken bythe Marquette GeneralFoundation, which recent-ly celebrated its five-yearanniversary.

Dr. Daniel Arnold, whoalso chairs the MarquetteGeneral Foundation Boardof Directors, said the newtechnology will replace anaging accelerator that,while serviceable, is inneed of being replaced.

“This new technology en-hances patient care byeven more precise target-ing of tumors to protecthealthy tissue. It will havethe ability to rapidly altertreatments to matchchanges in the tumor overtime.More importantly, pa-tients will experienceshorter treatment timesand recover more quickly,”

Arnold said.Hospital officials said

the current equipmentwas cutting edge whenacquired nearly twodecades ago. The currentmachine provides radia-tion therapy that meetsthe standard of care;however, it has not keptpace with advances in thefield that provide moreand enhanced treatmentoptions.

For example, patientscan no longer take part inclinical trials of new radi-ation-based treatments.Additionally, maintenanceand repairs of the existingequipment are costly andcould, in rare occasions,disrupt treatment forsome patients.

The Capital Campaignchairs are John Jilbert,Dr. Scholnik and FridaWaara. Jilbert is a long-time area businessmanand former owner of Jil-bert’s Dairy; Scholnik is aretired hematologist/on-cologist at MarquetteGeneral; and Waara is aninspirational speaker andteam builder who lives

and works in Marquette. For more information

about the Accelerating theFuture Capital Campaign,

call 225-6914 or toll-free at1-866-906-6914.

John Pepin can be

reached at 906-228-2500,ext. 206. His e-mail ad-dress is jpepin@min-ingjournal. net.

2B -— The Mining Journal Monday, March 28 PROGRESS2011

Foundation campaign

Mining Journal staff writer Renee Prusi, who has been a cancer patient at Marquette General Hospital, speaks during a news conference to announce a fundraising cam-paign to raise $4 million for new equipment to treat the disease. Looking on are several of the news conference’s other speakers, Dr. Daniel Arnold, Marquette General on-cologist/hematologist, and A. Gary Muller, Marquette General president and CEO. Accelerating the Future Capital Campaign is the first undertaken by the Marquette GeneralFoundation. (Journal photo by Steve Brownlee)

Drive for new cancer treatment equipment continues

MARQUETTE — OnJan. 4, 1971, the Alco-holism Treatment Centerlocated on the third floorof the old St. Mary’s Hos-pital was opened forbusiness.

The new unit consistedof two beds for detoxifi-cation and 10 beds (se-mi-private) for “rehabili-tation.”

“In addition, there wasa room for meetings andgroups, a dining room,and, of course, a largecoffee pot,” said ShawnHatch, director of ClinicalServices, BehavioralHealth.

The professional staffconsisted of a part-timephysician/director and acoordinator/ therapist.The program relied heav-ily on the use of volun-teers from the communi-ty including clergy, mem-bers of Alcoholics Anony-mous, physicians, socialworkers, and nurses, ac-cording to the “History ofSubstance Abuse Pro-grams,” by Lowell C.Price.

During the first year,this unit provided ser-vices to 190 patients.The average length ofstay was 10 days. How-ever, by the end of thefirst year this was in-creased to 20-28 days.In 1974, a treatment di-rector, two counselors,and a secretary wereadded and the programgrew from a bed capaci-ty o f 12 to 28, Price said.

Jan. 4 marked the 40thAnniversary of sub-stance abuse services atMarquette General. Overthe course of 2010, 765individuals received sub-stance abuse serviceswith Marquette GeneralBehavioral Health.

“Our program now con-sists of a full range ofsubstance use disorderservices including resi-dential treatment, partial-hospitalization, intensiveoutpatient, outpatient,and prevention ser-vices,”Hatch said. “In ad-dition, we have a longtradition of actively pro-viding free education tothe public and support tovarious community coali-tions and projects.”

Marquette General ad-diction professionals

have a history of provid-ing leadership andpaving the way for inno-vations, evidence-basedtreatment, and participa-tion in projects that directthe future for substanceuse disorder treatment,Hatch said.

“We look forward tocontinuing this traditionas we prepare for the op-portunity that presents it-self with the develop-ment of AccountableCare Organizations andthe Patient CenteredMedical Home,” Hatchsaid. “We’ve come a longway from paraprofes-sionals and a coffee pot.It would be impossible tocalculate the number oflives that have beentouched with treatmentand recovery or the

depth of the impact thatone recovering personhas on the lives of oth-ers. Addiction ravageslives and people in re-covery get their livesback; communities bene-fit socially and economi-cally.”

Hatch said, “Work inthis field is both challeng-ing and rewarding.Those committed toreaching out to those im-mersed in addiction tendto do so quietly, graceful-ly, and ‘one day at atime.’”

The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 — 3BPROGRESS2011

Ourprogram

now consistsof a full rangeof substanceuse disorder services.

“

- SHAWN HATCHDirector of Clinical

Services, BehavioralHealth

”

MGH marks40th anniversary of addiction counseling

By JOHN PEPINJournal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — BlueCross Blue Shield ofMichigan and Blue CareNetwork recently desig-nated Marquette GeneralHospital as a “Blue Dis-tinction Center for SpineSurgery.”

The Blue Distinctionprogram recognizes hos-pitals that demonstratehigher levels of perfor-mance in providing bettercare for patients.

Marquette General neu-rosurgeons Dr. CraigCoccia, Dr. Paul LaHayeand Dr. Richard Rovinand Orthopaedic SurgeryAssociates of Marquettephysicians Dr. MatthewSonger and Dr. EdwardSouthern collaborate to-gether to offer compre-hensive spine surgeryservices, including mini-mally invasive and artifi-cial disk technology,spinal nerve decompres-sion, fusions and defor-mity repairs.

“As the Regional Medi-cal Center for the UpperPeninsula, this distinctionreinforces our commit-

ment to providing thehighest level of surgicalcare. That’s what our pa-tients expect and de-serve,” said A. GaryMuller, president of MGHand president and CEO ofSuperior Health Partners.“We have an excellentteam of supportive doc-tors and staff across 56specialties who work hardeach day to make sureour patients receive thebest care when they walkthrough our doors.”

The selection criteriaused to evaluate facilitieswere developed with in-put from a panel of expertphysicians. To be desig-nated as a Blue Distinc-tion Center for SpineSurgery, several types ofcriteria were evaluated in-cluding:

• Being an establishedacute care inpatient facili-ty, including intensivecare, emergency care,and a full range of patientsupport services with fullaccreditation by a CMS-deemed national accredi-tation organization

• Experience and train-

ing of pro-gram sur-geons, in-c l u d i n gcase vol-ume

• Quali-ty man-a g e -m e n tp r o -

grams, including surgicalchecklists as well as track-ing and evaluation of clini-cal outcomes and process

of care• Multidisciplinary clinical

p a t h w a y s

and teams to coordinateand streamline care, in-cluding transitions of care

• Shared decision-mak-

ing and preoperative pa-tient education

“This distinction is acredit to the focus on each

patient by ourphysi-c i a n sa n ds t a f f , ”C o c c i asaid. “Weare com-mitted toprov id ingthe higheststandards ofcare for ourpatients. It’srewarding tosee these ef-forts recog-nized.”The Blue Dis-

tinction designa-tion is awardedby the Blue Crossand Blue Shieldcompanies tomed-ical facilities thathave demonstratedexpertise in deliver-

ing quality health care inthe areas of bariatricsurgery, cardiac care,complex and rare cancers,knee and hip replacement,

spine surgery and trans-plants. The program ispart of The Blues efforts tocollaborate with physi-cians and medical facilitiesto improve the overallquality and safety of spe-cialty care.

“This distinction assurespatients that they are get-ting the best care here,right in Marquette,”Songer said. “We teamwith MGH to conduct lead-ing-edge spine researchto continually find newways to improve our pa-tients’ quality of life. Ouruse of the latest surgicaltechniques and devicescoupled with our specialty-trained staff help patientsachieve the best out-comes possible.”

Marquette General Hos-pital is the only Blue Dis-tinction Center for SpineSurgery in the region andone of the first in theState.

John Pepin can bereached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206. His e-mailaddress is jpepin@min-ingjournal.net.

Institution receives ‘blue’distinction for spinal surgery

Mar-quette GeneralHospital won a “Blue Distinc-tion” designation for spine surgery. Theprogram recognizes hospitals that demonstrate higherlevels of performance in providing better care for patients.

4B — The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 PROGRESS2011

MARQUETTE — Mar-quette General HealthSystem was recentlynamed one of “WestMichigan’s 101 Best andBrightest Companies toWork For.”

The award, presentedby the Michigan Businessand Professional Associ-ation, honors companiesthat recognize employ-ees as their greatest as-set. Marquette GeneralHealth System was thefirst company in the Up-per Peninsula to achievethis honor.

“We recognize that ouremployees are the heartof our organization andthe drivers behind oursuccess,” said A. GaryMuller, MGHS presidentand CEO. “Being select-ed as ‘West Michigan’s101 Best and BrightestCompanies to Work For’validates our commit-ment to our employeeswho have stood strongand worked hard throughthe changes our organi-zation made in the pasttwo years. The overallsuccess of our organiza-tion can be attributed totheir hard work and dedi-cation.”

An independent re-search firm evaluatedeach company’s entrybased on key measures

in various categories.The categories includedcommunication, commu-nity initiatives, compen-sation and benefits, di-versity and multi-cultural-ism, employee educationand development, em-ployee engagement andcommitment, recognitionand retention, recruit-ment and selection, smallbusiness and work-lifebalance.

“Receiving this award isa honor for all of us. Mar-quette General is a greatcompany to work for, andbecause of our hardwork-ing and dedicated em-ployees, an honor suchas this was achieved,”said Eric Williams, chair-man of the MarquetteGeneral Employee Rela-tions Committee.

According to award or-ganizers, only companieswith the highest qualityhuman resources initia-tives can be namedamong “West Michigan’s101 Best and BrightestCompanies to Work For.”This honor is highlysought after by compet-ing companies through-out the region. The Michi-gan Business and Pro-fessional Associationhonored the 101 compa-nies last May at the Pin-nacle Center in Grand

Rapids. The winning 101 com-

panies also vie for 10elite awards, one grantedfor each category, and anoverall winner, who hasexcelled in all categories.

Based in Warren,Mich., the MichiganBusiness and Profes-sional Association isthe largest businessorganization of small tomedium-sized business-es in Michigan, repre-senting more than 20,000members who employover 200,0000 persons.

Marquette General among ‘Best and Brightest’ honorees

A group of certified nurses poses for a recent photograph at Marquette General Hospital.The facility was recently named one of “West Michigan’s 101 Best and Brightest Companiesto Work For” by the Michigan Business & Professional Association. (MGH photo)

According toaward organizers,

only companieswith the highest

quality human re-sources initiatives

can be named among“West Michigan’s 101Best and BrightestCompanies to WorkFor.”

Michigan Business and Professional Association honor goes to companiesthat recognize employees’ value

Cancer networkThe Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 — 5BPROGRESS2011

MarquetteGeneral Cancer Centerteams withGreat LakesCancer InstituteBy RENEE PRUSIJournal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — An-other alliance to bring thebest possible care to can-cer patients has beenmade by the MarquetteGeneral Cancer Center.

The center has signed apartnership agreementwith the Great LakesCancer Institute to worktogether on cancer careand research. The part-nership was announcedMonday by MarquetteGeneral Health System.

“We have been lookingfor awhile for a good up-stream affiliation,” saidDr. Daniel Arnold, ahematologist/oncologist.“This is a consortium ofseveral hospitals of ourown size range with theresources of MichiganState University includ-ed.”

This new alliance ex-tends the reach of Michi-gan’s largest cancer carenetwork into the UpperPeninsula and will delivermany benefits for Mar-quette General, includinga built-in cancer referralsystem and expandedaccess to more cancerresearch and clinical tri-als, according to anMGHS news release.

GLCI is a joint venturethat combines the re-search capabilities ofMichigan State Universitywith the physicians andfacilities associated withMcLaren Health Care,which is headquartered inFlint.

“We can work togetherto provide resources wecouldn’t do individually,”Arnold said, citing Mar-quette General’s molecu-lar cytogenetics lab fromwhich the consortium canbenefit.

“Also, we’re putting in atrue beam linear acceler-ator in June,” he said.“Only one other institutein the state, in Flint, hasthat. They installed it sev-eral months ago and wecan take advantage oftheir experience withthat.”

For cancer patients, thepartnership will mean

even greater access toinformation.

“This collaboration withthe Great Lakes CancerInstitute offers importantbenefits to our patients inthat it expands access tohigher-level clinical trialsand more research,” saidWalter Scanlon, directorof Marquette GeneralCancer Center, in theMGHS release. “Beingconnected to a larger net-work of research and ex-pertise will enhance ourcancer service line andthus our ability to treatthe communities weserve. Other advantages,such as continuing medi-cal education for physi-cian staff and a built-in re-ferral database, will con-

tinue to emerge as ourrelationship evolves.”

Arnold said this in-creased access will allowpatients to be right in themainstream with the lat-est research.

“Patients will be able toaccess information on-

line or by DVD,” he said.“They will be able,through the online com-ponent, to share this in-formation with family allover the country.

“This is another bigstep forward.”

As part of the Superior

Health Partners CancerNetwork, the MarquetteGeneral Cancer Centeroffers U.P. patients ac-cess to radiation therapy,chemotherapy, surgeryand investigational thera-pies through its main lo-cation, physician clinicsand its research pro-gram.

It has been recognizedas a Community CancerCenter by the AmericanCollege of Surgeonssince 1984.

“Marquette General isthe clear leader in cancercare for Michigan’s UpperPeninsula, and we areexcited about the oppor-tunity to enhance and ex-pand our cancer care net-work by forming a part-nership with them,” saidDr. Raymond Demers,president and medical di-rector of GLCI, in a pre-pared release. “We look

forward to offering ourcolleagues in the UpperPeninsula the benefits ofbeing part of a larger net-work, but are also eagerto learn from their experi-ence, particularly in thefield of telemedicine.”

Marquette General’sUpper Peninsula Tele-health Network is regard-ed as one of the leadingtelemedicine programs inthe nation, according toinformation in the re-lease.

This 46-site networkconnects patients withtheir physicians for fol-low-up via videoconfer-ence, thus minimizing theneed to travel for healthcare.

Renee Prusi can becontacted at 906-228-2500, ext. 253. Her e-mailaddress is rprusi@min-ingjournal.net.

RadiationTherapistsJolynnBlackburn,right, andMollieHolsworth,left, treatcancer pa-tients at theMarquetteGeneral Can-cer Center.Care forthese pa-tients will beenhanced bythe recent af-filiation withthe GreatLakes Can-cer Institute,which will in-clude a built-in cancer re-ferral systemand expand-ed access tomore cancerresearch andclinical trials.(MGHS pho-to)

We can work together toprovide resources we couldn’tdo individually.

“

- Dr. DANIEL ARNOLDMarquette General

”

MARQUETTE — TheMarquette GeneralBrain and Spine Center,a member of SuperiorHealth Partners, hasbeen awarded a two-year, $80,000 grantfrom the Helen BaderFoundation, of Milwau-

kee, Wisc., to assist theMemory DiagnosticCenter in providing on-going caregiver supportto families caring for aloved one diagnosedwith memory loss.

This is the second timethat the center has re-ceived the grant.

The Memory Diagnos-tic Center, led by neurol-ogist, Roman Politi, MD,offers a team approachto managing memoryproblems, including acomprehensive neuro-logical evaluation, diag-nosis and recommenda-tions for daily living.With the assistance ofthe Bader grant re-sources, ongoing casemanagement and care-giver support after diag-nosis can be provided tofamilies and caregivers.

The Memory Diagnos-tic Center originated inNovember of 1999 andoffers services at Mar-quette General Neurolo-gy, located in the sky-walk at Marquette Gen-eral Hospital.

“Learning that you or aloved one has non-re-versible memory losscan be stressful andoverwhelming,” saidDarlene T. Allen, projectcoordinator for the Cen-

ter. “The Memory Diag-nostic Center team isdesigned so that fami-lies do not have to trav-el this journey alone.

Experienced staff takethe time to answerquestions about the di-agnosis, share informa-

tion about what to ex-pect, provide needed in-formation about commu-nity resourcesand listento families fears and

concerns.” The Bader Foundation

grant resource allows forthe provision of ongoingsocial services to familiesafter diagnosis of irre-versible dementing disor-ders such as Alzheimer’sdisease, vascular de-mentia, Lewy body de-mentia and frontal tempo-ral lobe dementia. Withoffices in Milwaukee andJerusalem, the Founda-tion awards an averageof $12 million per year ingrants, totaling more than$163 million in grantssince it was establishedin 1992.

For more informationabout this project or theMemory Diagnostic Cen-ter, call 906-225-3277 or800-562-9753, ext. 3277.

Information about theMemory Diagnostic Cen-ter is also available onlineat www.memorylosshelp.org.

6B — The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 PROGRESS2011

Brain and spine center gets grant for $80,000

Learning that you or a loved onehas non-reversible memory loss canbe stressful and overwhelming.

“- DARLENE T. ALLEN

Memory Diagnostic Center Project Director

”

As a Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute affiliated clinic, the Marquette General MemoryDiagnostic Center is often asked to share its expertise and specialization in the testingutilized in the diagnostic process of memory loss. Kelley Hutchinson-Maravilla, far left,occupational therapist for the Door County Medical Center, met with the Marquette Gen-eral Memory Diagnostic Center team in January to observe the evaluation process.Chris Erbisch, center, occupational therapist and Darlene Allen of the Marquette Gen-eral Memory Diagnostic Center, share the process and benefits of utilizing both cogni-tive and functional testing in determining memory loss. (MGH photo)

The Memory Diagnostic Center, led by neurologist Dr. Roman Politi, offers a teamapproach to managing memory problems, including a comprehensive neurologicalevaluation, diagnosis and recommendations for daily living. With the assistance ofthe Bader grant resources, ongoing case management and caregiver support afterdiagnosis can be provided to families and caregivers. The Memory Diagnostic Centerteam members, pictured from left, are Sue Tapio, LPN, clinic nurse; Dr. Politi, medicaldirector; Darlene T. Allen LLMSW, social worker; and Chris Erbisch, occupational ther-apist. (MGH photo)

PROGRESS2011 The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 — 7B

MARQUETTE — LastJanuary, Bell Hospital andMarquette General Hospi-tal announced their form-ing of a cooperative rela-tionship intended to im-prove health care qualityand access, create andsupport health care jobsand prepare the region forhealth care reform.

Hospital officials saidSuperior Health Partnersseeks to recapture fundsspent on healthcare thatleave the Upper Peninsu-la in favor of downstate orWisconsin hospitals. Jobstabilization/creation wasalso pointed to as a priori-ty.

However, Gary Muller,president and CEO ofboth Superior HealthPartners and Marquette

General, said the mostcritical objective of thenew relationship is to im-prove access to qualityhealthcare throughout theUpper Peninsula.

“Since its formation,SHP has been busy on anumber of fronts – themost visible being in thearea of physician recruit-ment,” Muller said.

Between MGH and Bell,about 20 new physicianshave been recruited tothe U.P. during the pastyear.

“The range of special-ties and sub-specialtycaregivers we have re-cruited is amazing,” saidMuller.

Superior Health Part-ners, via MGH, has re-cruited physicians rang-ing from family practice,to psychiatry, to pedi-atrics, to gastroenterolo-gy, to oncology. Many ofthe specialists and sub-specialists either holdclinics or are based per-manently in many outlyingU.P. communities.

“For instance, MGH hasthree new family practicephysicians in Delta Coun-ty, and in Dickinson Coun-ty, lifelong Dickinson resi-dent Katie Picucci, hasjoined our family practicephysician family,” Mullersaid. “In Marquette, we’vejust opened a three-physi-cian gastrointestinal prac-tice at the renovated trainstation building down-town.”

At Bell, physicians havebeen recruited rangingfrom family practice, togeneral surgery, to inter-nal medicine.

In addition, many mid-level (physician assistantand nurse practitioner)caregivers have been re-cruited to add depth toSHP’s quality access ini-tiative.

“At SHP we’ve adopteda pledge to ‘redefine ex-cellence’ in region-widehealthcare,” Muller said.“And we take that pledgevery seriously as we ex-pand physician recruit-ment efforts and meetwith other hospitals thatare making plans to joinSHPs ‘Accountable CareOrganization develop-ment effort.”

“In terms of preparingour region for nationalhealthcare reform, theACO organization modelwill be implemented incommunities that recog-nize and embrace the fu-ture course of healthcare.”

While still evolving,ACOs are expected toconnect groups of

providers that are willingand able to take responsi-bility for improving thehealth status, efficiencyand experience of care fora defined population,Muller said.

A fall op-ed in The WallStreet Journal used SHPas an example of whatmay be expected nation-wide. The op-ed said inpart, “...Marquette Gener-al Hospital and Bell Hospi-tal formed a strategic ACOpartnership in July that willdominate Michigan’s Up-per Peninsula.”

In addition to physicianrecruitment, SHP hasbeen working with U.P.employers to educatethem as to how U.P. pa-tient outmigration to Wis-consin and other states is

costly, both in terms of sac-rificing healthcare jobs inlocal communities, and se-riously impacting a compa-ny’s bottom line.

Overall, Wisconsin hos-pital charges are signifi-cantly higher than those inthe U.P., which translatesto higher insurer premiumsfor employers whose em-ployees travel out-of-stateto receive healthcare. It isestimated that as much as$80 million healthcare dol-lars leave the U.P. eachyear.

“Our commitment to ex-cellent quality, along with arate structure far moreeconomical than thatfound in Wisconsin, pro-vides a winning combina-tion for U.P. employers andresidents,” Muller said.“SHP is helping define andstrengthen employerhealthcare options that canhelp patients avoid havingto travel several hours outof state for their care, andcreates the kind of e jobsthat keep our youth frombeing forced to leave theU.P. to pursue healthcarecareers.”

Muller added, “We areanticipating some big an-nouncements very soon interms of SHP expansion.”

8B — The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 PROGRESS2011

SHPatone

Marquette General Hospital CEO Gary Muller gestures as he describes Superior Health Partners while Bell Hos-pital CEO Rick Ament, right, listens. The breakfast gathering at Northern Michigan University finalized the partner-ship agreement in May 2010. (Journal photo by Andy Nelson-Zaleski)

Superior HealthPartners marks first year of progress

MarquetteGeneral Hos-pital and BellHospitalformed astrategic ACOpartnership inJuly that willdominateMichigan’sUpper Peninsula.

“

- THE WALL STREETJOURNAL

in an opinion piece on Accountable Care

Organizations

”

MARQUETTE —Prostate cancer affects 1out of every 8 men.

Dr. Andrew Jahoda atMarquette General Hospi-tal said cryotherapy is oneof the newest methods oftreatment for prostate andother cancers.

Jahoda said radicalsurgery is invasive andhas a high morbidity rate,namely incontinence anderectile dysfunction. Radi-ation can also result in in-continence and erectiledysfunction, and is timeintensive, requiring over40 trips to the hospital fortreatment.

“Cryotherapy is amethod used to freeze theprostate to treat prostatecancer. Just as radiationkills the prostate, freezingthe prostate will kill it aswell,” Jahoda said. “Theprocedure is done in theoperating room undergeneral anesthesia andtakes about two hours tocomplete. Cryotherapy isnot only for the prostate; itis also an effective treat-ment for kidney, liver,lung, and brain tumors.”

Jahoda said cryotherapywas first attempted in the1960s. initially, a surgicalincision was made andthen the probes insertedinto the prostate to freezeit. it didn’t work very welland was abandoned.Cryotherapy was revisitedin the ‘80s, when it wasused it in conjunction withultrasound guidance anda percutaneous approach.It resulted in an unaccept-able rate of disastrousside effects and wasagain abandoned, Jahodasaid.

In the mid 1990s,cryotherapy was again re-adopted, this time usingtechnical advances thatincluded the use of Argongas rather than liquid ni-trogen, and better ultra-sound equipment. Thesenewer techniques allowedfor better control of the iceball formation and lessside effects, Jahoda said.Cryotherapy has sincebeen approved by theAmerican Urologic Asso-ciation as a primary treat-ment for prostate cancer.

“Cyrotherapy of theprostate is minimally inva-sive. It is done percuta-neously, meaning a few

needle sticks and no needfor scalpels, incisions, orstitches. It is an outpatientprocedure and rarely re-quires admission into thehospital,” Jahoda said.

No significant blood lossis associated with the pro-cedure. Incontinencerates for cryotherapy arevery low, usually around 1out of 100. However, erec-tile dysfunction almost al-ways occurs as a result oftreatment with cryothera-py. Other rare adverse ef-fects of treatment may in-clude urinary retention (in-ability to void), urinarytract infection, scar tissuein the urethra, and fistula(abnormal connectionfrom the urethra to therectum).

“Regardless of treat-ment option, there is al-

ways a chance of failureand the need for furthertreatment in the future,”Jahoda said. “With radia-tion or brachytherapy, if apatient fails treatment, hecannot receive any moreradiation treatment be-cause he has already hadthe dose limit of radiationdelivered to his body.”

“Similarly, after a patienthas undergone radicalsurgery, he has too muchscar tissue in the area togo back and resect furtherif residual cancer is pre-sent,” Jahoda said. “An-other reason I like cryo isbecause if a patient failsand needs further treat-ment, we can repeat theprocedure as many timesas we need to without anyadded risks.”

Jahoda said cryotherapy

is a notable advance be-cause it is the only mini-mally invasive treatmentfor prostate cancer of-fered in the Upper Penin-sula, as far as he knows,and is available only atMGH.

Jahoda said brachyther-apy is another minimallyinvasive treatment for theprostate, which is widelyavailable, but also notavailable in the UP.

To get more information,visit these links:

• http://www.prostate-cancercentre.com/down-loads/booklets/cryothera-py.pdf

•http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/ factsheet /Therapy/cryosurgery

PROGRESS2011 The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 — 9A

Cryotherapy offers newcancer treatment option

A meeting of a prostate cancer treatment panel. Cryotherapy is one of the newest methods used to treat prostate and other cancers. Incryotherapy, doctors freeze the prostate to treat cancer. Cryotherapy is also an effective treatment for kidney, liver, lung, and brain tumors.(MGH photo)

(Cryotherapy) is an outpatient proce-dure and rarely requires admission into the hospital.

“- Dr. ANDREW JAHODA

Marquette General Hospital

”

Neenah Mill contributes to MGH cancer fundraiser

MARQUETTE — In2010, Neenah Paper’sMunising Mill commited todonating $25,000 to Mar-quette General HealthSystem’s $4 millionfundraising drive to pur-chase enhanced radiationcancer treatment equip-ment.

Howard Piotrowski,Neenah Paper’s MunisingMill manager, said thecompany is pleased tomake the donation toMarquette General.

“Historically we havemade charitable contribu-tions within the local areaof Neenah Paper’s Mu-nising Mill and we willcontinue to do so,” Pi-otrowski said in a writtenstatement. “This commit-ment is to recognize theresidents of Alger county.

“We have had severalhundred residents of Al-ger County in the past fewyears rely on MarquetteGeneral for their cancercare. Some of these pa-tients have included em-ployees of the Munisingmill in addition to theirfamily members, friendsand relatives,” Piotrowskisaid. “This donation andpartnership with Mar-quette General helps toensure that local resi-dents have the latesttechnological resource toaddress their ever grow-ing medical needs.”

The fundraising cam-paign will purchase a newLinear Accelerator andCT Simulator for the Radi-ation Oncology depart-ment at Marquette Gener-al.

MARQUETTE — In2010, Marquette Gener-al Health System wasawarded the Gold Sealof Approval from TheJoint Commission forPrimary Stroke Centers.MGHS earned this dis-tinction after the JointCommission conductedan extensive on-site re-view.

Certification meansthat MGHS has demon-strated a commitment toproviding the highestquality care when judgedagainst rigorous stan-dards of performance forstroke. Hospital officialssaid adhering to nationalstandards and guide-lines can significantly im-prove outcomes forstroke patients.

“We’re proud to be thefirst Joint CommissionPrimary Stroke Center inthe region,” said A. GaryMuller, MGHS presidentand chief executive offi-cer. “Joint CommissionPrimary Stroke CenterCertification recognizesMGHS’s commitment toproviding outstandingcare to our patients andour community. We lookforward to extendingstroke treatment andprevention services toour partners and othercolleagues throughoutthe Upper Peninsula andbeyond. Our vision is toimprove the quality of lifeand to save lives with acoordinated Stroke Cen-ter of Excellence.”

In 2009, 217 stroke pa-tients were admitted toMGH. Hospital officialssaid that on average,someone suffers astroke every 45 secondsand someone dies of astroke every 3 minutes inthe United States. Strokeis a leading cause of se-rious, long-term disabili-ty in the US, with about4.7 million stroke sur-vivors alive today.

“Caring for stroke pa-tients is a multidisci-plinary effort that mustbe carefully orchestratedto achieve efficiency intime-sensitive situationsas well as in-hospitalcare and discharge plan-

ning,” said MGH StrokeCenter Medical DirectorRoman Politi. “This certi-fication is a testament toour hardworking staffand physicians who con-tinually provide the bestquality care to every pa-tient that comes throughour doors. We are proudto say that more than 65percent of our stroke pa-tients go home or spenda short stay in our reha-bilitation unit.”

The Joint Commis-sion’s Primary StrokeCenter Certification isbased on the recommen-

dations for primarystroke centers publishedby the Brain AttackCoalition and the Ameri-can Stroke Association’sguidelines for strokecare. The Joint Commis-sion launched the pro-gram—the nation’sfirst—in 2003. A list ofprograms certified by theJoint Commission isavailable at www.joint-commission.org.

For more information,please call MGH StrokeClinical CoordinatorJeanette Stebelton at225-7587.

PROGRESS2011

MGH awarded stroke center distinction

10B — The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28

Dr. Roman Politi, left, neurologist for Marquette General Neurology, which falls under the Marquette General Brain and Spine Center, and Jeanette Stebelton, the strokecenter’s clinical coordinator for the Marquette General Brain and Spine Center, look at medical imagery. (MGH photo)

We’re proud to be the firstJoint Commission PrimaryStroke Center in the region.

“- A. GARY MULLER

MGH president

”

PROGRESS2011

New protocol aids heart attack patients

The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28 — 11A

MARQUETTE — Overthe past two years, staffat Marquette GeneralHospital have beenworking to develop a for-mat for a standardizedprotocol for receivingheart attack patientsfrom outlying hospitals.

This protocol will helpensure that incomingpatients have receivedstandardized care andnecessary tests havebeen done to allowtreatment to occur im-mediately upon arrivalat Marquette General.

By sharing this proto-col with hospitals acrossthe Upper Peninsula, of-ficials have sought tohelp ensure the bestpossible outcome forpatients.

Registered nurse AnitaHenry is among the in-strumental people in-volved including Dr. TomLeGalley, Dr. Jim Addi-son and Tom Flynn.LeGalley is the lead car-diologist on the teamand Addison is a physi-cian from the Emergen-cy Department. Flynn isa paramedic with Mar-quette General.

“The protocol we areimplementing across theUpper Peninsula dealsdirectly with the hospi-tals that refer patients tous for a heart attack orspecifically an ST Ele-vated Myocardial Infarc-tion (STEMI),” Henrysaid. “This program wasdeveloped by MissionLifeline, a nationally rec-

ognized organization,but it is up to the individ-ual hospitals that carefor heart attack patientsto refine and implementtheir plan or ‘STEMIsystem.’”

Henry said that for apatient to have the bestchance for survival and

a functional life, theSTEMI must be treatedin a very timely man-ner.

“A delay in treatment ofthree hours or more canlead to a 10 percent in-crease in mortality. Weat MGH have developeda process that expedites

the care of STEMI pa-tients by streamliningthe treatment receivedat referral hospitals,”Henry said.

Henry said EmergencyMedical Servicesaround the U.P. play acritical role in the MGHsystem.

“EMS in most areas ofthe U.P. is capable ofperforming an EKG thatwill tell them if a patientis having a STEMI,”Henry said. “Paramedicswill then call the localemergency departmentto notify the physician onduty. Instead of going tothe local emergency de-partment to be stabilizedand then transferred toMGH, the physician candirect EMS to take the

patient directly to MGHCath Lab for emergentballoon therapy or pri-mary percutaneouscoronary intervention(PCI).”

Some patients live inareas outside the criticaltime frame for primaryPCI. These patients arethen transferred to localEmergency Depart-ments where a protocolis used to treat and sta-bilize these patients pri-or to transfer to MGH forsecondary PCI.

More efficient treat-ment will lead to quickertransfer times to theCath Lab where patientsreceive intervention thatis vital to immediate andlong-term survival, Hen-ry said.

A delay in treatment ofthree hours or more canlead to a 10 percent increase in mortality.

“- ANITA HENRY

Registered nurse

”

MGH board gets new membersMARQUETTE — The

Marquette General Boardof Trustees recently vot-ed to elect four newboard members. Newmembers of the board in-clude John Bartlett, MD,Nancy Dwyer, DanGreenlee and Scott Heri-oux.

Bartlett is a resident ofMarquette; Greenlee is aresident of Hancock;Herioux is a resident ofGladstone; Dwyer is aresident of Wetmore.

Board members are ap-pointed for three-yearterms, with a maximum ofthree consecutive terms.Existing board memberswill rotate off of the boardin defined intervals overthe next two to eightyears.

Each of the new boardmembers has specific ar-eas of knowledge and ex-pertise identified asstrengths that will en-hance the MarquetteGeneral Board’s ability tocarry out the Hospital’sstrategic plan and buildon the level of excellencethat has been establishedthroughout the Hospital’shistory.

Joining the MarquetteGeneral medical staff in2003, Dr. Bartlett is a

partner in Marquette In-ternal Medicine and Pedi-atric Associates, PC, lo-cated in the Upper Penin-sula Medical Center. Dr.Bartlett recently servedon the Marquette Gener-al Board as chief of stafffor Marquette GeneralHospital. He is an UpperPeninsula native and agraduate of GladstoneHigh School, and residesin Marquette with hiswife, Brett, and their threechildren.

Nancy Dwyer, RN, iscase manager for North-wood Home Nursing andHospice in Munising, andhas been owner of Falling

Rock Café & Bookstoresince 2003. From 1993-2003, she was clinical as-sistant professor for theUniversity of Florida Col-lege of Nursing. Dywerhas served as a memberof the Alger CountyChamber of Commerce,and a member of the Min-ing Friends of the Library.She was also a MunisingKiwanis member. Dywerresides in Wetmore withher husband, Jeff, andhas two step-daughters.

Daniel Greenlee is chieffinancial officer for Michi-gan Tech University andThe Tech Fund, and istreasurer of the MTU

Board of Control and theMTU Board of Directors.He serves as a boardmember of the UnitedWay of Copper Country,as well as a board mem-ber and bell ringer for theSalvation Army of Han-cock. He is endowmentfund chair of the HancockFirst Methodist Church,and was previously aboard member of BigBrothers/Big Sisters ofIron Mountain. He residesin Hancock with his wife,Linda, and has two chil-dren.

Scott Herioux is thechief financial officer forthe Hannahville Indian

Community and the Is-land Resort and Casino,and has been a licensedCPA for the past 15 years.He currently serves asthe vice president of theYMCA of Delta CountyBoard and is the chairper-son of the OSF HospitalCommunity AdvisoryBoard. He currently re-sides in Gladstone withhis wife, Jeffyn, and has 3children.

Members of the Mar-quette General SystemBoard of Trustees serveon an entirely volunteerbasis, and receive nocompensation for theirservice to the community.

New computer a big hit in pediatrics unit

MARQUETTE — ThePediatrics Unit at Mar-quette General Hospitalrecently acquired a newtoy. And is it ever a hugehit with the kids.

The waiting room nowfeatures a Little TikesYoung Explorer computerspecifically designed forchildren between theages of three and seven.This technology, whichenhances critical andcognitive thinking skills,problem-solving abilitiesand analytical thinking,was made possiblethrough philanthropic giftsmade to the MarquetteGeneral Foundation.

“We’re fortunate to havethe Little Tykes Young Ex-plorer because it’s appro-priate for several develop-mental levels, providinghours of entertainment forpatients during hospital-ization,” said Sarah Har-nett, child life specialist forthe Marquette GeneralWomen’s and Children’sCenter. “The hospital canbe a scary place foryoung children. Items likethe Young Explorer helpcreate a child-friendly at-mosphere, making thehospital seem more likehome and make the childfeel more comfortableand in control.”

The equipment, valuedat more than $2,500, waspopular the minute it wasset up in the PediatricsUnit, said Clinical Direc-tor Mike Phillips.

The equipment fea-tures a think centre PC,an internal DVD-Rom, asound card with two ex-ternal speakers and a19-inch widescreen flatpanel LCD monitor. Thepre-loaded softwarepackage includes Millie’sMath House, Sammy’sScience House and Bai-ley”s Book House. Leftand right built-in mousepads and a bench seatthat fits two children areincluded.

MARQUETTE — In November, Mar-quette General officials announced Emer-gency Medicine Physician Dr. James Addi-son, of Marquette General EmergencyMedicine and Neurosurgeon Dr. Craig Coc-cia, of the Marquette General Brain andSpine Center, were the recipients of theLeader Among Peers Award given by theMarquette General Medical Group.

Addison and Coccia were presented theaward by Dr. Frederick Hoenke, vice presi-dent and medical director of physician prac-tices and regional operations for MGMG, at

a recent annual provider retreat.The award recognizes both for consis-

tently demonstrating integrity, dedication,commitment, caring, optimism, steadfast-ness, adaptability, excellence in patientcare, involvement, and a desire to continuelife-long learning.

“It was a privilege and an honor to pre-sent the Leader Among Peers Award to Dr.Addison and Dr. Coccia, who emulate thequalities of leadership every day,” Hoenkesaid.

Board Certified in internal medicine, Dr.

Addison is a Michigan Tech Universitygraduate. He earned his medical degreefrom Wayne State University in Detroit, andcompleted his internal medicine residencyat St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor.

Board Certified in neurosurgery, Dr. Coc-cia earned his medical degree and under-graduate degree from the University ofMichigan. He completed his internship andresidency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.He completed his fellowship in spinesurgery at Alleghany General Hospital inPittsburgh.

HERIOUXGREENLEEDWYERBARTLETT

Physicians receive key leadership award

PROGRESS201112B — The Mining Journal, Monday, March 28