VOLUME II, ISSUE 2

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH

ASK THE DOCTOR

ER IN TOP 1% NATIONWIDE

REACHING OUT TO HAITI

NEW OPERATING ROOMS

RADIAL CATHETERIZATION

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

LEADING HAND AND UPPEREXTREMITY SPECIALISTCHRISTOPHER MANNING, M.D.EXAMINES HIS PATIENT,DARRIN KUHN.

Advanced Orthopedic Care REBUILDING A PATIENT’S OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE

OUTPATIENTCENTER/MEDICALOFFICE BUILDINGTO OPEN IN PETERS

VOLUME II, ISSUE 3

St. Clair Hospital has purchased

property in Peters Township, along

Route 19, just south of Donaldson’s Cross

Roads, to construct a new medical office

building and outpatient center.  The new

center will provide more medical office

space for St. Clair physicians and make the

Hospital’s services more convenient for its

patients. Over the last few years, St. Clair

has seen a marked increase in the number

of patients from this area. More than 40 St.

Clair physicians have offices in the Peters

Township area, one of the fastest growing

communities in southwestern Pennsylvania. 

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3

5

5

8

10

After working all day at his full-time job, Blaine

“Darrin” Kuhn of Upper St. Clair had been putting

in five to six hours a night readying his new home for his

wife and their young daughter.

Good with his hands, Darrin was using an electric-powered miter saw to trim the

hardwood floors he was installing on the second floor. That’s when it happened. He

partially amputated his left thumb. His world had changed in an instant. “I was doing

some real thin shaving when the miter saw just kind of grabbed the piece of wood and

2

S t . C l a i r H o s p i t a l o f f e r s a c o n t i n u u m o f m e n t a l

Psychiatrist Bruce A.Wright, M.D. believes the stigma

long associated with “mental illness” has waned over

the last decade or so, but says there are still hurdles

preventing people from reaching out for what sometimes

can be desperately needed help.

Reaching Out to ImproveMental Health

Many people simply believe that nothing can be

done to treat the way they are feeling,” says Dr.

Wright, Medical Director of Psychiatry in the Behavioral

and Mental Health program at St. Clair Hospital.

But that, he says, is far from the truth.

People suffering from mental illnesses today—whether

mood disorders such as major depression, anxiety or

panic disorders, or other psychiatric disorders—are being

treated effectively and successfully with a combination of

therapy and medication.

And, says Dr. Wright, the goal in treating people with

mental illnesses is much like that of physicians who are

treating patients with physical ailments. “Our aim is to

not just make people feel better. It is to bring about a

remission, where they feel completely better.”

Dr. Wright says he and the other board-certified

psychiatrists, as well as the therapists at St. Clair, are

helping people every day return to lives free of despair

and worry.

He says the majority of men and women who are

treated at St. Clair are suffering from mood disorders,

which include major depression and anxiety disorders,

in which people are unusually or overly anxious, or may

experience panic attacks.

Dr. Wright says some studies show that up to 15 percent

to 20 percent of the general adult population suffers an

episode of major depression at some point in their lives.

(Women are twice as likely to experience an episode of

major depression as men.) He says those numbers reflect,

in part, the growing number of men and women who are

actively seeking treatment for mental illness after seeing

that other people have been treated effectively for it,

including celebrities.

“People are realizing that psychiatric illnesses are

diseases, not a sign of weakness,” he says. “They know it’s

not as simple as pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.”

Dr. Wright says St. Clair Hospital offers a continuum

of services for people in need of treatment. The Hospital’s

26-bed inpatient unit is designed for adult patients who

need treatment during the acute phase of their illness.

Outpatient services include the Partial Hospitalization

“

People are realizing that

psychiatric illnesses are diseases,

not a sign of weakness.

“”Bruce A. Wright, M.D.

h e a l t h s e r v i c e s f o r p e o p l e i n n e e d o f t r e a t m e n t .

program and the Intensive Outpatient program. Both of these

programs are designed as a possible alternative to an inpatient

stay for adults with acute psychiatric illness or can be beneficial

as a transition following an inpatient stay.

The Hospital’s Mental Health Consultation-Liaison program

provides comprehensive evaluation services for patients in St.

Clair’s Emergency Room who are identified as needing

psychiatric care or other crisis intervention.

In addition, the Hospital facilitates two support groups

in the community.

DOCTORASK THE

DR. CIVITARESE

Q: I’m hearing a lot about electronic healthrecords. What exactly are they and what are theadvantages for patients?

–Melissa, Robinson Township

A: An electronic health record (EHR) is acomprehensive electronic record of patient healthinformation. EHR is a technology that can providesignificant benefit to patients. Preferred PrimaryCare Physicians (PPCP), based at St. Clair Hospital,was one of the earliest adopters of EHR in WesternPennsylvania, and for more than six years, hasseamlessly integrated office and hospital recordsin a computerized database.

EHR allows physicians to: document and viewcomprehensive medical histories; order diagnostictesting and view the results; send electronicprescriptions to pharmacies; and view electronic alertsfor potentially harmful drug interactions or allergies.

There are even greater advantages for patientswith chronic conditions such as diabetes. EHRprovides physicians with sophisticated “decisionsupport” tools based on clinical guidelines. Forexample, physicians can be alerted when patientsare due for appointments or when lab results exceeddesired levels.

Additionally, EHR can connect the members ofyour health care “team.” Providers are able toelectronically send and receive test results and othermedical information as they consult with each otherabout your care. This puts the most accurate, currentand confidential medical information at yourprovider’s fingertips.

Finally, Internet-based tools connected to EHRallow patients to manage their own health information.

Dr. Louis A. Civitarese is a physician at St. Clair Hospital and is amember of Preferred Primary Care Physicians (PPCP), with offices inScott Township and McDonald. He received his medical degree fromthe Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is board-certified bythe American Board of Family Practice. Dr. Civitarese has served onmultiple committees for the national Certification Commission forHealth Information Technology (CCHIT).

3

For more information, please call St. Clair Hospital Behavioral

and Mental Health Services at 412.942.4850.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

A Patient’s Path to RecoveryFor Samantha (not her real name), her entrée

into Behavioral and Mental Health Services at

St. Clair Hospital was precipitated by a host of stress-inducing

family issues, including a troubled marriage and, like so many

other Baby Boomers, with having to care for elderly parents.

“There were a lot of issues that I was dealing with at that

particular time,” Samantha recalls of summer 2007 when a deep

depression began to creep into her everyday life.

The private clinical psychologist Samantha was seeing at the

time suggested she enroll in the Partial Hospitalization program at

St. Clair. “She felt that at that particular moment in time, I needed

more intensive therapy than what I was going to be receiving from

her in one, 45-minute session per week,” Samantha says.

A teacher by profession, Samantha admits that she didn’t follow

the same advice she gives her students, which is to immerse

themselves in their studies in order to receive the most benefit.

“At the time, I really didn’t get what I could have out of the Partial

Hospitalization program, because I wasn’t fully embracing it.”

In 2008, having been diagnosed with major clinical depression,

she was treated in the Hospital’s inpatient unit, where she

participated in a “much more structured program” before

returning to the Partial Hospitalization program.

Samantha credits the dedication and professionalism of the staff of

S t . C l a i r H o s p i t a l ’ s E m e r g e n c y R o o m i s r a n k e d i n

4

A Patient’s Path to RecoveryCONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

made on my own without conferring with my psychiatrist.”

But, she says, she found the Partial Hospitalization

program served as a “safety net” for her just when she

needed it most. “I found I could rely on St. Clair Hospital

and the staff to welcome me back to the program and

not ridicule or belittle me because I had a relapse and

had to come back to the program. That was heartwarming

to me that they did not make me feel that way.”

Today, Samantha is seeing a private therapist outside

the Hospital, but believes the veil of depression she was

living with has been lifted. “I am doing great. I feel the

cognitive behavior therapy that I went through in the

Partial Hospitalization program has helped me to look

at life and how to handle issues and stressors that

arise in my life in a more positive and

productive way.” She credits the good

connections she made with other

patients with helping her form a solid

support mechanism to fall back on.

Samantha agrees with Dr. Wright that

the stigma long associated with mental

illness is preventing people from getting

help. “When it comes to dealing with

mental health issues, the stigma of seeking

out help needs to be removed,” she says.

“Our society needs to realize that mental

health is the same as physical health. If

I had a broken bone, or diabetes, or had

suffered a heart attack, I would not

hesitate to seek out medical attention.

But people don’t seek out medical

attention for mental health issues because

we have stereotyped people who do go for

mental health or psychiatric help. But the

mind is part of the body that needs to be taken care of,

as well.” Based on her own experience, Samantha says,

“Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. There are so many

things that happen in our lives that we cannot handle on

our own. We need to rely on others to help us through

those issues.”

both programs with helping her make great strides toward

recovery. “I felt like I was treated like a human being and

not just another patient in a hospital,” she says. “The

staff in both the inpatient and the Partial Hospitalization

program at St. Clair are dedicated to their profession and

very dedicated to their patients. They wanted us to make

improvements and they encouraged us to do so.”

Also key to making progress was developing a level of

trust between not just herself and staff, but other patients

during group therapy. “When I was in therapy, I

wanted to be able to tell people what was going on so

they could help me. But you had to develop a level of

trust. And that was something I thought was definitely

developed at St. Clair,” Samantha says.

A combination of therapy and medication was helping

Samantha, but she suffered a relapse when she stopped

taking the prescribed doses of medication. “I made a big

mistake in going off my medication, a decision I had

DR. BRUCE WRIGHT (CENTER) CONFERS WITH BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTHCOLLEAGUES KIM FRITZ, R.N. AND ED WALSH, R.N.

BRUCE A.WRIGHT, M.D.Dr. Wright is Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at St. Clair Hospital. He isboard-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Psychiatry.He earned his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicineand completed his internship and residency at the University Health Center of PittsburghWestern Psychiatric Institute & Clinic.

t h e T o p 1 % n a t i o n w i d e i n p a t i e n t s a t i s f a c t i o n .

St. Clair Hospital’s ER is ranked among the top 1 percent of

hospitals nationwide, according to Press Ganey, an independent

health care research firm. The ranking is the result of input from

ER patients who were surveyed about their experiences by Press

Ganey. David Kish, executive director of Emergency Services and

Patient Logistics at the Hospital, attributes the superior ranking

to not only his staff, but all of the departments the ER interacts

with on a daily basis. The top satisfaction rating is truly a result

of BettER By Design.

Continuing to Reach Out to Haiti

St. Clair Hospital’s RankingsContinue to Rise

5

In a fundraising drive spearheaded by the St.Clair Hospital Center for Women & Children,

the Hospital Auxiliary, and Volunteer Services, St. Clair Hospital employees and medical

staff donated almost $17,000 to purchase child sponsorships (meals and schooling),

live animals, rice, shade and fruit trees, medical supplies and more, for the people

of earthquake-ravaged Haiti. St. Clair Pediatrician and Medical Director of the Hospital’s

24-hour pediatrics unit, Dayle Griffin, M.D., (pictured), recently spent two weeks in Haiti

providing desperately needed medical care to children and adults and helping

purchase the child sponsorships, animals and supplies. Dr. Griffin has been

donating her medical expertise to the people of Haiti for more than a decade

and is planning to return in June. For information on assisting in the relief

efforts, visit www.friendsofhaiti.org.

Orthopedic CareCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

flipped the thumb of my left hand into the blade,” Darrin recalls

matter-of-factly. “As soon as it happened, I grabbed my thumb,

which was only attached by skin. The saw blade had gone right

up above the lower-most knuckle and up through the upper

knuckle, right to the nail bed. It looked like a pretty gory mess.

A real gory mess.”

Fortunately, Darrin did not panic and neither did his wife’s

cousin who was helping him with the late-night home remodeling

project. The cousin drove him to St. Clair Hospital’s Emergency

Room. Along the way, Darrin just held on to his thumb, which

much to his surprise, was not bleeding all that much. Still, he

fought to remain conscious so he could give driving directions

to the cousin, who was from out-of-town.

As soon as Darrin arrived at the ER, staff cleaned out the

wound, started an IV, and gave him medication to dull the pain.

That’s when Darrin started to think about his future, a future

that might include living without one of his thumbs, even though

it was on the ‘righty’s’ non-dominant hand.

Assessing The DamageBecause a thumb is responsible for an estimated 40 percent of

the function of the hand, losing one can drastically change a

person’s life, particularly for a man who uses his hands to make

a living and to participate in hobbies like woodworking, which

require a high degree of manual dexterity.

Fortunately for Darrin, the solution to this potentially life-

changing moment was on his way to the ER. The ER doctors had

contacted renowned hand specialist Christopher M. Manning, M.D.

at home. The South Hills resident got to the ER within minutes.

“I got a call that a patient had suffered a partial amputation of

his thumb,” Dr. Manning told HouseCall. “He had lost the majority

of the bone in the front part of his thumb. The good news was,

there was a nerve and an artery and some skin that was left behind

and it was likely that the thumb could be re-attached and saved.”

Saving The ThumbDespite Dr. Manning’s positive outlook, the damage the saw

inflicted to the bone presented a formidable challenge. The loss

of some bone meant that simply sewing the thumb back into

place would, most likely, result in a shorter thumb. But he had an

idea: Take a small piece of bone—maybe 3.5 to 4 centimeters in

length—from Darrin’s pelvis and use it to graft the thumb,

creating a long, stable post. He told Darrin he would know if he

had incorporated the structural bone graft into the procedure as

soon as Darrin woke up from surgery. “Dr. Manning said, ‘If

it hurts to walk when you get out of surgery, you’ll know I did the

bone graft,’” Darrin said, a slight smile crossing his face.

Dr. Manning said putting Darrin’s thumb back together was

actually “the easy part.” The hard part, he continued, was finding

enough skin to cover the thumb. “I had to do a soft tissue flap,

D r . M a n n i n g i s j u s t o n e o f n e a r l y 3 0 l e a d i n g o r t h 0 p e d i c

6

A thumb is responsible for an

estimated 40 percent of the function

of the hand. Losing one can

drastically change a person’s life.

7

week in the Hospital. Of course, visiting co-workers from the

private environmental company he works for couldn’t resist

ribbing him about his woodworking accident. “As a project

manager and someone who supervises some jobs, I’m focused

on worker safety,” Darrin said. “Yet, here I go whacking my

thumb off at home.”

Darrin said his rebuilt thumb was held together with pins

that protruded from a cast he wore for months.

Dr. Manning said the first two weeks following the surgery

were crucial to its success, with the most important element

being the healing of the skin flap. After that, it was just a matter

of waiting for the bone to heal.

“Darrin actually got his motion back rather quickly,” Dr.

Manning said. “Of course, we didn’t really expect a lot of motion

because I fused the bone. But the thumb doesn’t really need a

lot of motion. You just need a strong, stable, painless post that

you can use to grip and grab.”

Darrin estimated his thumb is already functioning at about

85 percent and he has no problems grasping or lifting heavy

objects. He admits he tries to avoid using a sledgehammer at

work, as the vibrations tend to “shock” his thumb a bit.

s p e c i a l i s t s w h o p r a c t i c e a t S t . C l a i r H o s p i t a l .

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

DARRIN KUHN AT HOME WITH WIFE, MARLA, AND THEIRDAUGHTER, RAEGAN, 21/2.

where we borrowed skin from the back of his hand and rotated it

to cover the thumb. Then we closed the flap on the donor site on

the back of his hand. That was the more difficult part of the

procedure—soft tissue coverage. But he came through really well.”

Dr. Manning said the procedure was probably not the most

technically difficult of his career, which has included mending a

host of serious hand injuries caused by saws, knives, wood

splitters, and various industrial machinery. But, he added,

Darrin’s case was “probably the most stressful.” That’s because it

involved a thumb of a young man who has many more years of

work ahead of him and needs two functioning thumbs.

Had the thumb, which Dr. Manning describes as “the most

important digit,” been completely amputated in the accident or

had it been so badly damaged it could not have been saved, he

still had a few options. “You can lengthen what’s left of the thumb

over time. It’s called osteogenesis, in which you grow new bone

over the course of a year. But that is a long time for someone

who works like Darrin does. You can also rotate an index finger

over, but that is done more often with children than adults. Or,

you can use the big toe.”

That’s right. Dr. Manning said there are cases where

surgeons have removed patients’ big toes and reattached

them to the hands to use as thumbs, another affirmation

of just how important it is to have two functioning thumbs.

A Time For HealingFollowing his surgery, Darrin had to stay off his feet for three

to four days while his pelvis and his thumb began to heal. The

35-year-old native of Tionesta, Forest County, spent almost a

CHRISTOPHER MANNING, M.D.is a leading hand and upper extremityspecialist. He is board-certified by theAmerican Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.He earned his medical degree at the Universityof Pittsburgh School of Medicine andcompleted his orthopedic residency andhand and upper extremity fellowship at theUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

G r o w i n g p a t i e n t v o l u m e i s d r i v i n g e x p a n s i o n

In an effort to accommodate growing patient volume,

St. Clair Hospital is constructing three new operating

rooms, set to open in September at its primary campus

in Mt. Lebanon. Currently, the Hospital performs more

than 11,000 surgical cases a year. That volume is

expected to increase in the future.

Each of the new ORs will be equipped with

state-of-the-art technology, including digital surgical

equipment and flat panel monitors mounted to the ceiling

via “booms,” which allow for easy access for OR medical

staff while optimizing space and eliminating potential

obstacles. The ORs’ integrated technology will feature

centralized, touch screen control of ergonomic medical

devices and environmental systems that, combined,

increase efficiency and productivity and, ultimately,

enhance patient comfort and safety. VEBH Architects

of Mt. Lebanon is the architect for the project. Massaro

Corporation of Pittsburgh is the primary contractor.

Estimated cost for the entire project is more than

$6 million.

The Hospital does not anticipate any interruption

to the existing ORs during construction. Because the

staging area for construction is near the entrance to the

Emergency Department, the Hospital is offering free

valet parking service for patients and visitors to the

Emergency Room. Signage is posted near the ER

entrance to direct drivers to the valet service, which is

available 24/7.

8

Construction is Underway on Three New Operating Rooms

NOTED CARDIOVASCULAR SURGEON G. FREDERICK WOELFEL, M.D., (FAR RIGHT) AND HIS TEAM AT WORK IN THE OR.

OUTPATIENT CENTERCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

a n d r e n o v a t i o n s a t S t . C l a i r .

“Development of a new medical office building will better

serve St. Clair-affiliated physicians already in this vicinity,” said

Barry S. Zaiser, Senior Vice President of Strategic Development

at St. Clair. “The site is conveniently located, which will make our

clinical services more accessible to the increasing number of

patients seeking the Hospital’s care.”

The location formerly included a home improvement center

and a dance studio. The project is expected to break ground

later this year.

“The site is conveniently

located, which will make

our clinical services

more accessible...

–Barry S. Zaiser, Senior Vice Presidentof Strategic Development, St.Clair Hospital” Aerial view of the planned

outpatient center site.

The Hospital recently completed extensive renovations to patient and staff areas to brighten the space and improve access. Renovations includecompletely remodeled hallways and patient rooms on the Fifth Floor that now feature plenty of natural light and hardwood floors.

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T h e r a d i a l c a t h o f f e r s t w o m a j o r a d v a n t a g e s t o

Heart Patients Have Options for Catheterization

A patient undergoing a heart catheterization at St. Clair

Hospital now has the option of having the procedure

performed through the radial artery in the wrist instead of the

traditional femoral artery in the groin.

While entry through the femoral artery is still the most common

approach of the approximate 2,000 cardiac catheterizations

performed each year at St. Clair Hospital, Cardiologist Jeffrey M.

Friedel, M.D. says a so-called “radial cath” through the underside

of the wrist offers two major advantages.

10

HeartHeart

AscendingaortaAscendingaorta Axillary

arteryAxillaryartery

BrachialarteryBrachialartery

Radialartery

“For a traditional heart cath through the femoral artery in the

groin, a patient often requires prolonged bed rest of 4 to 6 hours

following the procedure, especially if the patient undergoes

angioplasty or stent placement,” Dr. Friedel says.

“With a radial cath, you can remove the tube, place a small

bandage on the artery, secure it with a special, adjustable

wristband, and the patient can literally walk off the table. There

is no prolonged bed rest. This also holds true if the patient is on

long-term blood thinners, including Coumadin. Unlike traditional

Radial Catheterization Inserting a catheter through the radial arteryin the arm appears to be linked to a lower rate of bleeding complications than thestandard route through the groin.

The femoral artery presents a direct route to theheart. To a physican, it’s a straight stretch offreeway that can be navigated easily. Femoralcatheterizations have been performed formore than 30 years.

Femoral Catheterization

Radial Catheterization: A Closer Look

1. After a local anesthetic, the cardiologistplaces a small needle into the radial arteryof the wrist. This needle is smaller thanthose used for most routine bloodwork.

2. A thin wire is then placed through theneedle and into the artery,gaining“access” to the blood vessel.

3. Small tubes called catheters are thenplaced over the wire and up throughthe larger arteries of the arm andshoulder, and eventually into the aortaand heart arteries. Dye is then injectedinto the heart arteries and, if necessary,an angioplasty or stent procedureis performed.

4. At the conclusion of the procedure,all the equipment is removed and a"zip band" is applied to the wrist.The patient is able to sit up in a chair,as subsequent bedrest is not required.

CATHETERCATHETER

ARTERYARTERY

Guide Sheath

Cross section of arm

p a t i e n t s — s a f e t y a n d f a s t e r r e c o v e r y .

catheterizations via the femoral artery, you do not have to stop

Coumadin several days prior to the procedure.”

The other advantage is safety. Dr. Friedel says several studies

that compared the two methods showed that a catheterization

through the wrist offers up to a 75 percent reduction in bleeding

risk. “The radial artery is smaller, and if you do have bleeding, it

is much easier to control. The risk of blood vessel injury is also

less compared to the femoral approach.”

Dr. Friedel says a catheterization through the femoral artery

is still a very safe procedure and is the preferred method of most

cardiologists. In fact, today about 99 percent of the 1 million-plus

heart catheterizations done annually in the U.S. are performed

through the femoral artery.

But, Dr. Friedel adds, that is due in large part to the fact

that most invasive cardiologists were trained to do cardiac

catheterizations through the femoral artery and have become

very proficient at that method. There is a significant learning

curve for performing a radial cath, and it is not yet a standard

part of every training program.

What’s more, the original catheterization equipment was

larger. “Simply put, the tubes were too big to place into a small

artery in the wrist,” Dr. Friedel explains. “As the procedure

evolved, all of our equipment has gotten smaller and now the

tubes we use are only several millimeters in diameter and can

easily fit into most radial arteries.”

Dr. Friedel notes that, aside from the different access point

into the body, femoral and radial caths are very similar. “The

majority of the procedure is the same: injecting dye into the

coronary arteries (to detect blockages and other abnormalities),

doing an angioplasty (in which a small balloon is inflated inside

the artery to re-open blockages) and placing stents (small mesh

tubes used to keep the re-opened arteries from collapsing).

Dr. Friedel, who has been doing radial caths since 2001, says

the radial method is of particular benefit to patients with orthopedic

limitations, including severe back, leg and knee pain—people

who, in general, can’t lie flat for a prolonged period of time.

It’s also more comfortable for obese patients or patients with

significant lung problems. And, he says, it is an excellent

alternative for patients with significant blockages in the larger

arteries of the abdomen or lower legs.

Not every patient is a candidate for a radial cath, Dr. Friedel

says. The main prerequisite is good circulation in the wrist

arteries. A non-invasive test that takes seconds and is performed

at bedside can determine if a patient’s circulation is good enough

for a radial cath.

Of the approximate 400 cardiac catheterizations he performs

every year at St. Clair, Dr. Friedel says he does about 20 percent

through the radial artery. His goal is to increase that rate to

about 50 percent per year, approximately the same rate of radial

caths performed annually in Europe and Japan.

Other cardiologists performing radial caths at St. Clair are

Drs. Mark K. Greathouse, Adil Waheed, and John P. Girod.

11

JEFFREY M. FRIEDEL,M.D.Cardiologist Dr.Jeffrey Friedel is board-certified in Interventional Cardiology,Cardiovascular Disease, Nuclear Cardiology, Internal Medicine andCardiac Computerized Tomography (CT) Angiography. At St. ClairHospital, he is Co-Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory;Director, Cardiac Rehabilitation Department; serves on the MedicalExecutive Committee; and is a founding member of the Hospital’s renownedDoor-To-Balloon team. Dr. Friedel earned his medical degree atPennsylvania State University College of Medicine. He completed hisinternship and residency at Allegheny General Hospital and was awardedfellowships in Interventional Cardiology, Cardiology and CategoricalInternal Medicine at Allegheny General Hospital.

1000 Bower Hill RoadPittsburgh, PA 15243

ST. CLAIR HOSPITAL

General & Patient Information412.942.4000

Physician Referral Service412.942.6560

Outpatient Center—Village Square412.942.7100

www.stclair.orgHouseCall is a publication of St. Clair Hospital. Articles are for

informational purposes and are not intended to serve as medical advice.

Please consult your personal physician.

Welcome to the latest issue of HouseCall.

This publication is produced by St. Clair Hospital and

is designed to keep you abreast of our latest services,

innovations, news and information. For your

convenience, HouseCall is available electronically

through our Web site, www.stclair.org.

Of course, we want your feedback on HouseCall,

so please consider dropping us an e-mail at

publicrelations@stclair.org or mailing your thoughts

to St. Clair Hospital, c/o Public Relations Dept.,

1000 Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15243.

Thank you

About HouseCall

“ D r . M a n n i n g s a v e d m e f r o m a l i f e t i m e o f c h a l l e n g e s . ”D A R R I N K U H N

Excellent Care Close to HomeHe credits Dr. Manning with saving his thumb and helping him

avoid a lifetime of challenges that come with losing the hand’s

most essential digit. Darrin also had high praise for the staff at

St. Clair, who he described as “awesome.”

He said that, on the night of the accident, some friends and

relatives asked if he was going to transfer to a larger hospital

to have surgery. Darrin said he replied that his confidence in

Dr. Manning and the other medical staff convinced him that

St. Clair gave him the best shot at saving his thumb. And, oh,

yeah, “The parking is much better than in Oakland or

Downtown,” he said with a hearty laugh.

Dr. Manning said Darrin’s case helps reinforce the message

that St. Clair not only offers exemplary service and care in its

new Emergency Room, but that “We provide excellent care for

any type of orthopedic problem.”

Darrin took some time off from putting in hardwood floors at

his house, but surprisingly, has used the miter saw again since

the accident. “I had to. I had to finish the house!” Still, he admits

that the sight of the spinning saw in close proximity to his

surgically repaired thumb makes him nervous. “My heart rate

goes up a bit when the miter saw comes out.”

Orthopedic Care CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

To find an orthopedic doctor at St. Clair Hospital,

visit www.stclair.org.