CHS News Archives

Crittenden Health Systems has announced an intention to more than double the size of its operating room.

The Estopinal Group of Evansville has been retained as architect and engineer for the plan, which is expected to go out for competitive bid in a few weeks.

Plans call for renovating the existing 3,880-square-foot operating room and an additional 4,950-square feet of new construction. Anticipated cost is $2.1 million, according to hospital CEO Jim Christensen.

“The operating room is the oldest part of our facility,” said Christensen. “It’s held up very well over time and it still meets all of the necessary safety codes. However, it’s design is no longer suitable. It’s mainly a space issue.”

Christensen said patients may hardly notice the technical improvements once the project is complete, but they will certainly see a physical change in the OR   area. The project should be completed by late next year.

With the improvements, doctors and staff say they will have an operating environment more conducive to modern surgery. Hospital executives also hope the new OR will help it attract more surgeons, and therefore offer more options for patients.

“The OR is dated,”   said Robin Curnel, chief nursing officer. “We need something bigger and better so we can offer more services.”

Curnel said various general surgeries are now performed at the hospital. Dr. Vinodchandra Soni and Dr. Gary James perform the vast majority of the surgeries and endoscopic procedures done there. The number of surgical procedures has dropped markedly from almost 1,300 in 2004 to 891 in 2009, according to CHS statistics. Improving the OR should help the hospital bring those numbers back up, Christensen said.

CHS leaders say their studies show that patients are having surgeries done elsewhere. They want to lure them back with a more modern operating area.

Dr. Greg Maddux, a local physician who serves on the hospital’s board of directors, said the operating room has not been significantly updated since the early 1980s. Since then, he said, medical equipment has obviously changed. The devices are larger and often more numerous in a modern operating facility.

“Space wise, we simply need more room,” Dr. Maddux said. “Our operating room is small and it’s cramped. It’s still adequate and safe, but a larger area would be easier to work in.”

“While the hospital has continued to keep up with the technology desired by our doctors, we have simply outgrown the current space,” said Marketing Director Donnetta Travis. “The new facility will provide a more comfortable and relaxing atmosphere for the patient and their families. It will also provide a much better patient flow, which will enhance the service and overall experience for our patients.

“For out-patient procedures, our patients will be able to enter the facility, be admitted, have their procedure and be discharged all within the same area,” added Travis.

Curnel said plans call for three spacious operating rooms and an endoscopy area, tripling the actual space that can be used concurrently for surgeries. The new facility could help the hospital provide additional surgical services such as orthopedic, urological, podiatry and others.

Expansion of the operating room will eliminate the rear drive at the hospital and require improvements to the helipad behind CHS. The hospital has applied for a grant to raise the helicopter landing area, largely because it’s prone to flooding. However, that improvement is also necessary to refine plans for parking and entrance areas at the new operating room. The OR will have its own covered dropoff and pickup area, which will be on the southwest side of the current building.

“The operating room will become a distinct part of the hospital with its own signage and a covered portico,” said Christensen. “We want to make it as comfortable for the patient as we possibly can and we think it’s going to be a very patient-friendly and easily accessible addition to our facility.”

Dr. Mayfield joins CHS hospital staff

BY CHRIS EVANS

PRESS EDITOR

As a child, Dr. Steven Mayfield’s mother would read him passages from the Bible. The words from those gospels, as much as anything else, led this former Texan to medicine.

A verse from Revelations was partly responsible for Dr. Mayfield taking up the sword of compassion and caring.

“I always wondered who would care for people at the end of time,” he said. A strong desire to help others pushed him to change career paths and work toward a medical degree after several years of moving dirt.

Two weeks ago, Dr. Mayfield joined Crittenden Health Systems as an in-house family practice physician. He will see patients at the hospital’s clinic and handle other duties, including shifts in the emergency room.

Mayfield, 49, took a non-traditional path to becoming a doctor. At 28 he decided to leave his full-time job as a heavy equipment operator and enrolled at the University of Texas-Arlington. He already had some community college credits, and at first, he chose civil engineering, something he knew a good bit about. Somewhere along the way, he swapped majors, and pursued pre-med. It took him a while to finish that undergraduate degree, working his way through college and starting a family at the same time.

“I had three children by the time I finished college,”   he said.

Dr. Mayfield met his wife Melinda while taking Tae Kwon Do classes. He’s part Native American and German and she urges him to lay off the soft drinks. The couple organically grow their own fruits and vegetables and Melinda makes their own bread from crushed wheat. They now have nine children ranging in age from 1-19. The doctor is a member of the Chickasaw Nation and also has Choctaw and Cherokee running through his veins.

Dr. Mayfield received his medical degree after attending schools in the Caribbean and England. His residency was at Trover Clinic and he has spent the past three and half years at Livingston Hospital.

The family of 11 lives on 20 acres in Burna. One child is in college and the others are homeschooled. By staying close to home, Mayfield anticipates retaining many of his patient-doctor relationships he’s forged in the past few years.

At Marion, Dr. Mayfield will join Joe Drawdy, an advanced registered nurse practitioner, in seeing patients at the hospital.

Dr. Mayfield will be in Marion three days a week, and two days a week he will see patients at the Burkhart Clinic in Salem.

Hospital changes way ER medications distributed
Crittenden County Coalition for a Drug-Free Community has partnered
with Crittenden Health Systems in an effort to curb potential
prescription drug abuse through emergency room visits.
The new policy, which was initiated and spearheaded by the coalition,
forbids the distribution of narcotic medications in amounts exceeding
a night’s supply to patients unless they meet certain criteria, which
generally means someone who comes into the hospital with an acute
injury, such as a broken bone.
The policy went into effect on Jan. 1.
“The policy is being used. I've seen evidence of that,” said Robin
Curnel, director of nursing at Crittenden Hospital. “I have not seen
any issues with it so far in regards to providers following it or with
the patients. We've been doing a lot of education with the staff for
several months. It's been going smoothly.”
“You can't stop people from coming in,” Curnel said. “We have to treat
everyone no matter what their complaint is or their history with us.
We will continue to do that. It’s our mission.”
Chronic conditions are long lasting, reoccurring conditions that can
range from knee pain to back aches, among many other conditions.
Drug scamming is not currently a large issue at Crittenden Hospital,
but the hospital and coalition don't want it to become one, said
Brandi Rogers, a coalition member.
“We’ve had requests for refills for lengthy supplies, (but) we can't
do that anymore,” Curnel said. “We can't give 30-day supplies.
Generally, if they need something, with the exception of acute
illness, we'll give them something to get through the night. And it'll
be a non-narcotic.”
Non-narcotic medicines include non-addictive, anti-inflammatory
medications like Tylenol, asprin or Advil, among others.
“The important thing to get across is the ER will still treat
everyone, but they won't give out a month's supply of a prescription
medication at the ER, just enough to hold the patient until he or she
can get to their regular doctor," Rogers explained.
Crittenden is the first county in the area to implement this type of
policy, according to coalition officials.
After examining the data of patients’ histories, what medication was
being prescribed and how often, other hospitals have decided to
create similar policy. Ohio County has, said Curnel.
“The county and hospital size is similar to us,” Curnel said. “It’s
working well for them.”
The new policy shouldn’t create any extra work for the caregivers of
Crittenden Hospital, according to Curnel.
The hospital was very willing to work with the coalition when they
brought the idea to the hospital, according to Rogers.
“It's very exciting for the coalition,” Rogers said. “We see this as a
very big step to keeping our county protected from the drug abuse
industry.”
The policy will also help in thwarting patients that come from outside
Crittenden County into the hospital to abuse the previous system.
According to a UK College of Agriculture report in October, Kentucky
has one of the highest rates of prescription drug abuse in the nation.

Trick-or-Treat on Main has become an anticipated annual event each year in our community. Marion Main Street, Inc and Crittenden Health Systems team up each year to offer this event to children 12 and under. There is a great safety aspect that goes along with this event. The kids can trick-or-treat in the daylight hours and receive those tasty treats form businesses that we all know and trust. The Marion Main Street Director, Susan Alexander, works with the downtown merchants and office’s to offer candy for the event. Crittenden Health Systems furnishes the reflective trick-or-treat bags, flyers and hosts the Halloween costume contest. This year’s event will be on Halloween day which falls on Saturday, October 31st from 10am to 12pm in downtown Marion. You can begin at the Marion Tourism and Commerce Office and all participating businesses will have a flyer posted in their window or on the door. The little ghosts and goblins can make their way to over nineteen stops. Immediately following the gathering of candy, Crittenden Health Systems Advocacy Council will host the costume contest at 12:15pm at the hospital front entrance. The costume contest is for four age groups beginning with ages 1 and under, ages 2 through 4, ages 5 through 7 and ages 8 through 12. Prizes are awarded in each age group .

This event has continued to grow over the years from hospital staff, business owners to the parents; everyone seems to look forward to bringing the children out to visit businesses in Marion. One of the key elements of the Marion Main Street organization is to promote downtown business and this event brings out the parents along with the children. We feel it is a safe way to enjoy Halloween gather up the candy and have fun. Our hope is that parents will also think of these businesses that are furnishing treats and return to shop or trade with them in the future.

List of participating businesses:

Marion Tourism and Commerce

Peoples Bank Branch

Signature Salon

Crabtree's Barber Shop

Stems & Twigs

Coaches Cleaners

Five Star

Subway

Marion Cafe

Johnson's Furniture & Appliance

Louise's flowers

Farmers Bank

Roy & Tim's Barber Shop

Thrifty Home Medical

Bowtanicals

Historical Museum

Crittenden County Convalescent Center

Marion Physician's Clinic

Crittenden Press

Crittenden Health Systems

Crittenden Hospital Providing NO COST Mammography Screenings Crittenden Health Systems (CHS) Diagnostic Imaging (DI) Department has grant money available through Susan G. Komen for the Cure® to provide Mammography screenings and breast health education for women of our service area. Stacey Crider, Diagnostic Imaging Director, has been very instrumental working with the Greater Evansville Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® over the past two years so that we can help make a difference in our community. To date eight qualified candidates have participated in this program receiving mammography screenings at no cost to the individual and over 350 women have received breast health education materials provided by Crittenden Health Systems at health fairs, as patients and at other public forums throughout the community we serve. Getting regular screening tests is the best way for women to lower their risk of dying from breast cancer. If you are age 40 or above, do not have insurance, have high deductibles or co-pays or need financial assistance in any way in order to receive your annual screening you may qualify to receive your annual mammogram at Crittenden Health Systems. October is “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” and we would like to exceed our goal for screenings this month and help anyone that we can. Crittenden Health System’s Mammography Department is inspected annually by the Department of Health and Human Services (Food and Drug Administration) as part of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA). The MQSA was enacted by Congress to ensure that all women have access to quality mammography for the detection of breast cancer. Another way the Diagnostic Imaging Department at CHS is helping fight breast cancer is by participating in the annual Yoplait Yogurt drive “Save Lids to Save Lives”. For every pink lid sent in by December 31, 2009 Yoplait will donate 10 cents to the Susan G. Komen for the cure. Last year the Susan G. Komen effort met their goal of raising $1.5 million for the cure through this annual drive. Yoplait guarantees a donation of $500,000 but without everyone’s help they will not reach their goal again this year. If you would like to help in this effort please bring in your washed pink Yoplait lids to the DI Department at Crittenden Health Systems and we will take care of mailing them in. Crittenden Health Systems continues to be an advocate for preventative screenings and early detection. If you would like to know how you can help fight breast cancer in our community or would like further information to receive a mammogram screening please contact Stacey Crider, Director of Diagnostic Imaging at 270-965-1069 or Donnetta Travis, Director of Marketing at 270-965-1060. To learn more about the Greater Evansville Affiliate and the many ways to get involved in Komen’s fight against breast cancer or events in our area, call 812-962-2202 or visit info@komenevansville.org.

CHS News Archives

High School Junior Mikka Crabtree trains with Crittenden EMS

Seventeen-year-old Mikka Crabtree has a passion for emergency medical care and she is feeding that passion by shadowing the professionals at Crittenden Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

The Crittenden County High School junior is spending a portion of each week during the spring semester with EMS as part of a Vocational School training program. Mikka participated in the Vocational School's nursing program from August to December. While most of the students in Mikka's class are busy observing nurses in health care settings this spring, Mikka received permission to observe EMS professionals at work.

Mikka's interest in emergency care is not easy to explain, although she said her father Mike has influenced her more than he probably realizes. Mike has been an active member of the local Rescue Squad since about 1991, and currently serves as assistant chief. It was his talk of successful runs and helping others that inspired his daughter. Not surprisingly, Mikka, with her parents' permission, joined the rescue squad in December of 2005 when she was 16 years old.

"I think Dad was hesitant about me joining the squad because of the graphic nature of the job and what I might see," Mikka said. "But, I knew I could handle it."

It was on an icy night in January 2006 that Mikka realized she wanted to do more than serve on the local rescue squad. The young rescuer recalls that night being her first major run - a serious car accident.

"I remember wathcing people work the accident, and that is when I saw EMS come in - and I knew I would probably like EMS better," she said.

Mikka's vocational training has already prepared her for some of the basics such as taking vitals, spiking IV bags, and administering oxygen. However, the young rescuer's passion for health care is driving her to learn more. The youth is setting her sights on enrolling in Basic EMT classes, which she would be eligible to take during evenings this fall as a high school senior.

Mikka's mother Cindy said most people Mikka's age do not know what they want to do, and it is exciting to see her daughter with a passion and already knowing what she wants.

"Anything she wants to do, she does well," Cindy said of her daughter. "She gets so excited that we have to rein her back in sometimes," she added.

For now, Mikka's education is most important and what the family is focused on, according to Mike. Cindy explained that she and Mike want Mikka to pursue her goals, and also want her to enjoy being a kid, especially during her senior year of high school.

In addition to knowing she wants to complete basic Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training, Mikka also would like to pursue becoming a paramedic, and perhaps a flight medic, which would require even more extensive training. The young Crittenden Countian, as of now, also knows she wants to stay in this community.

"Most of my friends want to go to college and start somewhere new, but I want to stay here," she said. "I want to be that someone that others can look up to some day."

Local EMS Director Randy Free said Mikka is well on her way to achieving her goals. "Other young people should look at her as an inspiration to do what they want to do," he said.

Free, who has talked with Mikka about becoming an EMT, described the student as bright, intelligent, and someone who absolutely loves what she does. The director said, "I think she will be able to handle this job well, and she is a pleasure to be around."

Local paramedic Dawn Lamb said she has never seen a young person with such enthusiasm for this type of work. "Mention EMS and Mikka's face lights up," Lamb said. "When she is here with us we encourage her to keep her grades up and make sure she does her homework."

"Many look at me and see my age and think I am immature and still a child," Mikka said, "but I've had to step into the role of an adult and I've seen things most teens won't see until later on, and I can handle it."

Mikka explained that she has already had to face an emergency run that involved someone she knew. "You learn not to overreact, not to stress, and do what you're trained to do to help, and not let your emotions take over," she said.

Mike agrees that the experiences with Crittenden EMS and the Rescue Squad have been positive for Mikka. He also noted that EMS and the hospital have been a good influence on his daughter.

"Since she's started this program she has been more responsible as a young adult at home," he said, "and I am proud of what she has done."

Mike added, "This has been a wonderful opportunity for her because she is so focused on what she wants to do. We worry about what she sees, but we have talked about it and she can handle it - she's prepared."

Mikka agrees. "I'm ready to step into it," she said of her future EMT role. "I'm not there for the glory," she said, "and there's no money for what I'm doing right now. It's what I love and I have a passioin to do it. No doubt this is what I want to do."

Getting Back in the Game: Hospital's physical therapy services help Cozart recover from knee injury

The first basketball scrimmage of the summer did not turn out the way 16-year-old Breanna Cozart had hoped. What began as a warm-up game last June to prepare for the upcoming hoop season, ended with a knee injury that would halt her participation for several months.

Cozart, the daughter of Heather and Stephon, described the pain from her torn ACL as instant and intense. However, the Crittenden County High School junior was determined to get back in the game as quickly as possible and looked to local rehabilitation and physical therapy services for help. Not only was the basketball season at stake, but Cozart is also active on the varsity volleyball and track teams.

The injured Cozart underwent pre-therapy for one month at Crittenden Health Systems Rehabilitation Services prior to undergoing knee surgery. The surgical procedure was performed on July 12th by Dr. David Bealle of West Kentucky Orthopeadic Services in Hopkinsville.

The next six months were devoted to more local physical therapy to improve the range of motion for her knee. Exercises included bending and stretching, and later included weights and special equipment.

"They've really helped me," the basketball player said of the local rehab services. "At first I didn't know if I would be as strong as I was before (the injury), but my strength is back."

Cozart said she chose the local rehabilitation services for the convenience and was supported by the friendly staff.

"The people here were encouraging and they would tell me when I was doing really well," she said.

When asked about the best part of her rehab experience she replied, "I like working out, so it felt good to be active again."

Another plus for convenience, according to Cozart, was being able to see Dr. Bealle at Crittenden Health Systems for her follow-up appointments. Dr. Bealle began a clinic at the hospital about half-way through Cozart's therapy.

The teenage athlete was discharged from therapy about three weeks ago, and has been fitted with a knee brace that will provide protection as she slowly eases back into basketball practice.

Benny Johnson, Director of Rehabilitation Services, commented that Cozart's therapy came with a strict protocol laid out by Dr. Bealle. The type of injury experienced by Cozart is quite common among teenage athletes, according to Johnson. In fact, he said, therapy for these types of injuries require more extensive equipment. That is why a new stair stepper and elliptical were brought into the office in anticipation of treating more of this type of patient under Dr. Bealle's care.

"Breanna has been an ideal patient," Johnson said, "and she has progressed according to the protocol."

Ashley Cavanah, the physical therapist who worked with Cozart, said she was pleased with the young patient's progression to recovery.

"Whenever we see a patient with an ACL tear, like Breanna, there's not much function, but we slowly begin to see an improvement in strength and range of motion as the swelling goes down," she said.

Cozart said she did not know Crittenden Health Systems offered rehabilitation and physical therapy services until she needed them. Now that she knows the office is here, she will use the services again if needed, and would recommend them to others in the community.

"People need to know we're here," Johnson said. "We can address almost any need the community has - with very few exceptions. We currently see patients from three to 92 years of age."

These services include occupational and speech therapy, as well as work conditioning, general strengthening, pediatric care, and geriatric care in other facilities.

Cozart's treatment and recovery is just one of the many success stories related to the professional care available at Crittenden Health Systems Rehabilitation Services. The rehab staff and Crittenden Health Systems extend best wishes to Breanna Cozart in her sports endeavors this season and those to come.

Crittenden Health Systems Rehabilitation Services is located next door to the hospital. To schedule an appointment, call (270) 965-1013.

EMS Director Randy Free Sets Goals for New Year

So far, so good.

That's how Randy Free describes his first four months of transition as the new director of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for Crittenden Health Systems.

Free was hired by CHS on August 15th to manage the staff of 23 paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), along with the day-to-day operations of the local ambulance service. The accommodating community and efficient staff have made his new job a great experience, according to Free.

What about challenges? Well, Free said, there have been some, but the greatest has been reassuring the employees that everything is going to be okay with the changes that accompany new leadership. Free noted that while there have been no major changes, his management style is somewhat different than what has been experienced in the past.

Free describes himself as "a people person" which summarizes his approach to managing Crittenden EMS. "I don't ask employees to do anything I wouldn't do myself," he said.

With this philosophy in the forefront, it is no surprise that Free's favorite component of his job has been the camaraderie of the people. "I think it's important," the director said, "to be a friend as well as a boss."

On the home-front, Free receives encouragement and support from his wife Tammie, as well as their children. They include three daughters, Chandy Shelbourne, Sarah, and Allyson; son Joey; and step-daughter Erica Smith. The EMS director is a graduate of Marshall County High School, West Kentucky Tech and Paducah Community College. Free frequently attends medical training sessions to keep up with required certifications, and encourages his staff to do the same.

Education is important and a priority reflected in the goals set for the EMS staff. "I want the staff to get every bit of education they can," he said, "and each one of them needs to be certified so they can teach others."

Additional departmental goals include upgrading equipment and pursuing the purchase of new ambulances to ensure patients have the most updated technology available for their care.

"I think the people in this community and hospital deserve that," he said. Free added, "That's the reason we're here - for the people of Crittenden County - not for the money. We strive to make a difference."

Crittenden EMS is located on the campus of Crittenden Health Systems and provides 24-hour Emergency and Ambulance Services to Crittenden and surrounding communities.

Hospital service putting folks to sleep

If you have trouble sleeping, your diagnosis will soon be as close as Crittenden Hospital.

Crittenden Health Systems is adding a sleep lab to its list of general and specialized services.

There are 84 types of sleep disorders, all resulting in disruptions in slumber and wakefulness affecting an estimated 40 million American adults, many of whom could be misdiagnosed as heart conditions.

The healthcare organization's plans are to create a two-bed sleep lab outfitted similarly to hotel rooms. Conversion of the two rooms currently used for obstetrics will begin this month with the target date for the first sleep lab appointment set for August 2nd. Patients will enter the hospital in the evening - or in the morning if the patient works third shift - and be monitored by staff trained in sleep medicine.

The hospital has contracted with Burke, Mayes and Associates of Nashville, which supplies a physician to read and interpret data faxed to Nashville from Crittenden Hospital.

While at Crittenden Hospital's sleep lab, patients will be monitored visually and by telemetry.

"The next day the technician will score those results and send them to the physician who scores them to determine whether there is a problem," said Hospital CEO Claudia Eisenmann.

Common sleep disturbances include nighttime awakening, feeling tired even after a long rest, emotional or anxiety problems, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, excessive daytime fatigue, snoring or choking while asleep and the need for frequent daytime naps. The root of these problems can be determined through a sleep lab.

Patients must be referred to the sleep lab by a physician who will treat problems diagnosed by the sleep medicine-trained physician in Nashville.

"This will be the first time people can be treated locally," Eisenmann said. "We're excited, because there is no reason they should have to go somewhere else for this."

"This is something that can significantly improve a patient's quality of life," said Doug Florkowski, Director of Ancillary Care.

Caldwell County Hospital and Lourdes Hospital both have sleep labs.

Eisenmann said a facility she worked for in Texas started its sleep lab with four beds, and within two months appointments required a six week wait. Since then, two additional beds have been added to the lab.

Plans at Crittenden are to operate the lab three days a week for a total of six patients a week.

Telemedicine comes to CHS!
by Stacey Crider, Director of Radiology at CHS

Some new technology is making its way into the Radiology department at Crittenden Health Systems. The final stages of installation for the PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) have come to an end. The Radiology department has been going through some major changes to convert all modalities (General X-ray, Ultrasound, CT, Nuclear Medicine, and MRI) into a digital format that can be processed and viewed by computer.

PACS is the hottest selling technology for Radiology departments all over the country. It will have the greatest impact for small, rural Radiology departments, who constantly deal with the challenge of limited Radiologist accessibility. This system will eliminate the redundant work by technologists, inside a darkroom, processing patient exams onto film. Instead of utilizing film and chemicals to produce such diagnostic images, the x-ray will be captured onto a plate containing tiny computer sensors that can be scanned and interpreted to produce and display the images onto a computer monitor.

Once images are captured and stored on special computer software, virtually any physician with Internet capabilities and rights granted by Crittenden Health Systems can view and manipulate images anytime, anywhere. R adiologists can send x-rays electronically to doctors or radiologists at other hospitals. This will drastically improve the quality of patient care by reducing the time it takes for physicians to receive the exams from our courier. These studies are stored and easily accessible at any time. If patient needs to take studies for follow up care with other practitioners then they no longer have to carry numerous sheets of x-ray film that can become very cumbersome, but will be given a CD containing all studies requested. Unlike film, CD’s do not have to be returned. A patient can now focus on their well being instead of trying to remember the many instructions given out when taking film from a facility. This also allows a tech to focus on other issues besides spending down time searching through hundreds of files for one x-ray jacket.

The PACS system that Crittenden Health Systems has chosen is RayPax, which is a product of Samsung. David Yoo and Brian Lee, consultants with the Samsung Corporation in Korea, came to Marion to demonstrate some of the features of Crittenden Hospital's new teleradiology system. I t was purchased from Radiology Services, a distributor out of Evansville, Indiana.

Keep watching the Crittenden Health Systems quarterly update in the Crittenden Press for news on MRI, which will be coming soon!!!!

First aid reaches Amish
by Allison Evans from The Crittenden Press

Residents of Crittenden County's Amish community are better trained now to take care of one another in the event of a medical emergency. Twenty-two members of the Amish community recently received training in first-aid and CPR offered by Crittenden Health Systems.

The all-male group was instructed in various first-aid techniques including splinting, bleeding control and CPR during a five-hour course in March.

Emory Yoder, whose family operates Yoder Sawmill, says the course was more of a brush-up for him, but it was the first time others were trained in first aid. Employees at the sawmill had previous instruction from an OSHA safety engineer and learned basics of first aid and how to use a fire extiguisher.

"There were a lot of good questions and answers and many things people had wondered about," Yoder said about the recent course offered by Crittenden Health Systems. Yoder, father of four between the ages of three and nine, found information concerning children and choking most helpful.

"They were very receptive, very quick to learn and it was one of those good feelings you get every now and then," said EMS director Larry Granstaff, who coordinated the class.

Instructors included Kelly Jenkins, director of nursing; Greg Peck, paramedic; and Laura Wood, a nurse for the Crittenden County School System. Transportation was provided by Marion Baptist Church.

Those participating also viewed a video about the use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) which are potentially life-saving devices used by First Responders throughout the county. "We showed them how the battery-operated devices work and explained how they can save lives," Granstaff said, noting those trained wanted to discuss with the community's elders the possibility of keeping an AED in a central location in the Amish community.

Yoder doubts the community would be receptive to using a defibrillator because of its purpose re-starting the heart. "If someone's heart stops, that's up to God," Yoder said.

Granstaff developed the class to train people to administer first-aid while EMS personnel are en route to an emergency. "We have responded on a lot of different occasions where kids are injured by hay rakes, during baby deliveries or when horses have trampled someone. Many times, we find them having no knowledge of what to do," Granstaff said.

Fortunately, Yoder says, emergencies are rare for the 85 families in the Amish community.

First responders from each of the county's fire departments are trained to administer first-aid and CPR and are often called to medical emergencies. Granstaff said they serve as the EMS' eyes, ears and hands until paramedics arrive on the scene. With only two EMS employees on staff round the clock, it is helpful to have trained First Responders to help move people, lift people, block traffic or direct ambulances in the right direction in rural settings, Granstaff said.

First Responder training is offered every month. About 25 hours are required every year. Anyone interested in becoming a First Responder should contact the EMS office at 965-2770.

Automated Dispensing Technology Arrives at Hospital
by Stuart Collins, Director of Pharmacy at CHS

In an age where medication safety is of increasing importance, Crittenden Health Systems has proactively implemented automated dispensing technology to assure that patients receive the medications they need when they need them. OmniCell dispensing cabinets have been installed in patient care areas at the hospital. These cabinets contain locked drawers of medications that are stocked by pharmacy and accessed by nursing staff to give to patients.

The process goes something like this: an order is written by the physician and forwarded to pharmacy; pharmacy enters the order for medication into the patient’s profile or record, screening for drug allergies, drug-drug interactions, therapeutic duplications, and other contraindications; the patient’s profile is sent to the automated dispensing cabinet; the nurse accesses the patient information and is directed to the correct medication within the cabinet. For the most part, only the drawer which contains the appropriate medication can be accessed by the nurse for that particular patient. These built-in safeguards limit the possibility of errors.

Per accrediting agency regulations, a pharmacist reviews all prescription or medication orders prior to administration unless a physician controls the ordering, preparation, and administration of the medication or in urgent situations when the resulting delay would harm the patient. Crittenden County Hospital has consistently had an extremely high accuracy rate, partially attributable to the individualized care given by its staff.

Other features of the OmniCell include user recognition by bio-identification, accountability reporting, and automatic restocking lists.

At Crittenden Health Systems, we strive to excel in every aspect of our service, while recognizing that people are our greatest resource. Our purpose is to make our patients healthier through caring service. Our staff is committed to professional excellence, superior customer service, and state-of-the-art health care. You are our welcomed guest, and we have made every effort to ensure that your needs are met. However, if at any time you need further assistance, just ask any of our associates, and they will assist you. After all, every health care facility has four walls; it’s the contents that set them apart.

Thank you for exploring our web site. We hope you find your visit to be informative, answering any questions you may have about our organization. If at any time you would like further assistance, please feel free to contact us at (270) 965-5281.


 NOTICE - NEW LOCATION FOR BLOOD DRIVES...

Blood drives are now held in the new Education Building - The building is located behind the Hospital at the West end.

To find out when the next blood drive is and where it will be, click on our link to West Kentucky Regional Blood Center's website. http://www.wkrbc.org

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