blog

Educational Seminar on Adolescent Self-Injury Offered

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:43:32 -0400

Holy Spirit Health System will host a free educational seminar on adolescent self-injury in June. Barry Sloane, MS, Teenline supervisor, will present “Self-Injury in Adolescents” on Thursday, June 21, at 6 p.m. The lecture will be held in Holy Spirit Hospital’s Auditorium.

The period of adolescence presents many challenges for parents and teens. Dealing with a young person who self-injures can be difficult, frightening and overwhelming. The way in which parents respond to self-injury can make a difference in the treatment outcomes for their children. This presentation will provide an overview of self-injury, the reasons why young people feel the need to self-injure, and suggestions on helpful ways parents and loved ones can respond. Participants will learn how to seek help and treatment for their child.

There is no need to register. Light refreshments will be served. If you have questions, please call 763-2427.

Cardiac Patient Support Group Meetings to be held

Wed, 02 May 2012 13:41:44 -0400

Holy Spirit Hospital has teamed up with cardiologists and cardiac surgeons to provide cardiac health education, as well as group support to patients, their families, and caregivers to promote lifelong heart healthy living.

Holy Spirit’s “Spirited Hearts” small group workshop will be held on Thursday, May 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., in The Ortenzio Heart Center, third floor classroom room. Mary Ann Leidinger, MSW, LCSW, psychotherapist, and Kathy Thumma, RN, BSN, nurse manager, Holy Spirit Cardiac Rehabilitation, will present “Sleep Hygiene.” Please register by Monday, May 14, by calling 972-4486.

Holy Spirit’s “Spirited Hearts” cardiac support group meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 27, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., in the Holy Spirit Hospital auditorium. Safwat Gassis, MD, Capital Cardiovascular Associates, will present “Living with an Automatic Implantable Cardiovertor Defibrillator.” Seating is limited. Please call 972-4486 to reserve your seat.

Bereavement Support Group Offered

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:32:01 -0400

Holy Spirit Hospital’s Pastoral Care Department is offering a free Bereavement Support Group/Lecture Series for anyone who is grieving the death of a loved one. It is also offered to those who care about friends who are grieving. Various aspects of the grieving process will be discussed to help individuals understand how to cope with grief and how to develop skills necessary to turn their mourning into cherished memories of their loved ones.

The support group will meet from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays from May 2 until June 6. The sessions will be held in the Holy Spirit Hospital Pastoral Care Department. To register for the series or for certain weeks, please call 763-2118 or 972-4255.

“Living Life from the Inside Out: Finding Inner Courage Where it Lives” Conference to be held at Holy Spirit Hospital

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:32:33 -0400

Holy Spirit Hospital and the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) are hosting a professional enrichment conference entitled "Living Life from the Inside Out: Finding Inner Courage Where it Lives." The conference will be held on Friday, June 1, from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, Pa.

Thomas J. Butler, Th.M., M.Div. and Anne Butler, MSN, ANP-BC, CHPN, will be the conference speakers. Tom and Anne Butler both minister within Catholic health care. Tom serves as director of Mission Services for the Bon Secours Health System. Anne is a nurse practitioner and serves as an internal consultant for hospice and palliative care.

Conference attendees will be invited to re-discover one’s true self/soul; reflect on living life from the inside out with courage and conviction; discover the necessity of solitude as well as community; and experience the invitation to lead an undivided life.

The cost to attend the full-day conference is $45. Morning refreshments and lunch are included. 5.0 CEHs are offered. Nurses can receive CEUs.

Please visit www.nacc.org to learn more about the program and to download a registration form. Please contact Sister Margaret Washington, ASC, Holy Spirit Hospital Pastoral Care, at 717-972-4255 or SWashington@hsh.org or Jeanine Annunziato, NACC, at 414-483-4898 or jannunziato@nacc.org to pre-register. Registration will not be considered complete until the NACC receives your registration form and fees. All registration fees must be received by May 18, 2012.

LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System Now Offered by Kunkel Surgical Group

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:18:11 -0400

The Kunkel Surgical Group, Carlisle and Camp Hill, has added the LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System to its array of surgical services. Drs. J. Bret DeLone, Richard Griffiths, and Paul Kunkel now perform this minimally invasive procedure at Holy Spirit Hospital.

The LAP-BAND® System offers severely obese patients a safe and minimally invasive surgical weight loss option. Weight loss with the LAP-BAND® System may resolve or improve life-threatening conditions, such as high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, and help patients live healthier lives.

“This procedure doesn’t alter the patient’s normal anatomy, and it’s always adjustable and reversible, depending on the patient’s symptoms and weight loss,” says Richard Griffiths, DO. “I believe the LAP-BAND® System is the best and safest option for surgical weight loss.”

Twice monthly, the Kunkel Surgical Group will offer free informational meetings about the LAP-BAND® System for prospective patients and providers. The meetings will be held at the Holy Spirit Carlisle Center, 1211 Forge Road, Carlisle, at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month, beginning on May 10. Informational meetings will also be held at the Radisson Hotel, 1150 Camp Hill Bypass, Camp Hill, at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month, beginning on May 24. Space is limited. Pre-registration is required by calling Susan Costa-Hardesty, RN, LAP-BAND® coordinator at Kunkel Surgical Group, at 717-761-7244. Please feel free to register a family member or friend as well.

The free informational meetings are open to any prospective patient. However, as the Kunkel Surgical Group strives for Center of Excellence designation through the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, they must initially limit LAP-BAND patients to those who have commercial insurances they accept. Once they have earned Center of Excellence status, they will accept Medicare and Medicaid. If you have questions about your insurance, please contact Susan Costa-Hardesty at 717-761-7244.

Kunkel Surgical Group is a service of Holy Spirit Health System. Offices are located at 890 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill and One Tyler Court, Carlisle. The Carlisle office will be relocating to 1211 Forge Road, Suite 200, in June. For an appointment, please call 761-7244 (Camp Hill) or 249-1895 (Carlisle).

Holy Spirit Hospital now uses Robot-Assisted Procedure to treat Atrial Fibrillation

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:14:39 -0400

David Man, MD, FACC, Capital Cardiovascular Associates, and the electrophysiology (EP) staff at The Ortenzio Heart Center successfully completed the first flexible robotics EP procedure at Holy Spirit Hospital last week. Dr. Man used the Hansen Medical Sensei® X Robotics System to treat the patient with atrial fibrillation.

The Sensei X system allows the physician to robotically control a heart catheter from a work station located close to the patient. This sophisticated system allows the physician to see images in 3D and gives the physician the ability to place a heart catheter precisely where it needs to be. This system also reduces radiation exposure to both the patient and physician.

“We are able to achieve more reproducible results with this new device because it allows us to place catheters with greater precision and accuracy than ever before,” said Dr. Man.

Approximately 3 million Americans suffer from atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, and many more go undiagnosed. Untreated a-fib doubles the risk of death from heart-related causes, including congestive heart failure, increases the risk of stroke by 500 percent, and raises the risk of hospitalization. In a-fib, the heart muscle doesn’t contract as it should, causing the upper chamber to quiver. For some people, it gives no warning signs. Others say their pulse is uneven, their heart races, or they have chest pain. Heart palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, anxiety or light-headedness can also be symptoms of a-fib.

While medications can regulate heart rhythm or control heart rate for some patients, others may need more treatment, including catheter ablation. Dr. Man and Safwat Gassis, MD, FACC, offer advanced treatment options for heart rhythm disorders. In addition to the new flexible robotics EP procedure, they also perform cryoablation, a procedure which freezes and destroys abnormal tissue causing the irregular heartbeat.

Drs. Gassis and Man head the new Holy Spirit Atrial Fibrillation Center where they provide treatment tailored to suit each patient’s specific situation, including how the rhythm disorder affects his or her ability to function, its effect on heart function, risk of complications from the arrhythmia, as well as patient preference.

For more information about the Holy Spirit Atrial Fibrillation Center and Capital Cardiovascular Associates, please call 717-724-6450. Capital Cardiovascular Associates, a service of the Holy Spirit Cardiovascular Institute, is located at 101 Erford Road, Camp Hill and 5 Capital Drive, Harrisburg.

West Shore EMS Acquires the LUCAS™ Chest Compression System

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:34:42 -0400

West Shore EMS, a service of Holy Spirit Health System, has purchased four LUCAS 2 Chest Compression System units from Physio-Control, Inc. The LUCAS 2 system is an external, mechanical device that provides chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), even in less than ideal physical locations. The 15-pound device allows emergency medical teams to focus on other lifesaving therapies, such as medication, ventilation and defibrillation, and can improve outcomes for adult cardiac arrest patients. West Shore EMS is the area’s first provider in Cumberland and Perry counties to have the LUCAS device. They will also place one of the units in Franklin County.

“Our goal is to provide better CPR to patients in cardiac arrest and save more lives,” says Steven Poffenberger, BS, EMT-P, director of staff development/quality assurance, West Shore EMS. “We believe this technology will allow us to provide even better care for our patients. Providing manual CPR can be difficult and tiring. The LUCAS system will give the patient high-quality, continuous and consistent compressions without tiring.” In addition, Poffenberger says the device increases emergency services provider safety because they don’t need to stand up in the back of a moving ambulance performing CPR.

Brian Webster, CEO of Physio-Control, said, “We are excited that the LUCAS chest compression system will be available to residents in Cumberland, Perry and Franklin counties who experience cardiac arrest. By including LUCAS as part of its resuscitation services, West Shore EMS is demonstrating its commitment to leading-edge emergency medical services.”

More Information about the LUCAS Chest Compression System

LUCAS is designed to provide effective, consistent and uninterrupted compressions in accordance with recommendations in the 2010 American Heart Association/European Resuscitation Council Guidelines, performing 100 compressions per minute at a depth of two inches. LUCAS helps reduce hands-off intervals in treating patients, maintains high quality compressions, and allows manual defibrillation while the patient simultaneously receives mechanical external chest compressions.

The LUCAS Chest Compression System was launched in Europe 2004 and in the United States 2007, and today it is available in 38 markets around the world, including Japan and China.

About West Shore EMS

West Shore EMS, a service of Holy Spirit Health System, provides pre-hospital ambulance services, including advanced life support, basic life support, and non-emergency routine ambulance transport services to residents of South Central Pennsylvania. West Shore EMS covers 78 municipalities in a geographic area with approximately 400,000 residents. The organization employs more than 185 individuals, has 15 stations (11 ALS and 4 BLS) and a fleet of 50 vehicles, and provides first due advanced life support service for 30 ambulance companies.

Cardiology Practice Joins Holy Spirit

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 08:09:56 -0400

Two cardiologists formerly with Heritage Cardiology Associates have joined Holy Spirit Health System. Stanley Lewin, MD, FACC, and Venkatesh Nadar, MD, FACC, provide heart care, including arrhythmia analysis and treatment, cardiac catheterization, critical care cardiology, echocardiography, interventional cardiology, pacemaker care and stress testing.

The physicians and Christina Basonic, CRNP, and Erica Kissell, CRNP, will now practice at Lewin & Nadar Cardiology Associates, part of the Holy Spirit Cardiovascular Institute.

"I have been affiliated with Holy Spirit Hospital for more than thirty years. During this time I have been an eager participant in the growth of Holy Spirit’s cardiac services and The Ortenzio Heart Center," says Dr. Lewin. "Dr. Nadar and I are excited to partner with the Holy Spirit Cardiovascular Institute to provide the very best cardiac care for our friends and neighbors."

Lewin & Nadar Cardiology Associates is located at 425 North 21^st Street, Camp Hill. The phone number is 717-972-2829. The physicians will continue to provide services to patients at Holy Spirit, as well as the PinnacleHealth hospitals.

Orthopedic Physicians to Open Office in Holy Spirit Carlisle Center

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:25:24 -0400

Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania (OIP) will open an office in the Holy Spirit Carlisle Center, 1211 Forge Road, Carlisle, on April 1. Six doctors from OIP will see patients several days a week, treating spine, foot and ankle, hand and upper extremity and sports medicine health needs.

“OIP has had a longstanding relationship with patients from Carlisle and surrounding areas,” says Brett A. Himmelwright, DO. “We are excited about providing orthopedic care in our new office at the Holy Spirit Carlisle Center. It is a perfect fit because it allows us to provide our services side-by-side with the primary care and specialty services that Holy Spirit is already offering in the Carlisle Center.”

To schedule an appointment at OIP, call their central scheduling line at 717-761-5530.

The Holy Spirit Carlisle Center currently houses Carlisle Family Health Center, imaging, laboratory, and routine EKG services. The Carlisle Family Health Center offers family medicine visits by appointment and walk-in care for patients who need same day medical care. Later this spring, Vascular Associates will relocate its Carlisle office to the Holy Spirit Carlisle Center.

For more information about the Holy Spirit Carlisle Center, call 717-218-3900 or visit www.hsh.org.

Free Program on Stroke Awareness Offered

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:54:53 -0400

Holy Spirit Health System will host a free program for individuals interested in learning more about strokes.

Cynthia Swartz, MS, RN, ACNS-BC, director of patient care services at Holy Spirit Hospital, will present “Act FAST: The Brain Needs You!” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 17. The lecture will be held in Holy Spirit Hospital’s auditorium.

Swartz will talk about the early signs and symptoms of a stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA), risk factors, treatment options, the importance of community involvement, and why time is so vital in treating a stroke.

Free parking. Light refreshments will be served. There is no need to register for this seminar.

Free Program on Living Wills and Advance Directives

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:40:37 -0400

The 5^th annual National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16. This day was designated to bring awareness to advance directives and living wills. These important documents represent what healthcare choices you’d like or not if you were unable to communicate due to an accident or illness. These documents also allow you to name a healthcare power of attorney or legal advocate to make these decisions for you if you are unable.

Holy Spirit Hospital is joining hospitals across Pennsylvania and the nation to help the public learn more about healthcare decisions and advance directives and how to share those decisions with family, friends and healthcare providers.

Maureen Asper, RN, MS, ACNS-BC, coordinator of Palliative Care and Faith-Based Nursing Ministry at Holy Spirit Hospital, will present “Living Will and Advance Directives: Making Your Wishes Known” at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 14. The session will be held in Holy Spirit Hospital’s auditorium. Learn how to have a frank discussion with loved ones about your healthcare wishes and important things to consider when completing an advance directive. Free advance directives will be available to take home and complete.

Light refreshments will be served. There is no need to register for this session. For more information, please contact Maureen Asper at 763-3048.

Holy Spirit Hosts “Women on the Alert for Diabetes:

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:20:09 -0400

Holy Spirit Diabetes Services and Spirit of Women are presenting “Women on the Alert for Diabetes: Snack Attack” on Thursday, April 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Holy Spirit Hospital’s Auditorium. Suzanne Nesmith, RN, BSN, M.Ed., CDE, diabetes educator, will help attendees learn how to use portion control and make snacks part of your meal planning. Diabetic-friendly snacks are included.

This free program is open to Spirit of Women members and their family and friends. Registration is required by calling 972-4879. Space is limited. To learn how to become a Spirit of Women member, please call 972-4879.

Cardiac Patient Support Group Offered in March

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 07:52:31 -0400

Holy Spirit’s Spirited Hearts, a cardiac patient support group will be held on Wednesday, March 21, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Brian Truax, LCSW, Psychotherapist, and Kathy Thumma, RN, will present “Motivation: How it Can Change Your Life.” A question and answer session will follow. The Cardiac Patient Support Group meeting will be held in the Ortenzio Heart Center’s third floor classroom.

Seating is limited. Please call 972-4486 to reserve your seat.

New Cardiologist Joins Capital Cardiovascular Associates

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:42:33 -0500

Robert E. Davis, DO, FACC, has joined Capital Cardiovascular Associates, a service of Holy Spirit Health System. Dr. Davis is a cardiologist who is board certified in cardiovascular disease and nuclear cardiology. He is also certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine.

Most recently, Dr. Davis was the attending staff cardiologist and director of Non-Invasive Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation at Bloomsburg Hospital. Prior to becoming a cardiologist, he was a hospitalist and an emergency room physician at Bloomsburg Hospital.

Dr. Davis received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa. He served as the co-chief fellow at Aria Hospitals System/Albert Einstein Medical Center and completed his residency at Geisinger Medical Center.

He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, a member of the American College of Osteopathic Internists, the American Society of Echocardiography, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, the American Medical Association, and the American Osteopathic Association.

Capital Cardiovascular Associates provides services to diagnose and treat even the most complex cardiovascular problems. Their offices are located at 101 Erford Road, Camp Hill and 5 Capital Drive, Harrisburg. The phone number is 724-6450. All of the physicians and physician assistants continue to provide services to patients at Holy Spirit, as well as the PinnacleHealth hospitals.

“Taste of Sugar” Support Group Meetings Offered

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 07:58:22 -0500

Holy Spirit Diabetes Services offers a free monthly support group for people with pre-diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and their families. “A Taste of Sugar” meets on the second Monday of each month from 6 to 7 p.m. in Wegman’s conference room. No registration is necessary. For more information, please contact Holy Spirit Diabetes Services at 763-2466.

Upcoming meeting topics:

March 12 – Diabetes Services staff will discuss diabetic meal planning.

April 9 – Peter S. Holtz, DPM, will talk about diabetic foot and leg problems (rescheduled from March 12)

May 14 – Ann Bero, CRNP, Holy Spirit Endocrinology Center, will discuss the team approach for caring for people with diabetes.

Carlisle Family Health Center Hours Expand in March

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:35:57 -0500

On Sunday, March 4, the Carlisle Family Health Center, 1211 Forge Road, Carlisle, will expand its hours to Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 8 p.m.

Babak Behta, MD, and Karen Ware, PA-C, provide family medicine visits by appointment and walk-in care for patients who need same day medical care. If a patient has a primary care doctor, Carlisle Family Health Center will send a summary of medical care provided to the primary care doctor’s office and return the patient to them for follow-up care.

The Carlisle Family Health Center accepts most insurance plans; some HMO restrictions apply. Imaging, lab, and EKG services are offered in the same building.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment at Carlisle Family Health Center, please call 218-3920. For information about other services at the Holy Spirit Carlisle Center, call 218-3900 or visit www.hsh.org.

Educational Seminar on Atrial Fibrillation to be Offered

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:18:06 -0500

Holy Spirit Health System will host a free educational seminar on Atrial Fibrillation (Afib) and the latest treatment options. Safwat Gassis, MD, FACC, of Capital Cardiovascular Associates, will present “Atrial Fibrillation: New Treatment Options for this Common Irregular Heart Rhythm” on Friday, March 16, at 6 p.m. The lecture will be held in Holy Spirit Hospital’s Auditorium.

Dr. Gassis will discuss how to recognize the symptoms of atrial fibrillation, as well as its causes and risk factors. He also will discuss the innovative and effective treatments offered at the Ortenzio Heart Center.

There is no need to register. Light refreshments will be served. If you have questions, please call 763-2900.

Holy Spirit Adds Vascular Practice

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:29:23 -0500

Three physicians from Vascular Associates, PC, have joined Holy Spirit Health System. John Calaitges, MD, Joseph Campbell, MD, FACS, and Richard Razzino, MD, are board certified, fellowship-trained vascular surgeons and experts in all diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of vascular disease.

The physicians at Vascular Associates treat venous and arterial disease including peripheral vascular diseases, peripheral arterial diseases, painful or varicose vein, abdominal aortic aneurysms, and carotid artery stenosis.

“Vascular Associates is pleased to become part of Holy Spirit Health System,” says Richard Razzino, MD. “The philosophy and approach to patient care at Holy Spirit will suit our practice well.”

Vascular Associates has offices at 800 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill, and 816 Belvedere Street, Carlisle. In the spring, their Carlisle office will relocate to the Holy Spirit Carlisle Center at 1211 Forge Road, Carlisle. To make an appointment at Vascular Associates, please call 763-0510 (Camp Hill) or 241-5070 (Carlisle).

All of the physicians will continue to provide services to patients at Holy Spirit, as well as the PinnacleHealth hospitals and Carlisle Regional Medical Center.

Carlisle Family Health Center Welcomes Physician Assistant

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:35:57 -0500

Karen Ware, PA-C, is now practicing at Holy Spirit Health System’s new Carlisle Family Health Center.

Ware has 25 years of healthcare experience in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. She has been a physician assistant for the past 14 years. Most recently, Ware was a physician assistant at the United States Army’s Dunham Health Clinic in Carlisle.

Ware has her master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska, Omaha NE. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX.

The Carlisle Family Health Center, located at 1211 Forge Road, Carlisle, offers family medicine visits by appointment and walk-in care for patients who need same day medical care. If a patient has a primary care doctor, Carlisle Family Health Center will send a summary of medical care provided to the primary care doctor’s office and return the patient to them for follow-up care.

To schedule an appointment, please call 218-3920. The Carlisle Family Health Center accepts most insurance plans.

Nurses' Walk to be Held in April

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:46:46 -0500

Holy Spirit Health System is sponsoring a “Nurses’ Walk” on Saturday, April 28, from 9 to 11 a.m., at Adams Ricci Park, 100 East Penn Drive, Enola. The event will be held rain or shine.

Registration and warm-ups begin at 9 a.m. The walk begins at 9:30 a.m. The paved walking paths are designed for all ages and agility levels. The walk will be on the Blue Loop (1.25 miles). Free health screenings and water stations.

Register by April 6 and receive a free T-shirt! The cost to participate in the walk is $25 ($10 for children 15 & younger). If you raise $50 or more in sponsorships, there is no registration fee.

For more information, call 763-2779 or send an email to Development@hsh.org. You can also print a registration form with event details or make a gift now to support the 2012 Nurses Walk. All proceeds benefit Holy Spirit Health System to provide charitable care which helps to underwrite the cost of providing necessary healthcare services to our neighbors in need.