Register by Monday, July 30 by calling 509.758.4902 or email HFeider@tristatehospital.org.

Tri-State Memorial Hospital has once again been recognized as one of the nation’s most technically advanced hospitals, according to the results of the 2012 Most Wired Survey released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

Health Care’s Most Wired Survey, conducted between January 15 and March 15, 2012, asked hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their IT initiatives. Respondents completed 662 surveys, representing 1,570 hospitals, or roughly 27 percent of all U.S. hospitals.

Among the key findings this year:

• 93% of Most Wired hospitals employ intrusion detection systems to protect patient privacy and security of patient data, in comparison to 77% of the total responders.
• 74% of Most Wired hospitals and 57% of all surveyed hospitals use automated patient flow systems.
• 90% of the Most Wired hospitals and 73% of all surveyed use performance improvement scorecards to help reduce inefficiencies.
• 100% of Most Wired hospitals check drug interactions and drug allergies when medications are ordered as a major step in reducing medication errors.

As a field, hospitals are focused on expanding and adopting IT that protects patient data, and optimizes patient flow and communications.

“Equipping caregivers with the information needed to drive quality, safety and efficiency will continue to be an imperative as the challenges facing health systems grow increasingly complex,” said Pat Blake, president, McKesson Technology Solutions. “The effective use of health IT, including actionable analytics and connectivity, can be a strategic lever as hospitals and health systems work to drive better outcomes while managing capacity, reducing costs, and coordinating care across multiple settings and caregivers.”

The July Hospitals & Health Networks cover story detailing results is available at www.hhnmag.com.

About the Most Wired Survey

The 2012 Most Wired Survey is conducted in cooperation with McKesson Corporation, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), and the American Hospital Association.

Great news! Only for the month of February, National Heart Month, this potentially life-saving screening will be offered for only $1,000 – this is a significant discount! Call the Imaging Center at 758.4658 today to make your appointment, it could save your life!

Dr. John Mannschreck of Twin Cities Radiology will host an informational seminar February 7 at 6pm in the Tri-State Imaging & Women’s Diagnostic Center. For more information contact Hailey Feider at 751.4556.

Refreshments will be served and attendees will receive detailed information about this screening exam, its benefits and how it works as well as a look at the technology itself.

Tens of millions of Americans suffer with daily heartburn or other symptoms of reflux such as regurgitation, chronic cough, hoarseness and dental erosions. Until recently these people faced either a lifetime of daily medications, and often incomplete resolution of their symptoms, or the risks of invasive surgery. Now they have a better option. The new Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication procedure (TIF) using the innovative EsophyX® device is performed completely without incisions and is now available from Dr. Mark Hiesterman at Tri-State Memorial Hospital in Clarkston, WA.

Dr. Hiestserman is the first specialist in the Lewis-Clark Valley to be trained on the TIF procedure. “The TIF procedure can significantly improve quality of life for our patients,” said Dr. Hiesterman. “Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is an anatomical problem which needs an anatomical solution. Reflux medications like PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) can help relieve patients’ heartburn symptoms, but don’t solve the underlying anatomical problems or prevent further disease progression. Even on PPIs many patients are still unable to eat the foods they want or have to sleep sitting up to reduce nighttime reflux. In addition, recent studies have shown that long-term use of PPIs can lead to inadequate absorption of minerals such as calcium and can be a cause of bone fractures. After the TIF procedure, clinical trials show that most patients are able to eat and drink foods they avoided for many years.  Reflux no longer impacts their life like it previously did.”

The TIF procedure is based on established principles of surgical repair of the antireflux barrier, except that it is “surgery from within” performed transorally (through the mouth). The procedure reduces small hiatal hernias and creates a valve between the stomach and esophagus restoring the natural, physiological anatomy to prevent reflux. Because the procedure is incisionless, there is reduced pain, reduced recovery and no visible scar.

The TIF procedure represents the revolutionary next step in the evolution of surgery. Laparoscopy, a form of “minimally invasive surgery,” typically requires three-to-five port holes and the same internal incisions and organ dissection as open surgery. TIF requires neither abdominal incisions nor internal dissection, making it a truly “minutely invasive” surgical procedure to effectively treat GERD. With millions of Americans suffering with daily symptoms of reflux and many not fully satisfied with their current treatment therapy, TIF offers an excellent alternative.

“Recent studies show that TIF can reduce patients’ dependency on medications with 79% of patients remaining off their daily medications after two years and experiencing a dramatic improvement in their quality of life,” said Dr. Hiesterman. “We are very excited to be able to offer our patients the same incredible benefits as more invasive procedures without incisions.”
About Dr. Hiesterman:

Dr. Hiesterman is a Montana native who completed his residency with the Michigan State University Resident Training Program at Metro Health Hospital. He is a graduate of Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.

About the TIF EsophyX procedure:

Widely recognized as the next step in the evolution of minimally invasive techniques, the EsophyX device is introduced into the body, not through an incision, but through a “natural” body orifice, the mouth. The EsophyX device and the TIF procedure reduce hiatal hernia and create a valve between the stomach and the esophagus to restore the natural, physiological anatomy to reduce/prevent gastroesophageal reflux. Because the procedure is incisionless, there are no visible scars and the risk of adverse effects is reduced.

Tri-State Memorial Hospital & Medical Clinics – General Surgery
Mark Hiesterman, DO
509.254.2722
1119 Highland Ave., Ste. 1
Clarkston, WA

Tri-State Memorial Hospital has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to clinical excellence and quality improvement as demonstrated by its outstanding patient outcomes across their orthopedic service area. Tri-State Memorial Hospital has been recognized by HealthGrades with the following orthopedic achievements:

On February 1, 2012 a HealthGrades trophy presentation will be held in Clarkston, WA to recognize Tri-State Memorial Hospital for its clinical excellence in Joint Replacement. The Joint Replacement specialty award is based on Total Knee Replacement and Total Hip Replacement. HealthGrades first calculates a star rating for both procedures based on complication rates. The Joint Replacement ranking is a weighted star average, based on volume. To receive a ranking in this specialty area, a hospital had to provide both total knee replacement and total hip replacement, and have a star rating for both procedures based on MedPAR data.

To help consumers evaluate and compare hospital performance, HealthGrades analyzed patient outcome data for various medical conditions or procedures. For each condition and procedure, hospitals were assigned a 5-star (best), 3-star (as expected), or 1-star (poor) rating. Ratings are based on risk-adjusted in-hospital complication rates. For each hospital, HealthGrades then assigned an overall ranking for each specialty area based on the ratings of one or more medical conditions or procedures (e.g., heart attack, coronary bypass surgery). When ties occurred in the average star rating calculation, average z-scores were used to break the ties. The top 10% of hospitals (unless otherwise noted) within each specialty area were selected to be HealthGrades Specialty Excellence Award™ recipients. These hospitals had the lowest risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates.