Stroke patients at Hocking Valley Community Hospital benefit from the
Stroke Network. The hospital uses a stroke cart (shown to the left of the
patient bed) to allow Riverside Methodist Hospital neurologists to see and
interact with HVCH patients remotely.

Do you know the signs of a stroke? Remember F.A.S.T.

LOGAN – When someone is having a stroke, Hocking Valley Community Hospital knows minutes make a difference. The hospital’s Stroke Network saves valuable time in diagnosing and treating stroke patients.

“The Stroke Network is a telemedicine program that HVCH operates in partnership with Ohio Health through Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus,” said Stacey Gabriel, RN, BSN, CEN director of the hospital’s Emergency Department, Urgent Care and Special Care Unit. “We utilize the latest technology to allow a Columbus neurologist to see a patient right here in Logan.”

Here’s how the Stroke Network functions: “When a patient displays symptoms of a stroke, we pull out a cart equipped with a monitor screen on the nurse’s side, a monitor on the patient’s side and a microphone. We use the Internet to connect with the e-ICU at Riverside,” explained Gabriel. “This sends a notification to the nurses that HVCH has a stroke patient. They bring up a monitor on their end, and they can see us here in Logan. A neurologist is summoned, and we do a patient assessment that the neurologist can watch.”

The technology even allows the neurologist to control the view and, for example, zoom in on the patient to aid in the assessment. If the doctor confirms that an ischemic stroke has occurred, nurses can administer a clot-busting medication on the spot; the patient will be transferred to Riverside, but doesn’t have to wait until arriving there to begin medication. “The Stroke Network is a great resource for nurses, patients, families and physicians,” Gabriel noted.

Time-saving efforts to minimize the effects of a stroke begin before the patient ever reaches Hocking Valley Community Hospital. “Hocking County EMS calls in a stroke alert based on the symptoms they are seeing. That way we have the necessary resources ready by the time they arrive, and we’ve already notified the Radiology Department that the patient is going to need a CT scan,” Gabriel said. “All of our nurses are trained to conduct stroke assessments, and we take the patient directly to radiology on the EMS cot (provided they are stable), again saving time. Images from the scan are electronically transmitted to Riverside.”

Not all stroke patients need to travel to Columbus for care. “In the past, every stroke patient would be sent north. In some cases, certain factors would make comfort care a priority, and the patient would be sent back to Logan. Today’s training and technology can eliminate this unnecessary travel and stress for the patient and family,” said Gabriel.

May is National Stroke Awareness Month; and the first steps used to determine if someone is having a stroke are ones which anyone can put into use.

A stroke takes place when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into the spaces surrounding brain cells. Brain cells die when they no longer receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood or there is sudden bleeding into or around the brain. (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the American Stroke Association.)

The symptoms of a stroke include sudden confusion, or trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body; sudden trouble with walking, dizziness or loss of balance or coordination; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; or sudden severe headache with no known cause. A simple way of knowing the signs of a stroke is F.A.S.T.

F.A.S.T. stands for:

• Face Dropping

Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.

• Arm Weakness

Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

• Speech Difficulty

Is speech slurred, is the person unable to speak, or is the person hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “the sky is blue”. Is the sentence repeated correctly?

• Time to Call 911

If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately.

Effects of a Stroke

The effects of a stroke depend on several factors, including the location of the obstruction and how much brain tissue is affected. If a stroke occurred on the right side of the brain, a person could have paralysis on the left side of the body; vision problems; quick, inquisitive behavioral style; or memory loss. If a stroke occurred on the left side of the brain, a person could have paralysis on the right side of the body; speech/language problems; slow, cautious behavioral style; or memory loss. A person could have all of these conditions after a stroke or just one of the conditions; it depends on the factors and severity of the stroke.

L-R: James Hocking Valley Community Hospital recently hosted a Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Before Hours in the new Pain Management Clinic.

Surgery Director, Tara Jacobs, and the Pain Management Clinic staff, were on hand to meet Chamber members and answer questions.

James Bernholtz read a proclamation from the State Treasurer’s office. The proclamation said, in part, “The expansion of Hocking Valley Community Hospital’s Pain Management Clinic will further it’s mission of providing quality care and services to the community and those patients suffering from chronic pain. The Pain Management Clinic is to be commended for it’s partnership with local drug task forces in reducing drug abuse while also providing utmost care for its residents. Furthermore, the Pain Management Clinic will be valuable in attracting new businesses through its state-of-art medical facilities and services.”

The pain management clinic offers treatment for a variety of conditions, including headaches, back and neck pain, fibromyalgia, chronic pelvic pain, RSD, nerve damage, pain from arthritis, muscle spasm and shingles. If you need information about the clinic please call 740-380-8171.

Photo Caption: Back L-R John Burgess, Director, IT; Crescent Rooker, RN Charge Nurse; Bob Wentz, PTA, Inpatient Rehab coordinator; Rajeshri Ram, Mental Health Tech, BHU; Jim McLin, Radiology Tech; Front
L-R Emily Martin, RN, Outpatient Infusion; Cheryl Gallagan, Patio Shoppe Clerk and Food Buyer; Angel McLaughlin, STNA, Med-Surg.

The Hocking Valley Community Hospital “Healthcare Worker of the Year” award is given each year to an employee who demonstrates leadership, reflects the HVCH Standards of Behavior, and routinely goes above and beyond their job duties.
This year’s eight nominees all demonstrate those qualities.

John Burgess, the Director of IT, continuously keeps HVCH’s technology up to date. John’s supervisory duties include keeping the health information of over 100,000 patients protected and safe and making sure that his department maintains hundreds of computers, printers and other IT equipment every day. John always keeps the best interests of the hospital and our patients in mind when making any decision.

Cheryl Gallagan, Patio Shoppe Clerk and Food Buyer, treats the Patio Shoppe as if it were her own business. She welcomes everyone with a greeting, whether they are a regular or a visitor. Cheryl works to solve problems and is diligent in her duties. When you have a problem, Cheryl will listen. She makes the Patio Shoppe the perfect place to relax.

Emily Martin, RN, Outpatient Infusion is one of the most caring nurses that you will ever meet. She always puts the needs of others first; including her patients, peers and family. All of her patients love her. Her kind demeanor and soft voice offer comfort to her patients, most of which have very complicated diagnoses, which make these patients some of the most difficult in which to provide care. Emily goes beyond the five fundamentals of service and gets to know her patients on a much deeper level.

Angel McLaughlin, STNA, Med-Surg., is a hard worker who loves people and always keeps a positive attitude. Many times patients will ask, “Where’s Angel?” as soon as they are admitted because Angel always anticipates and exceeds the expectations of patients and their families. Angel is well respected by her co-workers and peers. Angel devotes her heart and energy into making a difference in other people’s lives.

Jim McLin, Radiology Tech, exemplifies customer service skills. He is one of the champions of AIDET in Radiology. It just comes natural to him. He excels in the five fundamentals of service, escorting patients, and he is a great team player. He always approaches patients with a smiling face and a warm greeting.

Rajeshri Ram, Mental Health Tech, Behavioral Health Unit, is a role model to her peers. Her work experience that she has gained in the last 14 plus years makes her an expert in her job and one of the “obvious” people to turn to for guidance. Rajeshri has the ability to anticipate other’s needs and acts accordingly. She is resourceful and conscientious of the unit and her co-worker’s needs.

Crescent Rooker, RN, Charge Nurse, Emergency Dept., is a team player. She is always willing to help out in anyway that she can. She takes her role as ED Charge Nurse very seriously and with great pride. Crescent is a high performer, dependable, and committed to her job and a good friend and co-worker. She helps out by doing the SCU, Urgent Care, and ED schedules.

Bob Wentz, PTA, Inpatient Rehab Coordinator, handles a full caseload, yet coordinates schedules for PT and PTA staff who cover inpatients for rehab services He also assists occupational therapists and speech pathologists by coordinating PT staff with their caseload. His humor and good nature serves him and his department well. He is able to get the most difficult patients to participate in their therapy programs before they even fully realize what they have accomplished during their daily sessions.

The HVCH “Healthcare Worker of the Year” nominee will be awarded at the hospital’s employee recognition dinner, May 16, 2013.

The President/CEO is responsible for creating an environment and culture that enables the hospital to fulfill its mission to the residents of Hocking County and surrounding areas. We are seeking a leader who has a commitment to community involvement with excellent interpersonal and communications skills.

Hocking Valley Community Hospital is an award winning 25 bed Critical Access Hospital with a very active Emergency Department including Urgent Care. The hospital is a Studer Group client, and prides itself on outstanding HCAHPS scores. Hocking Valley Community Hospital is a county owned facility operating under the rules of the Ohio Revised Code and offering Ohio Public Employees Retirement System benefits.

The position requires a Bachelor’s Degree (Masters Degree preferred) in Health Care Administration or Business along with at least 5 years of progressive senior operations experience either at the CEO, CFO or COO level. Strong physician relations and an understanding of physician practice management are essential.

Send resume along with salary requirements to:

Auxiliary officers for 2013 are L-R: Mimi Hammer, Assistant treasurer. Kathy Stiverson, Treasurer, Betty Jo Downs, President and Christy Keynes, Secretary (unable to be in photo, Wynn Wilkinson, Vice President) 

At a recent Hocking Valley Community Hospital Auxiliary annual meeting, new officers were installed for 2013.  Auxiliary officers for 2013 are Betty Jo Downs – President, Wynn Wilkinson, Vice President, Kathy Stiverson, Treasurer, Christy Keynes, Secretary and Mimi Hammer, Assistant Treasurer. The new officers participated in a candle lighting ceremony, which was conducted by Director, Community Relations & Volunteer Services, Kathy Krumlauf.

The Auxiliary, through various fundraising activities, raises money for new hospital equipment. The Auxiliary recently purchased 10 new electronic medical record systems for the Medical Surgical and Swing Beg departments.

Terra Cotta planters may also be purchased in 10” and 12” sizes. The 10” planters are $10.00 and the 12” planters are $16.00.  Flowers available in 4” pots are, Non-Stop Begonias, New Guinea Impatiens, Geraniums and Zinnias. The 4” pots contain 6 items per tray for $11.00. Prepaid orders are being accepted through Saturday, April 27, and flower pickup will be on Sunday, May 5, at the Fairgrounds Shelter House from

3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  If you would like to place an order or need more information please contact Nancy Johnson at 385-4327 or the Community Relations Dept. at Hocking Valley Community Hospital at 380-8110.  Order forms are also available in the Patio Shoppe located inside the Hospitals front lobby. 

All proceeds from this sale benefit Hocking Valley Community Hospital.

In photo: Rita Reis, TWIG II, Katy Kudlapur & Jackie Croucher, TWIG II, picking up their spring plants.

Pictured L-R Back Row: HVCH Employees, Heather Smith, Dawna Evans, Chris Barrell, Tammy Little, Janelle Hicks, Rebecca McDonald, Karen Brandon, Julie Stuck and Ginger Johnson.

Front Row: Kandy Fizer, Julie Grow, Berdena Smart, Jenny Kindinger and Mandy Norway

Hocking Valley Community Hospital Auxiliary recently welcomed a new TWIG group to help raise funds for the purchase of new hospital equipment and other vital hospital needs.

 The new group is TWIG IV, and is made up of hospital employees only. Members are Ginger Johnson, President, Tammy Little, Vice President, Julie Grow, Treasurer, Janelle Hicks, Secretary, Chris Barrell, Karen Brandon, Jeri Collins, Dawna Evans, Kandy Fizer, Jenny Kindinger, Rebecca McDonald, Mandy Norway, Berdena Smart, Heather Smith & Julie Stuck.  Twig IV has already held their first fund raiser of 2013, and they kicked it off with a Valentine’s Basket raffle that raised just over $400 to get their bank account started. 

 Their next fundraiser is now underway and is a new twist to an old game called “BLINGO BINGO”. This is a version of Bingo that is played to win Park Lane Jewelry, valued up to $100.  The cost is $20 per person, and this cost includes pizza, pop, and jewelry.  The event will be held on Thursday, April 25, in the CIC Building (suite B)that is adjacent to the hospital. Arrival time is 6:15 pm and bingo begins at 6:30 pm.  To reserve a seat for this exciting new fundraiser, call Ginger Johnson at 380-0804, email gjohnson@hvch.org, or contact any of the TWIG IV members listed above.  All proceeds raised benefit HVCH. 

Registration begins at 8:00 a.m.; Race begins at 9:00 a.m.

• Start and finish at the Hocking County Fairgrounds.
• All entrants need to check in prior to the start of the race, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
• All pre-registered entrants will receive a t-shirt.
• Water stations will be located at the halfway point and the fairgrounds. Medical aid is available.
• Strollers are welcome! Sorry, no roller skates/blades or bikes allowed in the race.
• This event will proceed rain or shine!
• Awards will be given to the first male and female winner in each age category for runners.
• Recognition will also be given to the youngest and oldest participants.

Click here for the Registration Form