Jan.

11, 2011
Inside this issue
Pulmonary rehabilitation programs are
helping participants breathe easierPage 2
CAMC has once again been recognized for
achievements in quality and cost-effective
carePage 2
Clinical dietitians at CAMC are some
of the only specialists in their field in
the state.Page 3

THE CUTTING EDGE

Migraine sufferers now have new
options for treatmentPage 4
Interactive baby simulators are being used
to teach important lessons in CAMCs
childbirth education classesPage 4
Learn about a non-invasive treatment
for anginaPage 4

CAMC: Going beyond traditional health care

When most people think of hospitals,
they think of doctors and nurses caring
for patients. When most people think of
Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC),
they think of nationally ranked quality,
heart care thats among the highest volume
in the country and more than 60 years of
nationally-certified cancer services.
But CAMC is much more than that. CAMC
provides programs and services for mothers,
newborns, grandparents, the homeless,
children and youth in our schools, the
working poor and many more.
These programs touch a number of lives
beyond the traditional health care we often
think of when we consider hospital care,
said David Ramsey, president and CEO
of CAMC and its parent company, CAMC
Health System, Inc. They are driven by our
mission: Striving to provide the best health
care to every patient, every day.
In 2009, CAMC provided $125,140,297 in
community benefit. But when considering
how much CAMC loses caring for people
with Medicare coverage ($67,963,877 in
2009) and bad debt ($21,565,681 in 2009)
from people who dont pay their bills,
CAMCs contribution to the community tops
$214 million.
Despite the high cost, these services are
provided because they meet identified
community needs, said Brenda Grant,
chief strategy officer. If we didnt offer
these services, they probably would not be
available in our area.
We give back to our community because
we understand the impact that exceptional
medical care, charity care, education,
corporate contributions and community
partnerships have on the lives of real
people, Ramsey added.
CAMC is a tertiary regional referral center
and teaching hospital with one of only two
state Level I Trauma Centers and the highest
level Neonatal Intensive Care and Pediatric
Intensive Care units.
CAMC is the largest provider of
uncompensated care and the largest
Medicaid provider in West Virginia. CAMC is
also the primary medical safety net provider
of womens, childrens and trauma services in
central and southern West Virginia.
CAMC does much more than just provide
health care; it is involved in nearly every
aspect of the lives and well being of the
community it serves.

Above: Imagine U is a virtual

health care experience. CAMC
broadcasts selected surgeries,
narrated by a local physician,
via a web cast to introduce high
school students to careers in
health care using technology
that links health science
classrooms to the real world of
health care and hospitals.

We invest our time, talents and bottom-line

to serve our community particularly the
needs of the low income, elderly and other
vulnerable persons, Ramsey said.
As the only major teaching hospital in
southern West Virginia, CAMC serves the
uninsured and underinsured with highly
specialized safety net services. For years,
CAMC has trained physicians, nurses, nurse
anesthetists and numerous other support
staff as well as provided support for area
universities and schools training health care
professionals.
The community programs CAMC offers are
geared toward prevention, care, education
and research. They are all for a variety of
age-groups and situations. Just a few of the
programs are listed below:
Children and families
CAMC teaches hunting safety, ATV and bike
safety, car seat safety and Think First for
Kids (focusing on the prevention of head
and spinal injuries) among others. For
families, CAMC offers sibling preparation,
parenting and baby sign language classes
and playgroups.

Above: The CAMC Patient Simulation Center

offers physicians, nurses, first responders and
others an opportunity for hands-on practice
before they are faced with real patients.

Patient care
The CAMC Ryan White Program is the
primary outpatient care, education and
source of information for individuals in 16
southern West Virginia counties who are atrisk or infected with HIV.
For the past 17 years, weekly blood pressure
clinics have been offered at housing projects
in Charleston to give residents a regular time
to have their blood pressure checked. The
residents know whenI come and say, the
blood pressure man is here,said Edward
J. Haver, MA, director of cardiac rehab.
Usually 10 to 15 people come down to get
their blood pressure checked. I have sent
many back to their doctors for medication
checks, to Health Right for medications and
even to the ER whentheir blood pressure
isdangerously high.

Continued on Page 2

Discover the new camc.org

The Internet is becoming an increasingly
popular way to search for health
information, find a doctor and learn more
about local hospitals. Research published
in the Journal of the American Medical
Association shows that about 40 percent of
adults who have Internet access use it to find
health-related information.
The new camc.org makes it easier to find
information about services provided
by CAMC and its CAMC Health System
affiliates, health conditions and physicians
who treat patients here. It has been
redesigned to be more user-friendly, and is
considered a smart site, which means that
the site searches itself to collect the most
important information related to the topics
that are being browsed.
Much like Amazon.com and other consumer
sites, related content will be grouped
together, making a one-stop shop for the
information that people want to find.
For example, on the Cancer Services page,
there is information about adult and
pediatric inpatient and outpatient cancer
care at CAMC, as well as up-to-date listings
for support groups, clinical trials, education
opportunities, relevant CAMC news articles
and physicians who treat cancer patients at
CAMC.

In addition to easy-to-understand
information about all of CAMCs services,
individual departments at each hospital
are listed with visiting hours and printable
maps to each location. If the user has a
loved one in the hospital, this feature will
enable them to learn more about the unit
on which they are a patient, and how to
find the way there. This information is also
linked to driving directions, parking, gift
shop and cafeteria information for each
hospital.
Because camc.org gets an average of 1.2
million hits each month, it is important that
the site be designed specifically for people
who use it. Several designs and navigational
options were tested by users, so that the
most efficient and practical options were
chosen.
Other features include:
An updated physician directory,
searchable by last name and specialty

Driving directions to each hospital

accessible through Google maps,
which allows the user to input a
home address to generate
a personalized set of
directions
The latest CAMC
news articles and
publications
Updated listings of
CAMCs specialties
and accreditations
The goal of this project
was to make the site
easier to navigate and
more user-friendly. Visit
camc.org to browse the
new site, and send us
feedback by clicking the
Contact Us link.

Online pre-registration and bill pay

A calendar of events, searchable by
date, category and event title
Special pages for patients, visitors,
physicians and employees, with
pertinent information all in one place

CAMC Today is a publication of CAMC Health System

QJan2011Final.indd 1

12/30/10 11:10:21 AM

www.camc.org

CAMCs QUEST for

quality saves lives

Pulmonary programs help patients with lung conditions

For the second consecutive year, CAMC

has been recognized for achieving top
performance standards in quality and costeffective care in a voluntary, nationwide
hospital performance improvement project.

Pulmonary education program

The respiratory care department at CAMC
has developed a new, comprehensive selfmanagement service for patients with lung
conditions. The pulmonary education
program (PEP) helps people learn strategies
for better living with their lung conditions.

CAMCs focus on quality resulted in 548

lives saved in the two years of the project
and decreased its cost of care by more
than $300 per case, well below the top
performance threshold.
A three-year project, the Premier healthcare
alliance QUEST: High-Performing
Hospitals is comprised of 157 not-for-profit
hospitals across 35 states.
CAMC achieved top performance in the
following performance goals:
Safely reduce the cost of care for each
patients hospitalization
Save lives by eliminating avoidable
hospital mortalities
Deliver the most reliable and effective
care - every recommended evidencebased care measure to every patient,
every time
CAMCs participation in this project
illustrates its significant dedication to the
never-ending goal of improving the quality
of care, said Glenn Crotty Jr, MD, CAMC
chief operating officer. It shows that CAMC
also is on the cutting edge of health care
quality and setting new standards for highperforming, high-value health care. These
improvements not only make us a better
hospital, they are showing others what is
possible and helping set reasonable targets
for improvement that will benefit patients
nationwide.
Developed in partnership with Premier and
the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
(IHI), QUEST is designed to support
hospitals in reaching new levels of
performance and inform public policies
with meaningful solutions supported by
real results. Together, QUEST hospitals
share ideas and best practices to create
effective strategies for reducing variation, an
approach that has shown to support care
quality, safety and cost improvements.
We are taking the next steps to achieve
reliable delivery of the best clinical,
financial and satisfaction outcomes,
Crotty said.
QUEST hospitals are challenged to
overcome process failures and excessive
costs, and measure themselves against
one another to achieve top performance,
said Susan DeVore, Premier president
and CEO. They have committed to serve
as a test bed, identifying areas where
further improvements are needed while
showing what is possible in performance
improvement in health care. Providers such
as CAMC are setting the standard for top
quality care.

AARP
Driving Classes
March 9 and 10
1 to 5 p.m.
Must attend both days for certificate.
AARP members $12/person
Non-members $14/person
(Checks only. Make payable to AARP.)

Class size is limited.

Call (304) 345-9051 to register.

NEW HOURS
(effective Jan. 3, 2011)*
Open Monday through Friday
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed holidays
*St. Albans HealthPlus only

Two options offered to meet patients needs

This program will empower individuals to

lead a fuller, more self-confident lifestyle.
The one-on-one program includes
teaching sessions with a registered
respiratory therapist or registered
nurse, using national evidence based
guidelines*. At these sessions youll
set personal goals, learn symptoms
and definitions about your lung
condition, and have your questions
answered, said Len Picha, RRT, CPFT,
CAMC pulmonary rehab. Other topics
in the PEP include self-assessment
skills, medication, inhaler and spacer
lessons, breathing exercises and how
to use a Better Breathing Plan for a
lung condition.

The PEP offers ways to improve quality of

life and everyday activities. Increasing your
knowledge about, and comfort level with,
lung disease will help you control and ease
the symptoms of your lung condition. As
your knowledge and confidence grows,
you will find yourself more and more
independent. You may also notice a
decrease in mental health symptoms, such
as anxiety or depression, Picha said.
A major part of an individuals selfmanagement of a lung condition is
recognizing when help is needed and how
to find it. Knowing where to go for help
takes initiative and requires evaluation of
ones condition and capabilities.

CAMC Physicians Group is the new name

for a network of physician practices affiliated
with CAMC, Teays Valley Hospital and other
CAMC Health System companies. CAMC
Physicians Group will now replace the
Integrated Health Care Providers, Inc.
name on many practices.
IHCPI has grown from a few practices
and a handful of physicians 15 years ago
to more than a dozen medical practices
and 80 physicians today, with more
growth expected in the future, said Jeff
Goode, president of IHCPI. Our growth
is due to several factors, namely CAMCs

As with the PEP, the main goals of the

pulmonary rehabilitation program are
to help patients improve their day-today lives, restore their ability to function
independently, reduce and control
breathing difficulties and symptoms,
and maintain healthy behaviors such as
smoking cessation, good nutrition and
exercise.
The education sessions focus on training
patients to self-manage their pulmonary
diseases. The sessions also help the patient
begin permanent lifestyle changes by
addressing proper nutrition, medication
usage, stress management, relaxation
techniques, environmental factors and
triggers, medical testing and when to
call a doctor.

commitment to providing access to sub

specialty care and recent impacts of health
care reform that have changed the practice
preferences of our physicians. As we have
grown to meet our communitys health
care needs in this changing health care
environment, so has the need to foster the
collaborative relationships between these
practices and CAMC.
There are 12 practices that have been
renamed CAMC Physicians Group: Dental
Center; Facial Surgery Center; Fertility
Center; General & Vascular Surgery Center;
Neurological Services; Orthopedic Trauma
Group; Plastic Surgery Center; Teays Valley
Orthopedics; Teays Valley Urology; Urology
Center of Charleston; Urologic Surgical
Center; and Urology Transplant.
David Lee Cancer Center, HealthPlus Urgent
Care Centers, bariatric surgery, pathology
and hospitalists still fall under IHCPI.

Going beyond traditional health care

Continued from front

Outpatient mental health services fill

the gap for individuals who have health
insurance that does not cover behavioral
health services or individuals without health
insurance.
Education
An on demand closed-circuit TV system
offers more than 100 educational videos for
patients and their families. The system also
includes a relaxation channel.
Rural outreach physician education provides
professional education to physicians and
health care providers in outlying areas.

CAMC provides a clinical setting and

staff instruction/supervision for area
students enrolled in programs for
nursing, health unit coordinator, imaging,
surgery tech, physical therapy, medical
records coding and a host of other allied
health professionals enrolled in outside
educational programs and scholarships.
The David Lee Cancer Center designed the
new patient chemotherapy class for patients
and their families who are about to begin
chemotherapy based on feedback from
former patients.Its purpose is to inform
patients about chemotherapy and available
services.
Research
The CAMC Health Education and
Research Institute, a sister company
to CAMC, is actively engaged
in clinical trials and has active
research protocols in several fields.
The majority of this research is
conducted at CAMC hospitals.

314 Goff Mountain Rd., Suite 3

(304) 388-7070

HealthPlus Southridge
301 RHL Blvd., Suite 3 South
Charleston (304) 388-7010

QJan2011Final.indd 2

Tera Winfree of Charleston has participated

in CAMC pulmonary rehab for about three
years. She has cystic fibrosis and received a
lung transplant in November 2009 at the
Cleveland Clinic.

Winfree rejoined the program

after her lung transplant and is
now in the maintenance stage.
I still work out twice a week at
HeartFit, she said. Im now
up to a brisk walk, and Im also
able to go biking and play tennis
again.
She said that pulmonary
rehabilitation has several
benefits. The therapists and
nurses are there for you if you
have any questions, and they can also
keep track of your oxygen saturations. The
camaraderie of all the participants is great.
It keeps people coming because they are
always there to boost you. Thats one of the
reasons Ive continued going.
Pulmonary rehabilitation offers patients a
chance to reduce hospitalizations, increase
knowledge about pulmonary disease and
its management, the ability to control
and alleviate the symptoms of pulmonary
disease and the ability to carry out activities
of daily living with less shortness of breath.
The CAMC pulmonary education and
pulmonary rehabilitation programs require
a physician referral. For more information
about both programs, call (304) 388-5569.
(*National Heart Lung Blood Institute Expert Panel
3, and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung
Disease)

CAMC Physicians Group: New name for a growing group of medical specialties

CAMC Urgent Care Center

Cross Lanes

HealthPlus Kanawha City

Once patients have finished the 12-week

program, they can continue to exercise
twice a week as long as theyd like in the
maintenance program.

When I started in the program

I had difficulty breathing, and
it helped me. They offered good
information about easier ways to
do activities that didnt take as
much oxygen, she said.

Scheduling is flexible based on each

individuals needs and goals, and/or
doctors orders. Some may attend just
one class for inhaler or spacer training,
Tera Winfree, CAMC pulmonary rehab participant
while others will meet once a week
for about 45 minutes for up to six visits.
The program is 10 to 12 weeks long and
Others may be interested in the pulmonary
takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays for
rehabilitation program, which meets for
two hours each day. Classes consist of one
two hours twice a week for approximately
hour of exercise training and one hour of
12 weeks.
educational and behavioral instruction.

For expanded hours, please visit our

other urgent care centers that are open
7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.:

4602 MacCorkle Ave. SE Charleston

(304) 925-4777

Pulmonary rehabilitation
CAMCs pulmonary rehabilitation program
is a combination of supervised exercise
therapy, lifestyle changes and education
in an outpatient setting to treat those with
lung diseases such as chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma,
emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, asbestosis,
sleep apnea and patients who have received,
or are preparing for, a lung transplant.

CAMC nurses talk with students at schools and

community events to provide ATV and bicycle
safety education.

There are many more programs and

services offered by CAMC. For the
complete community benefit report,
visit http://www.camc.org/documents/
AFS/2009CommunityBenefitReport
Web.pdf.

Many of these practices and their physicians

are not new to the CAMC Health System,
but the groups new name better reflects
the wide range of quality health services
provided by CAMC Health System
companies.
Although we have many different doctors
working in different specialties and offices,
were all united by a common goal to
provide the best possible health outcomes
for patients, Goode said. From easy access
to prompt medical care to the most effective
treatment options, our focus is truly on
exceptional patient care.
Over the next few months patients will
notice the transition to the new CAMC
Physicians Group name when they visit
the offices that are part of the group, but
nothing will change in the day to day
operations of these practices.
Your doctors will stay the same and
there will be no interruption to medical
care, Goode said. Were simply making
this change to unify services and make it
easier for patients to get the specialty care
they need. Now, when you see the CAMC
Physicians Group name and logo on an
office, physicians lab coat or advertisement,
youll know what it stands for a large
group of skilled and experienced people
working together to offer a wide range
of health care services for a healthier
community.

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Elizabeth Pellegrin
Editor

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Marketing &
Public Affairs
Dale Witte
Jessica Duffield
Editors/Writers

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Tony Campbell
Graphic Designer
Julia Noland
Leslie Carpenter
Ashley Showen
Writers

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12/30/10 11:10:25 AM

www.camc.org

Clinical dietitians provide specialized care

Some are unique in the state
The after-holiday weight loss kick spurs
many people to think about getting the
proper nutrition for their bodies. This is
something that clinical dietitians do every
day for their patients, but its not all about
telling people to eat more fruit and cut
back on the french fries. Depending on
their specialty, dietitians at CAMC may be
working with a patient who just had
a kidney transplant, assessing a
premature baby for nutritional
needs, determining the best
course of treatment for a
patient who needs to be tubefed or educating a person
with diabetes.
CAMC is fortunate to have
several clinical registered
dietitians (RD) with advanced
training in their chosen fields.
Some of them are the only ones
in their specialty in the state or
one of very few in the country.
CAMC has certified specialists in renal
nutrition, pediatric nutrition, gerontological
nutrition, nutrition support and
diabetes education. Each of these patient
populations has special needs and concerns.
In addition to the requirements to
become a registered dietitian, theyve gone
above and beyond in their specialized
certifications. This wasnt a requirement
for them; but rather, something they all
did on their own, said Peg Andrews,
MA, RD, CSG, LD, a certified specialist
in gerontological nutrition. With an
additional certification, you have to have
a level of expertise and experience to
maintain a certain standard of care.
Beverly Mann, RD, CSR, LD, is a certified
specialist in renal nutrition and also has
a certificate in adult weight management.
With renal patients, you are dealing with
a life-altering change: either dialysis or a
kidney transplant. You have to adapt their
diet, but try to let them have as many
choices as possible, because they dont have
those choices with dialysis or surgery, she
said. Mann is one of three renal specialists
in West Virginia, and one of 380 in the
country.
Mann currently works at the CAMC Weight
Loss Center, preparing patients for surgical
weight loss or counseling them during
medical weight loss. She said that many
patients coming in for weight loss also have
a degree of renal failure, and her specialty is
a definite advantage.
Amy Spadafora, MS, RD, CSP, LD, is
the only certified specialist in pediatric

nutrition in the state. Every patient is like

a tiny puzzle that we have to decode. One
of the challenges in working in pediatrics is
that there arent guidelines or protocols for
many of the issues facing our kids. There
is a lot of thinking outside the box for the
complicated cases, but those are the ones
that I love best, she said.
Spadaforas primary focus is
working with children who
cant eat conventionally. This
could arise from a variety of
problems: trauma, a disorder
at birth that prevents normal
eating, surgery, etc., she said.
Pediatrics is a unique world
compared to adults, because
the approach to patients and
families is different. I think my
specialty allows me to have an
expanded knowledge base and
comfort level with my patients,
Spadafora said.
A specialty that many people may not know
about is that of a nutrition support dietitian
(or nutrition support clinician). Nutrition
support specialists work with patients who
arent able to eat by mouth and need to
be fed through a tube into their digestive
system (enteral nutrition) or into their vein
(parenteral nutrition).
Ann Grose, RD, CNSC, LD; Jenni Jones,
MS, RD, CNSC, LD; and Cindy Franz,
RD, CNSD, LD, are the nutrition support
dietitians at CAMC.
Jones said that working in the inpatient area
has unique challenges. We are behind the
scenes, and its a different world.
We see patients with many different
needs, Franz said. We determine the
minute components of what they need,
with the ultimate goal of getting them to eat
by mouth.
We all have several triggers and conditions
for which we see patients, including
HIV, pancreatitis, pressure ulcers and
uncontrolled blood sugar, Grose said.
Different people require different
nutrients.
Nutrition support specialists sometimes
have to retrain a patients eating ability.
Even when a patient resumes eating by
mouth, they may not like the same foods
that they did before, as medications can
distort the taste of food.
Patients who are treated during their
hospital stay may need nutritional help

Stealth health
comes to CAMC
Would you notice if someone made very small
changes to your favorite meal to try to make it
healthier? Thats the idea behind the concept
of stealth health. Replacing butter with olive
oil, baking foods instead of frying them, and
swapping empty carbohydrates for whole
grain versions are just some of the things that
CAMC is starting to do for its patient meals
and cafeteria offerings.

once they are discharged. We have a

very team oriented environment and a
continuum of care. Its a seamless process
from inpatient to outpatient, Franz said.
We can start with skills as an inpatient,
then refer them for outpatient help, such as
with diabetes.
CAMC has two dietitians who are certified
in diabetes education. Jenny McMillion,
RD, CDE, LD, works in the outpatient
diabetes education program, and Susan
Poindexter, MS, RD, LD, CDE, works with
patients in the Dean Ornish and cardiac
rehab programs.
The people that we serve want quality
diabetes education. Our outpatient diabetes
education program provides comprehensive
services and is nationally recognized by the
American Diabetes Association. With my
certification and our programs awarded
recognition, it helps to show people
with diabetes that we can help provide
the effective tools for a healthy lifestyle,
McMillion said.
My certification as a diabetes educator is
an advantage to our Ornish program and
cardiac rehab participants. Approximately
one-third have diabetes, one-third are at
risk for diabetes, and most of the rest have
metabolic syndrome, which is a precursor to
pre-diabetes and diabetes, Poindexter said.
Poindexter provides nutrition assessments,
consultations and medical nutrition therapy
for participants in the Ornish and cardiac
rehab programs. Its gratifying to see
program participants incorporate what they
have learned from our programs into their
lives, and become healthier for it, she said.
The specialties of the clinical dietitians
at CAMC are advantageous not only for
patients, but for the community.
We participate in several events, including
CAMC HealthFest and Teddy Bear Fair, as
well as giving lectures and presentations for
other health care providers, Andrews said.
Reaching out to the community is very
important to us.

CAMCs food and nutrition services

department, along with Morrison Healthcare
Food Services, recognizes the importance
of healthy eating for patients, employees
and visitors. However, they also know that
gradually switching in more nutritious
versions of favorite foods will ultimately be
better than a rapid menu overhaul.
Most people dont change their eating habits
overnight, and we want this to be successful,
said Lisa Roberson, RD, LD, director, Morrison
Corporate Wellness. We have made over
several items in the caf as well as some on
the patient menu. We want to keep serving
the local favorites, but make small changes to
improve the health profile of these foods.
Stay tuned for more information about
CAMCs healthy meal initiatives, and next
time you visit a CAMC cafeteria, see if you can
tell which foods have undergone a stealth
health makeover.

Dietitians and
nutritionists:
Whats the difference?
Registered dietitians (RD) must have
a bachelors degree from an accredited
institution, complete an internship, pass
a registration exam given by the American
Dietetic Association and maintain required
continuing education credits.
While some states have licensing and
guidelines for nutritionists, many dont. In
these states, anyone can call themselves a
nutritionist, regardless of their education or
training.
For more information about registered
dietitians, visit www.eatright.org.
Source: American Dietetic Association

Drug research
Organ donation initiatives
looks at brain injury
at CAMC provide life-saving
The brain is one of the most complex and
services to the community
frustrating parts of the body for doctors to
treat. Aside from all the functions of the body
the brain controls, it also has the power to
self-destruct.
Researchers at CAMC are participating in a
nationwide clinical trial to see if a new drug
can help slow the spread of damage to the
brain.
The investigational drug is being developed
by Neuren in conjunction with the U.S Army.
It has been shown to reduce brain damage
and improve recovery after traumatic brain
injury in animal studies.
Once a brain injury occurs, a process begins
in which the brain starts turning off neurons
and sometimes ends with the brain selfdestructing, or killing, itself.
Were hoping this drug is the solution to
turn off that process, said Frank C. Lucente,
MD, a trauma surgeon and principal
investigator at CAMC. We cant bring back
the cells from the original injury, but we can
hopefully turn off the biological machinery
and stop the brain from killing itself.
Traumatic brain injury is a very serious health
problem that frequently results in persistent
problems with memory, attention span and
mood. Severe cases can cause fatigue, seizures,
inappropriate behavior, visual defects and
loss of smell or taste, among others.
Previous safety studies done with healthy
male volunteers have shown a good safety
profile for the investigational drug. This is
the first study to look at the drugs safety in
traumatic brain injury patients. Researchers
are looking for male patients between 18 and
70 years old that are admitted to the hospital
with a non-penetrating moderate to severe
traumatic brain injury.
Researchers hope to enroll about 10
participants in the trial from CAMC.

QJan2011Final.indd 3

Organ donation is one of the most

sensitive, yet important, initiatives in
health care today. According to the United
Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), there
are currently more than 109,000 people
waiting for tissue, eye or life-saving organ
transplantations.
CAMC collaborates with the Center for
Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) to
educate staff and help families through the
emotional process of donating organs.
Because CAMC is home to the only kidney
transplant center in the state, viable kidneys
can be transplanted to matching recipients
on site. More than 900 kidney transplants
have been performed at CAMC over the past
20 years, including 34 transplants in 2010.
CAMCs kidney transplant program is a
collaborative effort with the Cleveland
Clinic Foundation. CAMC also receives
a special designation from UNOS that
gives West Virginia kidney patients priority
status to be matched and transplanted with
kidneys recovered from the state. If no instate match is found, these organs are then
matched with patients in a larger organ
procurement service area.
The entire transplant process on average
takes 12 to 15 hours, and in some cases up
to 24 hours, said Glen Martin, associate
administrator at CAMC General Hospital.
CAMC also participates in other organ,
tissue and eye donations. Although these
transplants do not take place at CAMC,
many lives are saved from organs and tissue
donated here. In 2010, CAMC had 20 organ
donors, 28 tissue donors and 29 cornea
donors.
One person can save up to eight lives
through organ donation and assist dozens
of others with life enhancing tissue and eye

donation, said
Holly Mitchell,
COREs regional
professional
services liaison.
The hospitals
donor advisory
Members of CAMCs Donor Advisory Group
group works to
Front row (L to R): Ken Sheriff, Medical Eye Bank of WV; Nancy Hall, STICU General
increase organ,
Hospital; Becky Schrader, family support education coordinator CORE; Jennifer Bragg,
tissue and
transplant social worker; Debbie Wiley, PICU Women and Childrens Hospital
eye donation
Back row (L to R): Glen Martin, associate administrator General Hospital; Sister
opportunities by
Frances Kirtley, chaplain pastoral care; Dale Dawson, MICU General Hospital; Geary
implementing
Copenhaver, respiratory therapy General Hospital; Holly Mitchell, regional professional
services liaison CORE
ways to streamline
and improve the
process, which
begins when life-saving medical care is
The family of an organ donor experiencing
performed and the medical staff determines
the impending death of a loved one may
that a patient will not survive. Doctors
experience a number of different emotions,
inform the family, and the hospital staff
said Sister Francis Kirtley, CAMC chaplain.
then notifies CORE. If CORE determines
A trust level established with the family
there is potential for organ donation, CORE
opens the door for the family to share the
sends a specially-trained staff member to
patients wishes in regard to end of life
the hospital to talk with the family about
care.
the opportunity to donate.
The act of donation often helps families
In accordance with the WV Uniform
in their grieving process. While it does not
Anatomical Gift Act, if the patient is a
take away the pain of their loss, it can help
designated organ donor on his or her
them to know that someone is alive because
license, the designation is a legally binding
of their loved ones donation.
document and cannot be overturned. If the
patient is not a designated donor, the family
One of my greatest joys as a hospital
decides they want to pursue organ donation
chaplain is to walk into an ICU and find a
and the patient is a donor candidate, the
patient who just received a kidney. Those
patients information is put into the UNOS
patients are smiling and ready to tell me
database, which cross matches for recipients
about their wait, their months or years on
across the nation.
kidney dialysis, and the happiness of being
called to receive a new kidney, which for
CAMC is committed to fostering a
them is a gift for a new life, Kirtley said.
supportive environment about organ
I wish more people could see what I see
donation. Its pastoral care staff is an
following a kidney transplant. I believe it
important part of the process because
would make a big difference in the lives of
many families seek guidance from religious
so many individuals awaiting the gift
leaders when making the decision to
of life.
donate.

12/30/10 11:10:27 AM

www.camc.org

Interactive babies teach important lessons

Injury to an infant is the last thing
parents want to think about. During the
past few months in childbirth education
classes at the CAMC Family Resource
Center (FRC), educators have made sure
that new and soon-to-be parents think
about their actions and the consequences
by using infant simulators from
Realityworks, Inc. to demonstrate what
happens to shaken, fetal alcohol and
drug addicted babies.
We utilize these baby simulators
during our educational classes to help
drive home the point that Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome, drug addiction and Shaken
Baby Syndrome are real, said Kelly
Gilbert, RN, BSN, CCCE, family life
educator at the Family Resource Center.
We show slides on the importance of
avoiding drugs and alcohol and then
hold each baby up in comparison with a
healthy baby doll.
The impact of these demonstrations is
amazing.
Some people have a stunned look, while
others gasp and hold their hands over
their mouths, Gilbert said. For example,
the Shaken Baby Syndrome doll cries and
its brain lights up. It is utilized in a way
that demonstrates how a small amount
of shaking can create a large amount of
damage. The baby stops crying after only
a few shakes and the areas of the brain
that are damaged light up. It is a powerful
demonstration of how easily a baby can be
injured.
At first, almost everyone is hesitant to
shake the baby, and they are amazed at
how fast damage can happen when they
do, said Bev Kitchen, RN, Regional Care
Coordinator for the Right from the Start
Program. It is literally seconds! Most
people that see the drug addicted baby are

CAMC Women and Childrens Hospital

is the Regional Lead Agency for the Right
from the Start Program for Region III,
which includes Kanawha, Putnam, Boone
and Clay Counties. These dolls are a very
useful way for these counties to help visual
learners realize the impact alcohol, drugs
and shaking can have on a baby.
After demonstration, we lay the babies
on a table for participants to look at
again as they exit the classroom, Gilbert
said. Many people make comments on
how ugly the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
baby is, how hard it must be for a drug
addicted baby to detox and question how
anyone could really ever shake a baby.
The addition of these dolls has created
conversation amongst the pregnant
population, and I am amazed at the
impact they have made on our classes.
Kelly Gilbert holds some of the babies that are
used to teach about high-risk behaviors during,
and after, pregnancy.
disturbed with its physical presence. It is
thin and has a high pitched cry and jittery
shaking of its body.
In addition to childbirth education classes
at the FRC, the babies are also used at
health fairs, the Teddy Bear Fair, baby
safety showers, conferences, staff education
sessions and more.
Designated care coordinators use them for
childbirth education like Kelly does, and
can work with individual clients providing
education on harmful behaviors during
pregnancy, Kitchen said. The Office
of Maternal Child and Family Health
purchased the babies for all the Right from
the Start Regional Lead Agencies in the state
to provide education by the regional and
designated care coordinators.

I think as health professionals we often

say if people could see what we see, it
would be different, Kitchen said. In this
regard, the Realityworks simulators are very
valuable. Parents and others can see what
could happen and then take steps toward
prevention.
The Family Resource Center has been
providing services like this to the
community for more than 20 years. In
addition to childbirth education classes, it
offers counseling for individuals, couples,
adolescents and children; psychiatric
medical interventions; community
offerings that deal with family issues such
as parenting, divorce/blended families,
infertility counseling, geriatrics, womens
health issues and more; and many support
groups.
For more information about FRC programs,
call (304) 388-2545, or visit
www.camc.org/frc.

Migraine sufferers find relief with new approaches to treatment

As one of only two headache
specialists in West Virginia,
Foster sees how migraine
impacts patients lives
every day. She has also
experienced it firsthand
as a migraine sufferer
herself, which led to
her life-long study of
understanding the
disease and helping
others manage it.

Migraine sufferers know the

symptoms all too well a
pounding headache, nausea,
vomiting and/or sensitivity
to light. For nearly 30
million Americans, when
migraine strikes life comes
to a debilitating halt, and
nothing else matters but
making the pain stop.
Dr. Carol Fosters mission
is to do just that to help
patients understand migraine
and enjoy a better quality of
life without pain.
Migraine is not just a bad
headache, its an inherited brain
disease, said Foster, a board certified
neurologist with Neurological Services
at CAMC, who has extensive training
in treating headaches. Like asthma or
diabetes, migraine is a chronic medical
disorder.

Migraine is a brain
thing, not a pain thing,
meaning headaches are
caused by a problem with
the brain chemical serotonin,
Foster said. A bad marriage or a
bad hair day doesnt cause headache;
lack of serotonin causes headache. And
like asthma or diabetes, its a disease that
can be managed with lifestyle changes. The
key is making a complicated brain process
something people can understand so they
can become empowered to take
control of it.

ABOUT MIGRAINE

Nearly 30 million Americans suffer from

migraine, with women being affected three times
more often than men.
Migraine is most commonly experienced between
the ages of 15 and 55, and 70 to 80 percent of
sufferers have a family history of migraine.
Migraine is often misdiagnosed as sinus headache
or tension headache.
Many factors can trigger migraine attacks, such as
alteration of sleep-wake cycle; missing or delaying
a meal; daily or near daily use of medications
designed for relieving headache attacks; bright
lights, certain foods; and excessive noise.
Migraine characteristics can include:
Pain typically on one side of the head
Pain that has a pulsating or
throbbing quality
Moderate to intense pain
affecting daily activities
Nausea or vomiting
Sensitivity to light or sound
Attacks lasting four to 72 hours,
sometimes longer
Visual disturbances or aura
Exertion, such as climbing stairs, makes
headache worse

Talk to your family doctor if you are medicating a headache more than four days a month.
Source: National Headache Foundation

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Certain foods and environmental

factors such as stress, lack of sleep
or missed meals can trigger a
headache.
Just as an asthma attack can be
triggered by a cat for someone
allergic to cat hair, a migraine
attack can be triggered by a missed
meal or a late night, Foster said.
Being aware of your triggers helps
you avoid them and control the
frequency of attacks.
Foster works with patients to find
out what triggers their migraine and
how those triggers can be avoided.
One of the biggest culprits is food
additives, she said. Its critical
that people change their diet,
reduce food additives and bring the
neurochemicals in their brain back
in balance with a balanced diet and
regular exercise. Controlling the
biological stress response is the key
to controlling migraine.
Foster said migraine can be
easily treated, yet less than half
of migraine sufferers have been

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diagnosed or treated, in part, due to

medication overuse.
Migraine is biological, not psychological.
Just taking a pill when you have a headache
does not treat the cause of the headache.
You have to treat the disease.
Foster said many people dont understand
that the medications they take for
headache may actually cause more
headaches. Frequent use of prescription
and nonprescription pain pills, sinus
pills, muscle relaxants, sleeping pills and
tranquilizers often result in a cycle of
headaches.
Giving pain pills to a person with
headaches is like giving cookies to a
diabetic. You feel better for a little while,
but it only makes the problem worse,
Foster said. You break the cycle by
understanding whats causing the headache
and changing the behaviors that contribute
to it. When you understand the disease and
make changes in your life, often you can
control your headaches and improve your
quality of life.

Man thriving after

external counterpulsation
(ECP) therapy

Nason Joe Akers spent his 2009

Christmas in the hospital, having five
bypasses on Dec. 24.
I told the nurse that bypass surgery was
my Christmas present, he said. She said
being alive was my present, and I had to
agree.
Akers, who is 72, had suffered from
angina (chest pain or discomfort that
occurs when the heart muscle does not
get enough blood) for years and had
trouble doing the simplest of daily tasks.
After having a total of 12 stents that led to
bypass surgery, Akers was referred to the
external counterpulsation (ECP) therapy
program at CAMC.
Patients who have stable angina and
are not candidates for further invasive
treatment (cardiac stents or angioplasty
procedures) are normally covered
by insurance for these treatments,
said Ed Haver, director of the cardiac
rehabilitation program. Oftentimes ECP
patients have had cardiac bypass surgery
or other heart procedures done in the
past, but the angina returned and cant be
adequately treated.
ECP therapy works to improve circulation
to the heart muscle, increasing oxygenrich blood flow to the heart and reducing
its workload. It also helps to build new
pathways around blocked arteries in the
heart by expanding tiny blood vessels that
aid blood flow.
The treatment is done with the patient
lying on his back on a padded bed. Large
blood pressure-like cuffs are wrapped
around the patients calves, thighs and
buttocks. These cuffs automatically
inflate and deflate, beginning with
the lower legs and working upward
corresponding to every heartbeat. When
the heart is at rest the cuffs inflate and
then rapidly deflate before the heart beats
again. This procedure takes one hour,
and the patient comes five days per week
for seven weeks. While the procedure
takes place, the patient can watch TV,
listen to music or talk with the cardiac
rehab staff who monitor the procedure.
Akers, who lives in Beckley, was able to
complete the treatment more quickly by
having it two times per day, five days a
week.
Everybodys been real nice and
accommodating here, and the treatments
arent painful at all, Akers said. When I
started, I had to take naps because I was
so tired from it, but now I dont. All the
trips to Charleston have been worth it
since it is keeping me from having chest
pains.

Foster says her approach to treating

migraine is much like that of treating any
other chronic disease, meaning patients
dont come in for a quick fix just when
they have a headache.

Patients can return for more treatments

if their symptoms return in the future.
Anyone interested in ECP needs to be
referred by their family physician or
specialist.

In between attacks of migraine you feel

fine, so its natural to want to deal with the
problem when you experience the attack
and ignore the condition when you are
symptom-free. The problem with this is
youre simply treating the symptoms and
not the disease.

Because of the positive impact of

the procedures, it is important that
the patients physician be involved in
his care, Haver said. The medical
community in Charleston has been very
supportive of ECP because their patients
have usually exhausted all other avenues
of cardiac care, leaving them both very
frustrated. It has been very gratifying to
the staff to be able to help patients regain
their health and well being when they
thought there was no hope.

Foster has created a comprehensive brain

cell fitness program where patients learn
how to manage their disease and reduce
the frequency of their headaches through
a combination of approaches, including
lifestyle changes and medication, if needed.
Its not always easy, but being headachefree can be life changing and well worth the
effort, Foster said.
For more information call Neurological
Services at CAMC at (304) 388-6620.
Sources: Migraine: Your Questions Answered
and Gotta Headache? by Carol A. Foster, MD

Because of ECP, Joe Akers has renewed

hope for the new year.
Its great, he said. I have more energy
and no angina. I walk two miles every
morning, can finally mow my grass and
do some other work around the house
that I hadnt been able to do.
For more information about cardiac
programs at CAMC, visit www.camc.org/
heart or call (304) 388-9520.

camc.org

12/30/10 11:10:46 AM