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Thanking the Business Community During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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In 2022, these organizations raised nearly $220,000 to support the Baskin Breast Care Center.

Each October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings together our business community in a way that’s both gratifying and humbling to me.

Quad Cities businesses of all kinds – a custom car builder, dance and fitness studio, propane supplier and restaurants, to name just a few – host a variety of unique events that share a common goal. They are all dedicated to helping family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers who are facing breast cancer by supporting the Baskin Breast Care Center at Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC).

In 2022, these organizations raised nearly $220,000 to support the Baskin Breast Care Center. Those funds support breast health education in the community, help ensure the center’s clinical team has the latest technology, and provide professional staff education.

Gifts from the business community also assist financially vulnerable families during breast cancer treatment. They believe, as we do, that no one should have to choose between purchasing life-saving medication and buying groceries for their family. These donations provide breast cancer patients essential support – medication, grocery vouchers, transportation to treatment and more.

Additionally, these businesses have engaged other local companies and individuals by seeking sponsorships for their philanthropic activities and recruiting volunteers to give their time. They have done more to create a network of caring around the Baskin Breast Care Center than our organization could have done on its own.

Our Baskin Breast Care Center team is inspired by the support they receive from area businesses, organizations and individuals. In fact, I hope you are proud to learn that the Baskin Breast Care Center is Northern Arizona’s only Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. This accreditation, which comes from the prestigious American College of Radiology, signifies that the Baskin Breast Care Center has achieved the highest practice standards possible. That’s quite an impressive accomplishment.

I will end this column as I began it, by expressing my sincerest gratitude to all of the businesses as well as non-profit organizations, community-service agencies and individuals for their support of the Baskin Breast Care Center in October and year-round. Your engagement and dedication enable our team to offer exceptional care in our community and throughout Northern Arizona. QCBN

By Anthony Torres

Anthony Torres, M.D., FACP is president and CEO of Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center.

YRMC Partners with Office of Highway Safety for Car Seat Safety

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Keeping your child safe is one of the most important jobs of caregivers.

The Family Resource Center at Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) will continue sponsoring free child car seat safety programs, thanks to a 2023 grant from the Governor’s Office on Highway Safety. The $10,012 grant allows YRMC’s Family Resource Center to:

  • Offer car seat safety checks.
  • Distribute free child car seats.
  • Provide car seat safety education.

In previous years, 97% of the car seats checked as part of the Family Resource Center’s Car Seat Safety Program arrived in an unsafe configuration. This greatly increases a child’s risk of injury or even death in the event of a car accident.

To receive a free car seat, caregivers need a vehicle with working seat belts. They also participate in a one-time, 30- to 45-minute session that includes child safety car seat education, a safety check guide and hands-on installation of the car seat in their vehicle.

Caregivers who already have car seats are invited to have them checked at no cost by a nationally certified child passenger safety technician. Scheduled weekly, these sessions cover all aspects of child car seat safety. For example, car seats typically expire six years after the manufacture date, at which time the seat can no longer adequately protect a child.

Keeping your child safe is one of the most important jobs of caregivers. YRMC’s Family Resource Center and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety have made it easier for people of the Quad Cities to do just that. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call YRMC’s Family Resource Center at 928-771-5651. QCBN

Virtually Integrated Care: A New Era in Nursing at YRMC

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VIC is truly the beginning of a new era in nursing at YRMC.

For decades, hospitals have worked to blend the “high-tech” and “high-touch” aspects of health care as a way to elevate the patient experience. At Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC), the recently launched Virtually Integrated Care (VIC) program is a stellar example of how the right kind of technology can accomplish this and more.

What is VIC? It’s a patented, service-marked, high-tech program that was developed by the Dignity Health/CommonSpirit network. VIC connects a remote, professional registered nurse to each patient, via a high-definition camera, video screen and two-way audio. VIC nurses don’t replace the bedside care team at YRMC. Instead, VIC nurses assist the bedside care team and also offer our patients another option for connecting to an experienced registered nurse.

Patients and their families can access a VIC nurse 24/7 simply by tapping the screen in the patient’s room. Once connected, patients can ask the same questions they would ask a YRMC bedside nurse: Am I scheduled for X-rays today? What time is my procedure? Would you make sure I don’t get beef with meals? Can I have an extra pillow?

Because VIC nurses have access to patients’ records – like all bedside nurses – they can answer these questions and more. After the conversation ends, the camera folds into the monitor to ensure the patient’s privacy.

Using VIC is voluntary, but since its introduction, the easy-to-use technology has been very popular with YRMC patients and their families. Our hospital’s bedside nurses also are pleased with VIC. They appreciate that VIC nurses take on a broad range of important, time-consuming tasks – charting, patient education and discharges, for example.

One of my favorite aspects of VIC is that the program’s nurses live and work in our community. The VIC hub is located in a specially designed area at YRMC East in Prescott Valley, not in a distant call center. However, it’s a testament to the advanced technology and flexibility of the system that in extreme cases – such as a snowstorm, for instance – CommonSpirit VIC nurses can seamlessly assist our patients from other regions.

Additionally, VIC effectively leverages technology to address the nationwide nursing shortage. In our community, VIC is bringing experienced nurses back to the profession and giving them the opportunity to care for patients in a different way.

YRMC West in Prescott is honored to be the first hospital in the southwest to use this breakthrough technology; additionally, VIC will be implemented at YRMC East in Prescott Valley in 2024. VIC is an example of how leading-edge technology can both improve the patient experience and address a major issue like the nationwide nursing shortage.

VIC is truly the beginning of a new era in nursing at YRMC. QCBN

By Anthony Torres, M.D.

Anthony Torres, M.D., FACP, is the president and CEO of Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center.

Dignity Health YRMC Unveils Community Grant Program

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The grant program focuses on significant needs identified in YRMC’s most recent community health needs assessment.

Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) is inviting local non-profit organizations to apply for grants that support the delivery of services vital to improving health, well-being and health equity in our community. The application period opened July 17 and runs through Sept. 8. Successful applicants will be announced in November. The grant projects will be conducted between January and December 2024.

The grant program focuses on significant needs identified in YRMC’s most recent community health needs assessment. Conducted every three years, the needs assessment helps YRMC – and the organization’s community partners – identify and address regional health needs and social challenges. YRMC is accepting proposals that address those areas of community need.

“We strive to be intentional and strategic in our community outreach, partnerships and philanthropic giving,” said Michael Bilton, system senior director for Community Health and Community Benefit at CommonSpirit. “It is important for our hospitals to use their resources in ways that help improve high-priority, locally relevant health issues. These grants are one example of that.”

In addition to improving the lives of people who live in the region, the grants also foster important partnerships between area community-based organizations.

“The grant program reflects a commitment to partnering with the communities we serve and to stimulating collaboration among others,” Bilton said. “Grant applications must include collaborating partner organizations helping to deliver services and not be solely about one agency’s work.”

This opportunity is part of the Community Health Improvement Grants program sponsored by CommonSpirit Health. YRMC is part of CommonSpirit Health, which was formed in 2019 when Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health came together to create a national health system.

Interested organizations may learn more about the grant program, including eligibility criteria, how to apply, and a local contact for questions, by visiting: https://www.commonspirit.org/communitygrants. QCBN

New Horizons in Healing After Surgery

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At Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC), an exceptional team is working hard to bring ERAS to our community.

The latest medical advance on the minds of many healthcare providers is not a new treatment, technology or medication. It’s a new way of thinking about how we care for patients undergoing major surgery called Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS).

At Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC), an exceptional team is working hard to bring ERAS to our community. These healthcare providers – physicians, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, rehabilitation specialists and more – have embraced ERAS because it’s based on the best available science. And, most importantly, it gets great results. Data from a number of large studies show ERAS programs:

  • Reduce complications by 50%.
  • Shorten hospital stays by 30 to 50%.
  • Improve patient satisfaction.

The ERAS Experience from the Patient’s Perspective

ERAS begins as patients are contemplating surgery and continues through recovery. ERAS protocols – developed by the non-profit ERAS Society – provide a surgery-specific roadmap for every phase of a patient’s surgical journey. Here are a few ways that patients experience ERAS:

Before surgery – Clinicians help patients prepare physically and mentally for surgery using ERAS strategies that improve nutrition, physical fitness and more. They also share information about the patient’s specific operation and discuss concerns the patient may have.

During surgery – The surgeon and anesthesiologist work together to reduce the physical stress of the operation on the patient. Fluid management is a good example of ERAS protocols at work in the operating room. Typically, patients receive fluids during surgery to manage their blood pressure. The problem is that too much fluid can lead to excessive water weight, which can delay recovery. ERAS protocols call for careful fluid management for speedier healing.

After surgery – ERAS protocols encourage patients to eat and walk sooner following an operation. Research shows that the quicker food is re-introduced, the less need there is for intravenous medications and fluids. Additionally, walking reduces muscle loss, improves respiratory function, and lowers the risk for pneumonia.

As a physician, I’m enthusiastic about ERAS and its potential to promote healing following surgery. It’s an example of how advances in medicine can come in many different forms. QCBN

By Anthony Torres, M.D., FACP

Anthony Torres, M.D., FACP, is president and CEO of Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center.

Adult Care Services Offering Programs that Support the Caregiver

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Caring for the caregiver is just as important as caring for a person who requires hands-on care.

Adult Care Services, The Susan J. Rheem Adult Day Center, and The Margaret T. Morris Center’s mission, Quality Care, Quality Services, and Quality of Life, is not solely about the person receiving the hands-on care from their programs, but for the support of caregivers as well. Two key people responsible for this within the three non-profits specializing in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care are Candace Lea and Melody Thomas-Morgan. Both women passionately agree that offering support to family caregivers in today’s times is desperately needed.

Thanks to a one-year Community Health Improvement Grant from Dignity Health/YRMC, The Susan J. Rheem Adult Day Center now offers care management and programming support for community members attending the day center. Candace Lea, who has been with Adult Care Services for more than two years as community liaison, transitioned to this new role effortlessly. With a master’s degree in business, emphasizing health care management, a past career as a program manager in case management, a family caregiver and a certified yoga instructor, Candace is a wealth of knowledge who knows the resources. She states that her goal as a care manager is to help family caregivers successfully navigate their role as caregivers when respite time ends.

The Margaret T. Morris Center Resident Services Specialist Melody Thomas-Morgan is no stranger to family caregivers. She served as the life enrichment director at The Susan J. Rheem Adult Day Center for many years. Melody transitioned to her current role at The Margaret T. Morris Center in 2016. Melody, a trained support group leader, is finishing her last class for the completion of her master’s degree in pastoral counseling in crisis intervention and trauma with a specialty in grief counselling and support. She is a natural at leading the Adult Care Services Support Group and helping families transition from hands-on caregivers to their prior role of spouse, child or friend, once deciding upon assisted living. Melody believes in giving caregivers hope as they deal with guilt and loss when making the best decisions for their loved one living with dementia.

Caring for the caregiver is just as important as caring for a person who requires hands-on care. What the caregiver is truly going through on the inside may not show on the outside. Adult Care Services is here for caregivers to navigate resources, deal with feelings of sadness, loss and grief, and instill hope for confident, successful living. QCBN

By Yvonne Napolitano

For more information about Adult Care Services, see the company website at www.AdultCareSevices.org or call 928-771-2335.

Yvonne Napolitano is the executive director of Adult Care Services.

YRMC Launches Employee Recognition Programs: DAISY and Bumble-BEE Awards

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Nominees whose actions most align with YRMC’s organizational values will be selected for DAISY and Bumble-BEE Awards.

Nearly every day at Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC), I hear from a patient or family member about a nurse or other employee who made a positive difference to them during their time at YRMC West in Prescott or YRMC East in Prescott Valley.

These heartfelt messages helped inspire two new employee recognition programs at YRMC. The programs give patients, families, visitors and others the opportunity to recognize the extraordinary work of individual YRMC team members. They include:

The DAISY Award – This international recognition program rewards and celebrates the clinical skill and compassionate care nurses provide. It was created in 1999 by the DAISY Foundation and has been adopted by health care organizations worldwide, including YRMC.

The Bumble-BEE Award – All YRMC employees (non-nursing team members) are eligible for this award. It recognizes YRMC employees whose efforts, support and kindness make a difference to patients, families and others.

These recognition programs have two features that distinguish them from most employee recognition programs. First, they give voice to the people YRMC serves – patients, families and community members. And second, the programs highlight the extraordinary – and sometimes unseen work – YRMC employees do every day.

Four times a year, three nurses and three staff members from both YRMC campuses will receive the DAISY Award or Bumble-BEE Award.

An objective and anonymous system was developed to select the award recipients. Nominees whose actions most align with YRMC’s organizational values will be selected for DAISY and Bumble-BEE Awards. Those values include:

  • Respect – Behaves in a way that honors self and others.
  • Integrity – Is consistent and honest in word and deed.
  • Quality – Provides service excellence in meeting others’ expectations.
  • Commitment – Demonstrates dedication to one’s work, personal development, the organization, and YRMC’s mission and vision.
  • Accountability – Follows through and is answerable for one’s performance.

To learn more about the DAISY and Bumble-BEE Awards visit, YRMC.org/daisy-bee. QCBN

By Tracey McCollum

Tracey McCollum, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, is the chief executive nursing officer at Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center.

Diabetes Self-Management Helps People Feel Empowered, Encouraged, Enlightened

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YRMC’s Diabetes Education program is recognized by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for Quality Self-Management Education.

If you have diabetes, you’re not alone. One in 10 Yavapai County residents lives with the condition.

“It’s pretty widespread,” said Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) Director of Preventive Medicine and Wellness Andrea Klein, RN, BSN, CDCES, CCRP. “Even with numbers like this, people who have diabetes can feel isolated.”

YRMC’s Diabetes Self-Management program helps people living with the condition overcome feelings of isolation. During five weekly sessions, participants learn strategies that empower them to effectively manage their diabetes. The program is for anyone with diabetes, from the newly diagnosed to people who have lived with the condition for years.

“Group members become each other’s cheerleaders and champions,” said YRMC Diabetes Educator Bonita Wilson, RN, CDCES. “The camaraderie creates a positive learning environment.”

YRMC’s Diabetes Self-Management five sessions focus on:

  • Managing Your Diabetes
  • Meals: Healthy Eating
  • Monitoring, Motion and Problem Solving
  • Reducing Risks and Healthy Coping
  • Taking Medications and Putting it All Together

YRMC’s Diabetes Education program is recognized by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for Quality Self-Management Education. The program is offered throughout the year in Prescott and Prescott Valley. QCBN

By Bridget O’Gara

For more information, call 928-771-5794 in Prescott or 928-759-5920 in Prescott Valley or visit our DignityHealth.org/YRMC.

Bridget O’Gara is a writer, communications strategist and project manager who specializes in healthcare. Bridget has spent her career writing about healthcare topics. She works with mission-driven healthcare organizations, including hospitals, other healthcare providers and advocacy organizations.

Should Lung Cancer Screening be Part of Your Preventive Health Plan?

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“It’s exciting how the body heals itself after giving up smoking,” Harvey said.

If you have a history of smoking, adding annual lung cancer screening to your preventive health plan could save your life.

Lung cancer screening uses low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) to produce detailed images of the chest and lungs and detect lung cancer early, when it’s most curable.

“Early-stage lung cancer has about an 80% chance of cure, or survival, over five years,” said Jennifer Harvey, RN, Nurse Navigator, Lung Cancer Screening and Care at Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC). “That is huge.”

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a good time to explore the benefits of this lifesaving program. Here are just a few:

There’s even more data demonstrating that lung cancer screening works.

Thanks to its success, lung cancer screening now begins at a younger age and includes people who have smoked less. The latest Medicare screening guidelines include people who are:

  • Ages 50-77
  • Heavy smokers (one pack a day for 20 years or the equivalent)
  • Current smokers or smokers who have quit in the last 15 years
  • Free of any lung cancer symptoms

“Lowering both the qualifying age for screening to 50 years old (from 55), and the pack-per-day elgibility allows for more individualized risk assessment,” Harvey said. “For example, someone who has a strong family history of lung cancer, or other risk factors, is now eligible for screening at a younger age.”

Top physician organizations recommend lung cancer screening.

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) – one of the largest physician organizations in the United States – is the latest to endorse lung cancer screening. The organization’s leaders point to mounting evidence that lung cancer screening works. The AAFP also supports the expanded criteria, which makes lung cancer screening available to more minority populations who may have fewer “pack years” but are at higher risk for lung cancer.

Lung Cancer Screening and Care at Dignity Health, YRMC is a dedicated healthcare partner.

That partnership begins by ensuring you qualify for lung cancer screening. Additionally, our nurse navigator is available to answer questions about LDCT and lung health.

Harvey reaches out to every Lung Cancer Screening and Care participant to remind them of their annual lung cancer screening. That year-to-year continuity is an important aspect of Lung Cancer Screening and Care.

“Lung cancer screening is not a one and done,” said Harvey. “If you don’t have any signs of lung cancer after your first screening, you will be screened annually. I suggest that people think of their LDCT as they would a mammogram or colonoscopy. It’s a screening that you need even – and especially – if you have no symptoms.”

If a patient’s lung cancer screening findings are suspicious, a follow-up scan may be scheduled. The Lung Cancer Screening and Care team may also recommend a biopsy, in which case the patient would be referred to a procedural pulmonologist or a radiologist. If surgery is needed, the Lung Cancer Screening and Care team also includes a cardiothoracic surgeon.

LDCT not only detects lung cancer early, but it can discover other potentially life-threatening illnesses before you’re experiencing symptoms.

LDCT scans include a large part of the body. This means in addition to lung cancer, LDCT can also detect chronic pulmonary obstructive disorder (COPD) and heart disease, for example.

If you’re a longtime smoker who wants to quit, you’ll receive support from Lung Cancer Screening and Care.

The health benefits of giving up smoking are substantial:

One year after quitting smoking, a person’s risk for coronary heart disease decreases 50 percent.

After 10 years, a person’s chances of developing lung cancer and dying from it are cut in half compared to someone who continues smoking.

“It’s exciting how the body heals itself after giving up smoking,” Harvey said. “After someone quits, it’s recommended that they continue annual lung screening for at least 15 years. After that, their chance of developing lung cancer drops significantly.”

How do you get help quitting? The Arizona ASHLine sponsors a customized program called Quit Coaching. You’ll find information at AZDHS.org/ashline or by calling 1-800-556-6222.

Want to learn more about Lung Cancer Screening and Care? Speak to your healthcare provider or contact us at 928-771-5454. QCBN

By Bridget O’Gara

Bridget O’Gara is a writer, communications strategist and project manager who specializes in health care. O’Gara has spent her career writing about healthcare topics. She works with mission-driven healthcare organizations, including hospitals, other healthcare providers and advocacy organizations.

Five Questions to Ask Before Your Next Mammogram

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Does your facility have advanced breast imaging technology?

One of the most important healthcare decisions a woman will make is where to undergo breast screening.

“Most women assume that all imaging facilities offer the same services and are pretty much interchangeable,” said Breast Care Center Imaging Operations Manager Kathi Hoffer at Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC). “In reality, there are significant differences between imaging centers.”

This October – National Breast Cancer Awareness Month – the Breast Care Center and Dignity Health Imaging Center in Prescott are teaming up to give the women of our community the information they need to select an imaging center. We’ll also clear up some of the confusion about how frequently women should undergo screening mammography.

Does your facility have advanced breast imaging technology?

The Breast Care Center and Dignity Health Imaging Center have exceptional technology dedicated to detecting breast cancer. This includes state-of-the-art digital mammography, a dedicated breast MRI system, three-dimensional breast imaging, the Hologic Supersonic Mach 30 breast ultrasound and more.

“Technology is constantly improving, so it’s also important for imaging centers to continually invest in proven technology,” said Hoffer.

If I need a follow-up imaging procedure after a screening mammogram, is that available at your facility?

The imaging center where you undergo your screening mammograms should be your breast health home.

“I encourage women to think long-term about their breast health,” Hoffer said. “This means finding a center that can manage all of the breast imaging needs you may encounter at different times.”

The Breast Care Center features a continuum of breast health services. The center provides breast screening, diagnostic procedures and, if needed, treatment planning and the guidance of a clinical navigator.

Do your radiologic technologists – the professionals who conduct mammograms – specialize in breast imaging?

At the Breast Care Center and Dignity Health Imaging Center, screening mammograms are performed by breast imaging technologists. These are radiologic technologists specially trained in breast imaging.

“This really makes a difference in your mammogram,” explained Hoffer. “Our breast imaging technologists are experienced at positioning for optimal views, recognizing possible pathology and taking extra views when needed.”

Are your radiologists board certified?

Radiologists are the physicians who interpret your mammogram and other imaging studies. At both the Breast Care Center and Dignity Health Imaging Center, radiologists are certified by leading radiology accreditation organizations. They also have been trained at some of the nation’s top radiology programs.

“We have an amazing team of radiologists,” Hoffer said. “They are extremely skilled at interpreting breast screenings as well as performing breast-related diagnostic studies and procedures.”

Are your breast imaging modalities accredited?

The American College of Radiology (ACR) is the leading accreditation organization for imaging studies in the United States. ACR accreditation means an imaging center provides the highest level of image quality and safety requirements for equipment, medical personnel and quality assurance.

Both the Breast Care Center and Dignity Health Imaging Center have earned ACR accreditation in mammography, breast MRI and stereotactic biopsy. The Breast Care Center was also recently designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the ACR.

A Mammogram Screening Schedule

Since 1990, screening mammography has helped reduce breast cancer mortality by nearly 40 percent in the United States. That’s an extremely positive track record. It’s why the Breast Care Center and Dignity Health Imaging Center support these screening recommendations:

A baseline mammogram between the ages of 35 and 40.

Yearly mammograms starting at age 40 and continuing as long as you are healthy.

“Our community is full of very vibrant women in their 70s, 80s and even their 90s,” Hoffer said. “That’s a major reason we do not recommend ending annual mammograms at a certain age.”

Schedule Your Mammogram

Has it been more than a year since your last mammogram? Contact the Breast Care Center in Prescott Valley or Dignity Health Imaging Center in Prescott at 928-771-7577 to schedule your screening. It’s the best way to celebrate National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. QCBN

By Bridget O’Gara

Bridget O’Gara is a writer, communications strategist and project manager who specializes in health care. Bridget has spent her career writing about healthcare topics. She works with mission-driven healthcare organizations, including hospitals, other healthcare providers and advocacy organizations.