Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Community Healthcare - (Page 52)

SPOTLIGHT ON ST. MARY MEDICAL CENTER Joint Academy Reunions C “Graduates” share joint replacement successes ompliments usually come in heavy doses from patients and their “coaches” during each of the Joint Academy’s reunions at St. Mary Medical Center. “Thanks for calling after discharge. It really helps,” says one patient. “Pre-op classes were very helpful. I knew what to expect,” says another. “An extra day stay would be nice. I felt like I was at a resort!” a patient says to laughter in the room. But Donna Wieczorek, R.N., joint care coordinator for the Joint Academy, says the reunions provide more than just a pulpit for compliments. “Our reunions continue the supportive relationships our patients gained while going through their procedures,” she says. “They ask questions, compare notes and discuss how their lives have changed with their new joint replacements.” Sprinkled among the praise are questions about recovery and other challenges patients may have faced after returning home. “I have stiffness when I get up in the morning. How long will that last?” asks one patient. “Will the numbness I have around the incision go away?” says another. “Can I get a card so they won’t search me at the airport when the alarm goes off?” For that, a fellow reunion attendee volunteered his answer; “It doesn’t matter. I have a card and they still search me anyway!” Graduates of the Joint Academy at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart attend a reunion luncheon where they are able to ask questions and share experiences. A TEAM APPROACH Sharing postoperative experiences is an extension of the “team-building” approach the Joint Academy uses to help ensure the greatest long-term successes of patients receiving joint replacements. From preeducation classes for patients and their “coaches” through surgery and postoperative care and rehabilitation, patients are supported with a staff of experts, a nursing unit and a therapy area speciﬁcally dedicated to their care. “When we launched the Joint Academy in May 2008, we had conﬁdence this innovative approach would be successful,” says Scott Andrews, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and medical director of the Joint Academy. “But today, I can say we’ve exceeded our expectations and I’m proud to say, we’ve had quite a few ‘return customers’ who have come back to have their other hips or knees replaced.” One of those “return customers” is the Joint Academy’s ﬁrst patient, George Miller, who underwent a knee replacement in May 2008. Seven months later he decided to have his second knee done as well. “It’s amazing how much better I feel and how much more active I am,” says Miller, who attended the Joint Academy’s two-year anniversary reunion last spring. “It was truly a life-changing experience.” Bill Mercer takes a walk in the Clubhouse of the Joint Academy to try out his new hip during a therapy session. 52 Vim & Vigor · W IN TER 2 010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Community Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Community Healthcare
Contents
Community Message
Community Briefs
Special: Stroke of Luck
Healing Heroes from the Inside Out
A Step Ahead of PAD
Smart Moves
Miss Information
Stroke Sense
Gut Feelings
The Scoop on Stress
The Faces of Skin Cancer
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
A Natural Dilemma
17 Reasons to Work in Healthcare
Spotlight on St. Catherine Hospital
Spotlight on St. Mary Medical Center
Spotlight on Community Hospital
Hospitals Unite

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - Community Healthcare