Stay Safe This Weekend!

Temperatures are forecast to soar into the upper 80s or lower 90s this weekend, with high humidity. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water and, if you're active, spending time in the shade or air conditioning. Check in with your elderly neighbors and loved ones frequently. And if you've got pets who spend time outside, make sure they have access to shade and plenty of fresh water.

For more summertime safety tips, visit the CDC's Extreme Heat Tips page.

Elk Regional Gives Back

Happy Friday! Today is dress-down day at Elk Regional. If you come in to the Health Center today, you'll see some staff members wearing blue jeans. It's part of our Elk Regional Gives Back program! Our employees pay a small fee to wear jeans to work on some Fridays. Then, we divide up the money raised and donate it to local non-profit organizations that serve Elk and Cameron counties.

We're supporting the Relay For Life of Elk and Cameron counties, the Wilcox Public Library, and the Elk County Historical Society!

Elk Regional Volunteers Make A Difference

Want to make a difference? Become an Elk Regional volunteer! We are proud to have a dedicated force of more than 200 volunteers, all giving the precious gift of their time to help make Elk Regional the best it can be.

Our volunteers work in our Mailroom, in Patient Transport, in our ReSale Shop, and in our Gift Shop. They provide clerical support to several departments at the Health Center and work in Resident Activities at Pinecrest Manor.

If you're over the age of 13 and want to become a volunteer, call us at (814) 788-8534 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Remember - nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something. It's never too late to make a difference!

Elk Regional Health System Foundation Announces 20th Annual Golf Classic Winners

On May 16, golfers from across the region came to take part in the 20th Annual Elk Regional Health System Foundation Golf Classic at Bavarian Hills Golf Course.

The event raises money to support Elk Regional Health System Foundation, which provides academic scholarships to local high school students pursuing higher education and also supports Elk Regional Health Center through the purchase of equipment.

“We are grateful for the continuing generosity and support of our community,” said Charlotte Floravit, the Health Center’s Public Relations Director. “Without that support, Elk Regional Health System would not be the institution it is today.”

More than 120 golfers took part in the flighted tournament.

Winning first place in the first flight was a team that included Michael Fiore, Richard Fiore Sr., Steve Whiting, and Paul Caracciolo. The second place, first flight team included Andy Daghir, Bill Gregory, Jeff Auman, and Tom Shields.

The first place, second flight team included Kevin Oknefski, Neil Hoffman, Tony Gerg and Bill Marshall. The second place, second flight team included Scott Dahl, Brian Wasko, Tom Fledderman and John Malizia.

Elk Regional Health System Foundation Awards Nursing Scholarship

The Elk Regional Health System Foundation has awarded the Kathryn Kilhoffer Walsh Scholarship to Nicole Breier, a Ridgway resident who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the Villa Maria School of Nursing at Gannon University.

“I think that nursing is a very rewarding career, and I can’t imagine doing any other type of work,” Miss Breier wrote in her application essay. “I knew, even when I was younger, that I wanted to be in a professional career where I was able to help people. Health care is the perfect field for me.”

Miss Breier was the valedictorian of the 2012 graduating class at the Ridgway Area High School. While a student, she was a member of the school’s National Honor Society. She earned placement on the school’s High Honor Roll and went to All State. She also played volleyball and basketball. She was also active in the school’s Spanish Club and took a 12-day trip to Spain with her Spanish class. She was a member of the Varsity Club, the Model United Nations, and the Prom Committee.

Miss Breier was inspired to be a nurse by those who cared for her great-grandparents toward the end of their lives.

“When I would spend time visiting my great-grandparents, I would also talk to the nurses and try to understand everything that they were doing,” Miss Breier wrote. “I always admired the way they treated everyone and the interest and care that they had for each patient.”

The Kathryn Kilhoffer Walsh Scholarship Award for Nursing is granted to a deserving student whose intention is to enroll in an accredited school of nursing to complete a course of study as a Registered Nurse or as a Licensed Practical Nurse.

To be eligible for the scholarship, the student must reside within the Ridgway area and must have attended either Ridgway Area High School or Elk County Catholic High School.  The applicant’s scholastic achievements, extracurricular activities, contributions to their school and the financial needs of the applicant's community and/or church are also considered in the selection process.

The Kathryn Kilhoffer Walsh Scholarship Fund honors its namesake, Kathryn Kilhoffer Walsh. Kathryn, the daughter of Emil and Emma Kilhoffer, was born and raised in Ridgway. She graduated from St. Leo’s High School in 1930 and studied nursing at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Illinois, graduating in 1933. She returned to Ridgway to live and work as a nurse. Most of her career work was performed at Elk County General Hospital, where she was employed until her retirement in 1973. She died in July 1987.

Individuals who are interested in contributing to this scholarship fund may do so by sending their donation to the Elk Regional Health System Foundation, 763 Johnsonburg Road, St. Marys, PA  15857.

Miss Breier is the daughter of Deborah Breier of Ridgway and Carl Breier of Bonita Springs, Fla.



Photo: From left are Deborah Breier; Nicole Breier, the recipient of the 2012 Kathryn Kilhoffer Walsh Nursing Scholarship; Gregory P. Bauer, the President and CEO of Elk Regional Health System; and Sam MacDonald, the Director of Business and Fund Development at Elk Regional.

Elk Regional Health System Foundation Awards Scholarship

The Elk Regional Health System Foundation has awarded the Elk County Diabetes Scholarship to Erica Sorg, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. She plans to acquire licensure as a Registered Nurse.

“Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted a career where I could help people,” Miss Sorg wrote in her application essay. “Now, I know exactly which career path I am going to take – and that is becoming a Registered Nurse. Nurses help heal the sick and wounded and to me, that would be rewarding. I hope to make a difference in health care one day by providing the best quality of care that I possibly could.”

Miss Sorg is a graduate of the St. Marys Area High School. She was a two-year member of the school’s National Honor Society chapter and spent three years as the captain of the varsity softball team. She was also an active member of the school’s Outdoor Club.

As a volunteer, Miss Sorg participated in Project Gifts for Elk County, the Kersey Park cleanup. She also volunteered through her church.

In her application essay, Miss Sorg said she hopes to use her education to “educate the public and make people more aware of diseases and how they are spread.”

“Not only is educating the public important, but [so is] providing compassion, empathy, and emotional support to people,” she wrote. “When people are sick or hurt, it’s very important that they have others around them giving the care and attention they need.”

The $500 Elk County Diabetes Scholarship is a result of a generous donation from the Elk County Diabetes Group to the Elk Regional Health System Foundation.

It is the goal of the Health System Foundation that the scholarship fund continues the vision of the Elk County Diabetes Group through the awarding of scholarships that provide opportunities for individuals interested in a field that deals with diabetes, such as diabetic educators, or a nursing career.  

Miss Sorg is the daughter of Jonathan Sorg and Karen Strugala of St. Marys.

Photo: From left are Sam MacDonald, Elk Regional’s Director of Business and Fund Development; Erica Sorg, the recipient of the 2012 Elk County Diabetes Scholarship; and Gregory P. Bauer, the President and CEO of Elk Regional Health System.

Elk Regional's Laboratory Earns CAP Accreditation

The Laboratory at Elk Regional Health Center has earned a national accreditation from the College of American Pathologists, placing it in an exclusive group of laboratories that meet the highest standards for care.

“This puts us in an exclusive group,” said Marsha Uhl, the Laboratory manager. “The CAP standards for accreditation are both rigorous and demanding. To earn CAP accreditation takes a great deal of work and dedication, and I thank everyone in our Laboratory for their continued commitment to excellence.”

Elk Regional’s Laboratory earned the accreditation after an on-site inspection by personnel from the College of American Pathologists. As part of the inspection, Laboratory records and the quality control procedures used in the lab over the last two years were scrutinized.
Inspectors also examined the qualifications of the Laboratory’s staff, equipment, facilities, safety program and safety record, in addition to the overall management of the department.

“We are very excited to have received this accreditation,” said Dr. Joe Salinas, the Laboratory’s Medical Director. “We passed our inspection with flying colors. I’m pleased to say we have met or exceeded the standards set by the College of American Pathologists, which are more stringent than those imposed by the federal government.”

The College of American Pathologists is a medical society made up exclusively of Board-certified pathologists and is widely considered to be the leader in laboratory quality assurance. The College began its accreditation program in the early 1960s.

For more information, please visit CAP online.


Photo: Elk Regional’s Laboratory Department recently earned reaccreditation from the College of American Pathologists, the gold standard in laboratory accreditation. Standing, from left, are Beth Ehrensberger; Jen Agosti; Sally Horchen; Liz Johnson; Marsha Uhl, Laboratory Director; Barb Auman; Shari Hrusth; Vicki Diaz; and Michelle Nesbitt. Seated, from left, are Jackie Smith; Britney Cousins; Ann Quattrone; and Susie Pavlikowski. Kneeling are, from left, Paul Dandoy and Joseph Salinas, M.D., the Laboratory’s Medical Director.

Elk Regional’s New Maternity Unit Now Accepting Patients

Elk Regional Health Center officials announced today that patients have been transitioned into the new unit, which began serving patients a full two weeks ahead of schedule. Future obstetrical or gynecological patients will be admitted to the new unit.

“Hundreds of people came to our open house on June 5,” said Sara Myers, RN, BSN, the nurse manager of Elk Regional’s Maternity Unit. “People kept asking when we would be moved into our new unit – and I am proud to say that we were able to transition to the new unit early. We are thrilled to start welcoming babies into the world in our beautiful new unit.”

Elk Regional’s new Maternity Unit features eight spacious, private rooms that each include a bathroom, a shower, and large windows that flood each room with natural light. There is a 32-inch flat-screen television in each room, along with ample storage space and computers that enable maternity nurses to perform work at the patient’s bedside.

While all of the rooms are equipped for labor, four of the rooms are specially equipped with birthing tubs that can be used for water birth or for pain management during labor. The tubs feature Jacuzzi-like jets, digital temperature settings, and shower heads for maximum comfort. Elk Regional is the only hospital in the region to offer water birth and the skills of Julie Szymanski, a Certified Nurse Midwife.

The new Maternity Unit also features a large, comfortable waiting area with a window into the nursery; a dedicated operating room for emergency Caesarean sections; state-of-the-art nurse call and infant abduction systems; and the latest in fetal heart monitoring and 3D/4D women’s ultrasound technology.

Gregory P. Bauer, the President and CEO of Elk Regional Health System, said the new unit will enhance the quality patient care already provided by Elk Regional’s obstetrical and gynecological care team, which includes Steven Koch, M.D.; Wu Jan Lin, M.D.; Paulette Schreiber, a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner; Mrs. Szymanski; and specially-trained Maternity Unit nurses.

Working with the physician specialists, Elk Regional’s team of maternity nurses is able to provide all the care a woman needs as she prepares to welcome a newborn, from prenatal to postpartum care.

“Simply put, a woman expecting a baby should expect nothing less than the best,” Mr. Bauer said. “I am proud to say that Elk Regional offers the best in maternity care. We will continue to invest in obstetric and gynecological services, and we are deeply committed to meeting the needs of mothers and babies in the region. Our goal is to provide a safe, comfortable, and memorable birthing experience right here, close to home.”

Elk Regional Announces Anniversary Art Contest Winners

Painting by Elizabeth Nicklas.

Four local high school students were recently named the winners of Elk Regional’s 110th Anniversary Art Contest.

Art contest winners are Helen Danz of Elk County Catholic High School, Josh Floravit of St. Marys Area High School, Elizabeth Nicklas of Elk County Catholic High School, and Matthew Rodich of Austin High School.

Artists from each local high school were invited to submit a piece of artwork that represented the importance of health care in the region or illustrated the history of Elk Regional Health System. Each artist also wrote a statement of originality that described their inspiration for the piece.

Entries were judged by Anita Wendel, the President of the Elk Regional Health System Auxiliary.

The winners each received $100 and photographs of their artwork were included in “We Are Elk Regional,” the Health System’s official bi-monthly newsletter, which is distributed to 22,000 households throughout the region. Winning artwork has also been featured on the Health System’s Web site, Facebook profile, and blog.

In addition to a work of art, each artist was required to submit a statement of originality describing the inspiration for their piece.

Miss Danz, who created a sculpture of a broken wrist held together by copper wire, said her work of art symbolized Elk Regional’s “power to pull families and people back together.”

“People all over the world, young and old, need a reliable source of medical assistance every minute of every day,” Miss Danz said in her statement. “Elk Regional Health Center has long been providing services for this area. The mending of the broken wrist symbolizes how Elk Regional has the power to mend physically but to keep and pull families back together.”

Mr. Rodich, whose pen drawing features a patient being pulled back from the brink of death by a caregiver’s compassion, said some of his inspiration for the piece came from the work of Michaelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, Italy.

“I worked very hard on this piece in memory of my grandmother, Helen Rodich, as she was recently a patient at Elk Regional,” he said. “I am truly grateful for the kind and compassionate care she received during her last days. This is my way of giving back and saying ‘thank you.’”

Miss Nicklas created a painting featuring the historic stone building that once housed the former Andrew Kaul Memorial Hospital. Her painting also features a nun and the seal of the Benedictine Order.

“The sisters were a huge part of the upbringing of Elk Regional so I put a sister and a Benedictan medal, because they were started in this area,” Miss Nicklas said. “The old building has a large amount of history behind it and I wanted to focus on how the hospital came to be.”

For his pencil drawing of the historic stone building, Mr. Floravit focused on the moment in 1922 when St. Marys first became home to a community hospital.

“The hospital has a great significance in our community. Not only did it save many lives over the years, but it also represents a strong community from when it was run by the St. Benedictine nuns to being turned over to the community to manage,” he wrote. “We are lucky to have a hospital in our community. So many small communities have to travel many miles to seek health care. Elk Regional Health System is a very valuable asset not only for saving lives but for the number of people they employ.”

To see more pictures of the artwork submitted for the contest, visit Elk Regional on Facebook.

Region’s Most Progressive Ophthalmology Practice To Unveil Cutting Edge Cataract Surgery Option

Dr. Lu and Dr. Karlik.

Dr. Luis W. Lu, one of the region’s most experienced and trusted ophthalmologists, will soon be introducing a cutting-edge option for cataract surgery at his practice, Elk County Eye Clinic.

Dr. Lu recently traveled to Chicago, Ill., where he previewed a new laser system used for the surgical removal of cataracts. Dr. Lu will soon be trialing laser systems at Elk County Eye Clinic to evaluate them for safety and effectiveness.

“I was very impressed by the new laser system,” Dr. Lu said. “It will allow Elk County Eye Clinic to offer our patients the most precise possible visual outcomes, as well as providing our patients with leading technology in safety, effectiveness, and comfort. I’m excited to be able to trial the new laser system here in St. Marys.”

A cataract is a condition in which the lens of the eye becomes clouded or opaque, making vision fuzzy and normal daily living activities more difficult. Surgery is the only treatment for cataracts. In recent years, laser technology, such as that used in procedures such as LASIK, has been incorporated into cataract surgery to enhance the precision, accuracy and safety of the procedure.

The laser system Dr. Lu reviewed in Chicago represents the next generation of this technology and has been shown in clinical study to deliver unrivaled surgical precision.

Elk County Eye Clinic has long been the region’s most progressive practice.

In 1995, Dr. Lu became the first ophthalmologist in the region to provide laser surgery to correct vision in patients who wear glasses. He was also the first ophthalmologist in central Pennsylvania to offer glaucoma stents, a procedure that uses small tubes to safely relieve pressure in the eyes of patients suffering from the disease. Now, that procedure has become very popular for the treatment of advanced glaucoma.

The Elk County Eye Clinic is the only ophthalmologic group in the region to offer a procedure called corneal cross-linking, a procedure that uses ultraviolet light and eye drops containing Vitamin B2 to treat keratoconus, a disease that causes the cornea to degenerate.

In 2011, Dr. Lu recruited Dr. Brett Karlik, a Pittsburgh ophthalmologic surgeon who brings a wealth of his own experience to the region. Dr. Karlik specializes in a cutting-edge procedure called selective laser trabeculoplasty, or SLT, a procedure that uses low-level laser energy to selectively treat specific cells and leave untreated portions of the eye intact. SLT is an alternate possibility for those who have been treated unsuccessfully with traditional laser surgery or with pressure lowering eye drops. The Elk County Eye Clinic has been using SLT since 2005.

Dr. Lu and Dr. Karlik were among the first to use bi-aspheric lenses to treat patients with cataracts.
Cataracts cause the eye’s lens to become cloudy, preventing it from focusing light and producing clear images. Dr. Lu and Dr. Karlik can remove the cloudy lens and replace it with what is called a “bi-aspheric lens,” which mimics the eye’s natural focusing ability.

“Elk County Eye Clinic has long been one of the most progressive practices in the region,” said Gregory P. Bauer, the President and CEO of Elk Regional Health System. “Dr. Lu has a reputation for being the first to perform ground-breaking procedures that our patients have come to rely upon to improve their vision and quality of life.”

For more information on procedures offered by Dr. Lu and Dr. Karlik, or about The Elk County Eye Clinic, visit them online. To schedule an appointment, call The Elk County Eye Clinic at (814) 781-3435 or toll free at (800) 921-EYES (3937).

Annual Disaster Drill A Success

A tornado touched down in St. Marys, badly damaging Pinecrest Manor and forcing an evacuation of our residents and a search for victims.

While that scenario isn't real, it could have been ... and that's why Elk Regional, working with local emergency responders, holds annual emergency preparedness drills!

We would like to thank all of the firefighters, search-and-rescue teams, EMTs and Paramedics, and Boy Scouts who participated in Monday's emergency preparedness drill at Elk Regional. We are grateful for your help in ensuring that our hospital is able to react quickly in disaster situations.

To see pictures from Monday's drill, visit us on Facebook and click through our Photo album!

Elk Regional Announces Annual Disaster Drill Training

On Monday, June 11 beginning at 5 p.m., Elk Regional Health Center will hold its annual emergency preparedness drill. This year, Elk Regional will simulate an incident and evacuation at Pinecrest Manor, the Health Center’s long-term care facility. Members of the public may see local emergency responders, including firefighters and ambulances, on Elk Regional’s campus as part of the drill. 

For more information about the Health Center’s annual emergency preparedness drill, please contact the Public Relations Department at (814) 788-8532 or (814) 788-8832.

Elk Regional Unveils Region's Newest Maternity Unit

With an open house celebration on June 5, Elk Regional Health Center proudly unveiled its new, eight-bed Maternity Unit. The new unit will begin receiving patients in July.

“We’re very excited to move into our new unit,” said Sara Myers, RN, BSN, the nurse manager of Elk Regional’s Maternity Unit. “The new unit was very carefully designed for the comfort, safety, and well-being of our tiniest patients and their families. It’s going to be a real pleasure to welcome babies into the world in such a beautiful new unit.”

Elk Regional’s new Maternity Unit features eight spacious, private rooms that each include a bathroom, a shower, and large windows that flood each room with natural light. There is a 32-inch flat-screen television in each room, along with ample storage space and computers that enable maternity nurses to perform work at the patient’s bedside.

The new Maternity Unit also features a large, comfortable waiting area with a window into the nursery; an operating room for emergency Caesarean sections; birthing tubs that can be used for water birth or pain reduction; state-of-the-art nurse call and infant abduction systems; and the latest in fetal heart monitoring and 3D/4D women’s ultrasound technology.

Gregory P. Bauer, the President and CEO of Elk Regional Health System, said the new unit will enhance the quality patient care already provided by Elk Regional’s obstetrical and gynecological care team, which includes Steven Koch, M.D.; Wu Jan Lin, M.D.; Paulette Schreiber, a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner; Julie Szymanski, a Certified Nurse Midwife; and specially-trained Maternity Unit nurses.

Working with the physician specialists, Elk Regional’s team of maternity nurses is able to provide all the care a woman needs as she prepares to welcome a newborn, from prenatal to postpartum care.

“Simply put, a woman expecting a baby should expect nothing less than the best,” Mr. Bauer said. “I am proud to say that Elk Regional offers the best in maternity care. We will continue to invest in obstetric and gynecological services, and we are deeply committed to meeting the needs of mothers and babies in the region. Our goal is to provide a safe, comfortable, and memorable birthing experience right here, close to home.”

Photo: From left are Elk County Commissioner June Sorg, a member of Elk Regional's Board of Directors; John Adams of KTH Architects of DuBois; Judy Trambley, RN, a member of Elk Regional's Board of Directors; Gregory P. Bauer, Elk Regional's President and CEO; Sara Myers, RN, the Nurse Manager of Elk Regional's Maternity Unit; and Laura Lorenzo, RN, Betsy Cheatle, RN, and Mallory Samick, RN, all of Elk Regional's Maternity Unit.

To see more pictures of Elk Regional's brand new Maternity Unit, visit us on Facebook and click through our photo album!

You're Invited ...

Elk Regional Announces Physician Update

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO

I am pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached with both Scott McKimm, D.O., and Christopher Colosimo, D.O., that will enable them to remain part of our Health System.

In the coming months, Dr. McKimm and Dr. Colosimo will join Larry Maturani, M.D., as full-time Hospitalists at Elk Regional Health Center.

As they transition into the inpatient setting, Dr. McKimm and Dr. Colosimo will be leaving their outpatient medical practices. We are diligently working with a recruitment firm to secure physicians for our Ridgway and Emporium offices.

In each office, our mid-level providers – Tonya Aversa, CRNP, and Susan Baird, CRNP – as well as the office staffs, will be an important part of the transition process. Both mid-level providers will remain in place and will continue to see patients on a daily basis.

There will be no interruption of medical services at either location.  We are committed to finding physicians who will continue the tradition of providing quality healthcare services in the Ridgway and Emporium communities. 

Thank you for your continued support as we have moved through this transition.

Gregory P. Bauer
President and CEO
Elk Regional Health System