Elk Regional Appoints Chief Medical Officer

Mark J. Shulkosky, M.D. has been selected as the Chief Medical Officer for Elk Regional Health System, a role in which he will serve on a part-time basis.

“It is my pleasure to welcome Dr. Shulkosky to his new role,” Mr. Bauer said. “Dr. Shulkosky has become a very well-respected member of our medical staff and will be a solid addition to Elk Regional’s executive team. I believe he will be instrumental in helping us move forward.”

"It is a privilege to join Elk Regional’s leadership team,” Dr. Shulkosky said. “I am both humbled and proud to have been selected the Chief Medical Officer. I am thankful that Elk Regional’s Board of Directors and Administration have placed their trust in me and I look forward to helping Elk Regional secure its place as the provider of choice for our region."

In his new role, Dr. Shulkosky will serve as a liaison between Elk Regional’s medical staff and administration. He will work closely with Elk Regional’s Medical Staff President, its department managers, and its physician leaders. He will also serve as a member of Elk Regional’s executive team.

As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shulkosky will support the Health Center’s quality improvement initiatives. He will work with managers in clinical departments to establish performance improvement measures and monitoring mechanisms and will work closely with Christine Garner, RN, Elk Regional’s Director of Quality and Performance Improvement, to direct Elk Regional’s hospital-wide quality and performance improvement programs.

The Chief Medical Officer position was created as a result of a structural reorganization approved by the Health System Board of Directors in 2011.

Dr. Shulkosky is Board certified in anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology. He currently serves as Elk Regional’s Director of Anesthesiology and will continue to serve in that role on a part-time basis.

Dr. Shulkosky earned his medical degree from the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.
He is a former Associate Professor of Nursing at the Hamot School of Anesthesia in Erie and a former adjunct faculty member at the Gannon University Villa Maria School of Nursing in Erie.

Dr. Shulkosky is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the Pennsylvania Society of Anesthesiologists, and is a member and a past President of the New England Society of Anesthesiologists. He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Medical Society and the International Anesthesia Research Society.

Dr. Shulkosky and his wife, Cindy, live in St. Marys.

Elk Regional Welcomes Chief Operating Officer

Elk Regional Health Center has selected Ron A. Skarka, a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, as its Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Skarka began working in his new role on October 25.

“I am pleased to welcome Ron to Elk Regional,” Mr. Bauer said. “Our executive search team felt strongly that he will be instrumental in helping this organization move forward.  He is someone who has the trust and confidence of his peers and a track record of success, and I am delighted that he will be part of Elk Regional’s future.”

“It is a privilege to join the leadership team at Elk Regional,” Mr. Skarka said. “I am excited about the opportunity to share in the effort to build the premier healthcare provider in Elk and Cameron counties and the surrounding region. Compared to my own experience and the experience of those with whom I network on a nationwide basis, Elk Regional is arguably the most comprehensive community health system I have seen, with a wide array of services. The Health System is an important and wonderful asset for the region it serves.”

The Chief Operating Officer position was created as a result of a structural reorganization approved by the Health System Board of Directors in 2011.

In his new role, Mr. Skarka will provide executive leadership to the ancillary and support departments of the Health Center, including Radiology, the Laboratory, Pharmacy, Rehabilitation, Nutritional Services, Facilities, Housekeeping, Bio-Medical, and Business and Fund Development. He will also work closely with the administrative team at Pinecrest Manor, the 138-bed long-term care facility that is a division of the Health Center.

Mr. Skarka will also oversee several of the Health System’s affiliates, including Elk Regional Health System Foundation, Innovative Dialysis at Elk Regional, ELCO Glen Housing, and the Elk Regional Professional Group.

As a member of Elk Regional’s executive leadership team, Mr. Skarka will attend the regular monthly meetings of the Health System Board of Directors. He will also serve as Elk Regional’s second-in-command in Mr. Bauer’s absence.

Before coming to Elk Regional, Mr. Skarka spent eight years as the vice President of Business Development for St. Joseph Hospital, a 112-bed facility in Bangor, Maine. He spent 18 years at the H.D. Goodall Hospital in Sanford, Maine. While there, he spent 12 years as the hospital’s second-in-command.

Mr. Skarka became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in 1996, an exclusive designation that signifies one’s commitment to excellence in health care administration and leadership. He holds a Master’s degree in Health Administration from the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Mr. Skarka and his wife, Doris, will reside in the St. Marys area. They have one grown son.

2012 Keepsake Ornaments Now Available

Christmas is a time for memories – creating new ones with family and friends as well as treasuring the memories of loved ones who are no longer with us. One beautiful way to remember those loved ones is the time-honored tradition of placing a Keepsake Ornament on the memorial trees at Elk Regional Health Center and Pinecrest Manor.

The Elk Regional Health System Auxiliary has offered the memorial trees for decades and will continue the tradition this year.

In keeping with tradition, the 2012 Keepsake Ornaments will be available in three sizes: a small crystal angel for $5; crystal angels of assorted colors for $10; and a larger crystal angel for $20. The Auxiliary is unable to fill requests for angels of a specific color.

The Auxiliary is also offering a special collectible Keepsake Ornament – a Cloisonné bell beautifully decorated with delicate Swarovski crystals for $50. This collectible keepsake is available in limited quantities.

“The bells have always very well received and there are many families who have made it a Christmas tradition to collect a different ornament each year,” said Jennifer Bauer, Project Director for the Elk Regional Health System Auxiliary. “This year, we’re thrilled to be able to offer the special collectible bell to everyone. The Cloisonne bell is absolutely stunning. It’s something that families can display year-round to remember their loved ones.”

As always, these unique ornaments will be placed on the tree of the donor’s choice, along with a card bearing their loved one’s name in beautifully handwritten calligraphy.

After the holidays, ornaments may be picked up and taken home to enjoy as part of the holiday tradition.

The lobby areas at Pinecrest Manor and Elk Regional Health Center will soon be decorated with Christmas trees. Orders for the Keepsake Ornaments can be placed immediately and should be placed as quickly as possible since quantities are limited.

Order forms are available in the lobby at Elk Regional Health Center and at Pinecrest Manor as well as online on the Elk Regional Health System’s Web site by clicking here. Order forms will also be available in the local newspaper.

Those who are not interested in the Keepsake Ornament program but would still like to purchase an ornament may do so in The Peppermint Stick Gift Shop, located in the lobby at Elk Regional Health Center. The Gift Shop is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The Elk Regional Health System Auxiliary is a dedicated group of individuals who work to raise money to support Elk Regional Health System. The Auxiliary has pledged $250,000 to the Health Center’s new expansion project, which will add a third floor to the Health Center; privatize and modernize every single patient room; create a new, more secure 10-bed Generations Unit and create a new, eight-bed Family Unit.

All proceeds from the sale of Keepsake Ornaments will benefit the Elk Regional Health Center’s expansion project.

Questions regarding the Keepsake Ornament program may be directed to Jennifer Bauer at 781-3402.

Pinecrest Manor Earns Highest Possible Score on Department of Health Survey

Pinecrest Manor has earned a zero-deficiency resident care survey from the Pennsylvania Department of Health Division of Nursing Care Facilities. The score, which is the highest possible score that can be earned by a nursing home, places Pinecrest Manor in the top four percent of nursing homes nationwide.

“This is the best resident care survey that Pinecrest Manor has had in its 42-year history,” said David A. Wolfe, NHA, the Pinecrest Manor Administrator. “Our deficiency-free survey result is a shining example of the hard work and dedication of our employees. I would like to thank our staff members for their deep commitment to our residents. I am proud to lead an organization such as this, where resident care is the top priority of every employee.”

“The result of the resident care survey at Pinecrest Manor is a testament to the commitment our employees show when it comes to providing high quality care for our patients and residents,” said Gregory P. Bauer, the president and CEO of Elk Regional Health System. “Earning the highest possible score from the state Department of Health is not something that happens overnight, but is instead the culmination of months of hard work and preparation.” 

Inspectors for the state Department of Health Division of Nursing Care Facilities visit all of the nursing homes in Pennsylvania to review their compliance with state and federal regulations.

Between October 16 and October 19, a team of four inspectors performed a rigorous, unannounced resident care inspection at the 138-bed long-term care facility. Inspectors asked about and observed every aspect of patient care in categories such as nutrition care, wound care, medicine management, and quality. Inspectors also conducted one-on-one interviews with residents regarding the care that is provided to them and also spoke with family members and Pinecrest Manor staff.

The deficiency-free survey is the culmination of years of work spent focusing on improving the quality of care provided at Pinecrest Manor. In 2010, the state Department of Health identified eight deficiencies during the facility’s annual resident care survey. In 2011, that number dropped to just two deficiencies.

The survey result also spotlights the overwhelming success of Pinecrest Manor’s new quality care initiatives, which have been in place for several months. An interdisciplinary quality team, made up of Pinecrest Manor employees and supported by the Health System administration, has worked to improve using evidence based guidelines, which are considered the gold standard for best practice in categories of care such as fall prevention. The team has focused on pressure ulcers, urinary tract infections, pain management, falls with major injuries, and activities of daily living.

“When it comes to providing exceptional resident care, there are many pieces to the puzzle,” said Marie Goode, RN, the Director of Nursing at Pinecrest Manor. “Every single person in every single department is responsible for a piece of the puzzle and the Department of Health leaves no stone unturned. We are all extremely proud of what we have accomplished together.”

When the state Department of Health officially publishes the survey results in early 2013 on the federal government’s Nursing Home Compare Five Star Rating Web site, Pinecrest Manor officials expect the facility’s Health Inspection rating to increase significantly, which may also increase its overall score on the Five Star Rating system.

November is National Home Care & Hospice Month

Did you know that November is National Home Care and Hospice Month? 

Our colleagues at Community Nurses, Inc. provide patient- and family-focused Hospice care every single day. We believe that Hospice care is not only about ensuring that our Hospice patients are comfortable ... but it's also about managing their care so well and with such care that the time their families spend with them is truly quality time.

Throughout the month, there will be informational displays about CNI's Hospice program at the Health Center, Pinecrest Manor, the Outpatient Rehabilitation Building, and at our Ridgway Campus. Feel free to stop by and take a look!

And did you know you can visit Community Nurses on Facebook? Click here to become a fan of their page and learn more about the services they provide!

Elk Regional's "Men of Movember" Raise Awareness About Men's Health

This November, men across the country will spend the month growing mustaches to raise awareness and increase understanding about men’s health issues. This nationwide initiative, known as “Movember,” specifically targets prostate and testicular cancer awareness initiatives with the goal of increasing early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

With its own “Men of Movember” initiative, Elk Regional is helping to start the conversation about men’s health issues. A group of male employees from throughout the Health System is spending the month growing mustaches to help educate their coworkers and the Health System’s patients, residents, and visitors.

“Men are traditionally less open than women about health issues and they don’t address health issues as proactively as women do,” said Adam Correll, an employee of the Health System’s Information Technology Department and one of the men spearheading Elk Regional’s Men of Movember initiative. “As a result, there isn’t as high a level of awareness and understanding about men’s health issues, and that can drastically reduce a man’s chances of early detection. We want to bring about change and encourage men to talk about their health more openly. The ‘Movember’ initiative and the mustaches allowed us to put a fun twist on a pretty serious issue.”

Nearly half of all American men will be diagnosed with some form of cancer. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer afflicting American men between the ages of 15 and 45.  One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer; by the end of this year, new cases of prostate cancer are expected to total more than 242,000 nationwide. One in every 13 men will develop lung cancer. By the end of the year, more than 2,000 new cases of male breast cancer could be diagnosed nationwide.

At 77 years, the average life expectancy for men is five years fewer than that of women.

“Little by little, things are starting to change,” Mr. Correll said. “The barriers surrounding men’s health are slowly being broken down. But we have a long way to go. This is a fight that men and women alike need to be part of. Working together is the only way that real, lasting change is going to happen.”

For more information about the “Movember” initiative, click here!