Pinecrest Manor Residents Enjoy Christmas Dinner

On Dec. 4, residents of Pinecrest Manor, a division of Elk Regional Health Center, enjoyed Christmas dinner and a visit from Santa and his elves. Dinner for the more than 400 people in attendance was provided by Elk Regional’s Nutritional Services Department. Entertainment during dinner was provided by Hap and Friends; Tim Hnath and Bobby Spaeth; Kay Gnan; and Jim and Friends. Pictured are Frank Sekelsky; his son Robert Sekelsky; his daughter Karen Gordon and his wife Wanda Sekelsky at the dinner.

Elk Regional Supports "Project Gifts for Elk County" Toy Drive

Christmas is coming, and the employees at Elk Regional Health System took the opportunity to make a donation to the "Project Gifts for Elk County" toy drive! Through the "Elk Regional Gives Back" program, employees from each department donated new, unwrapped gifts for children of all ages.

To see pictures of all the toys that were donated, visit us on Facebook!

From left are Officer Jason Miller and Officer D.J. Marconi from the St. Marys Police Department; Lacy Nicklas, Human Resources; Mary Pat Fleming, Laboratory; Vicki Dias, Laboratory; Melanie Lundeen, Generations; Sue Pavlikowski, Laboratory; Jim Heary, owner of Art Heary & Sons Furniture; Tim Pavlikowski, student intern; and Connie Smith, Generations.

The Family Unit Makes Christmas Merry for Children

On Dec. 8, employees in The Family Unit at Elk Regional Health Center made a donation to the Salvation Army’s Toys for Elk County drive. From left are Laura Lorenzo, RN, lead charge nurse; Sara Myers, RN, nurse manager of The Family Unit; Sara Pistner, RN; Rachael Mackey, LPN; and Salvation Army Captain Scott Harvey.

Elk Regional Keeps Region's Workforce Healthy with Occupational Health Services

Elk Regional Health Center knows the importance of a healthy workforce. That’s why its Occupational Health Services department is committed to delivering the best in occupational health services to employers and employees at their workplace or at either of two convenient locations in St. Marys and Ridgway.

For more than 20 years, Elk Regional has served businesses and industries throughout the region with occupational health programs designed to help maintain a healthy and productive work force.

As the region’s premier source for comprehensive occupational health services, Elk Regional offers a full spectrum of care to local employees and their employers. Occupational therapists in the Health System’s Outpatient Rehabilitation department can treat injured workers and help them return to their jobs. The Occupational Health Services department works to keep healthy workers healthy and reduce the toll injuries take on local businesses.

“We hear company representatives say that people are their company’s most precious asset,” said Shelly Palumbo, the manager of Elk Regional’s Occupational Health Services department. “Because of the economic downturn, companies are leaner now more than ever, so it’s critical that employee time isn’t lost because of preventable health issues. Our services are designed to enhance the health, productivity and profitability of each company’s workforce.”

Through its Occupational Health Services department, Elk Regional offers a wide variety substance abuse services that include both federal and non-federal certified urine drug collection; federal and non-federal certified urine drug collection with MRO services; certified breathalyzer tests, including intoximeter and saliva alcohol tests; certified oral fluid drug collection; and certified hair testing for drug abuse.

The department also offers employee criminal background checks; post-offer physicals; annual physicals; assistance with acute workmen’s compensation injury management; CDL physicals; and job function tests.

The Occupational Health Services department also offers a variety of prevention services, including screenings for cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure problems; bone density; titmus vision exams; and venipuncture lab draw testing.

Available health screenings include hearing tests; lung function tests with interpretation; respiratory fit tests; chest x-rays; and lab tests designed to show whether the patient has an immunity to measles, mumps and rubella, and Hepatitis B.

“We also offer PPD tests for tuberculosis, Hepatitis B injections, flu shot vaccines, and tetanus injections,” Mrs. Palumbo said.

All of the employees in Elk Regional’s Occupational Health Services department are Safeland Certified, which means they are able to meet strict safety training standards for the gas industry.

“Industry throughout our region has always been an occupational mainstay – and that’s a legacy we’re proud to celebrate,” Mrs. Palumbo said. “For more than two decades, Elk Regional has been working in partnership with businesses and industries in our region to not only protect their workers and keep them healthy but to help ensure that employers have a highly productive workforce. We want workers and their employers to be as effective as possible. Our Occupational Health Services program helps ensure that they will be.”

For more information about Elk Regional’s Occupational Health Services, call (814) 788-5647. Information is also available online here.

Businesses that would like to schedule an informative program with an Occupational Health Services representative may call Mrs. Palumbo at (814) 558-6223.

Elk Regional Orthopaedic Surgeons Eliminate the Need for Travel

One day in mid-August, Pauline Gausman was working out and felt her left knee pop. The pain that followed gave her mobility problems, especially when she would walk up and down stairs. She knew something had to be done, so she called Dr. Ted Eshbach, an orthopaedic surgeon at Elk Regional.

“I’m not the type of person that runs to the doctor for every little thing,” Ms. Gausman said. “I’m more likely to wait and see if an injury gets better on its own. I’m one of those people that would rather take care of other people than have other people take care of me. I’m always last on my own list. But I’ve known Dr. Eshbach for a long time. Our children were in high school together; so I knew him and felt comfortable with him.”

During an appointment at the end of August, Dr. Eshbach ordered x-rays and an MRI of Ms. Gausman’s knee. At a follow up appointment the next week, he told her that she had three options – give the injury some time to heal, have a steroid injection in her knee, or undergo surgery.

“He told me that he felt surgery was the best option,” Ms. Gausman said. “And at that point, I knew I had to have surgery. My injury had become a quality of life issue. I couldn’t walk up the stairs anymore or do the things I had normally done. It was time.”

Ms. Gausman underwent surgery for the repair of her meniscus, a small “C” shaped piece of cartilage that acts as a cushion inside the knee joint. Ms. Gausman needed surgery on her lateral meniscus, which is on the outside of the knee, and her medial meniscus, which is on the inside of the knee.

Dr. Eshbach performed the surgery arthroscopically in the surgical suite at Elk Regional. Ms. Gausman was only off work for a week.  

Ms. Gausman had specific reasons for choosing a local doctor.

“Over the years, I’ve heard about people going to see him for an initial visit, getting an MRI, and then going outside of the community for their surgery,” Ms. Gausman said. “I wanted to show people that we have a good hospital here. We have excellent doctors who can do these surgeries right here at home. These specialists can do the same things as the specialists in State College, Pittsburgh and Erie. There is no reason to travel away from home.

“I wasn’t honestly that nervous. I’ve known Dr. Eshbach for a long time and I know he’s a good doctor. This was an easy choice for me – I knew exactly who I’d go to for the surgery and where it would be done. I have the utmost faith in him and was satisfied with how the surgery turned out. My knee will never be 100 percent again, but thanks to Dr. Eshbach, it’s as good as it could be. Everything worked out perfectly.”

Elk Regional Presents "The Men of Movember"

We are proud to present Elk Regional's Men of "Movember"! Several of our employees participated in the Movember Initiative, during which men around the world spend the month of November growing a mustache to raise awareness about prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and other cancers that affect men.

From left are Jim Condon, RN, Nurse Manager of the Emergency Department; Brian Gore, I.T. Help Desk; Matt Romania, RN, Director of Nursing; George Wingard, Maintenance Supervisor; Stew Corl, I.T. Help Desk; Adam Correll, I.T. Help Desk; and Chris Barackman, Pharmacy Director.

For more about the Movember initiative, visit them online!

Elk Regional Receives Grant from Ronald McDonald House Charities

The Family Unit at Elk Regional Health Center was recently the grateful recipient of a generous $10,000 grant from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Mid-Penn Region and a matching $5,000 grant from the national Ronald McDonald House Charities.

The $15,000 grant allowed for the purchase of a transport incubator for The Family Unit, an addition that will enhance Elk Regional’s ability to safely transport babies born via Caesarean section from the operating room to The Family Unit. The incubator can also be used to safely transport newborns that need to be transferred to a neo-natal ICU via ambulance or helicopter.

“It is absolutely wonderful to see this money used locally,” said Linda Hoffman, the treasurer of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Mid-Penn Region.

“The grant money we award is funded in large part through the coin boxes at the cash register. People in the St. Marys area always give very generously, so it’s wonderful to be able to fund a grant request for our local community hospital.”

“We are grateful to Ronald McDonald House Charities for their generous gift,” said Sam MacDonald, Elk Regional’s Director of Business and Fund Development.

“Elk Regional has recently made major investments in 3D and 4D ultrasound and a new fetal heart monitoring system. By next summer, we will have a brand-new, state-of-the-art maternity unit. Thanks to Ronald McDonald House Charities, we can also offer our littlest patients the safety and security of a new transport incubator.”

Transport incubators are important because newborns must be kept warm at all times. When babies become too cold, they can develop respiratory problems and problems with blood sugar. Elk Regional’s new transport incubator allows caregivers to control the temperature and humidity inside the unit, which creates an ideal environment for the newborn while allowing for continual monitoring of the baby’s vital signs.

“The priority of our physicians and nurses has always been to provide a safe, secure and healthy environment for our newborns,” said Mary Helen Coroso, RN, the nurse manager of Elk Regional’s Family Unit. “The new transport incubator will allow us to continue to provide the highest quality of care to families who come to Elk Regional.”

Elk Regional Health System includes a fully-accredited, not-for-profit, 80-bed general acute care institution, an extended care facility, an independent living facility, a home health agency and an employed physician group that serves Elk and Cameron counties. The organization is backed by the strength of a clinical affiliation with UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pa. With campuses in St. Marys and Ridgway and physician offices in a number of locations throughout the region, Elk Regional proudly serves the residents of Elk and Cameron counties. It is Elk Regional’s ongoing mission to provide premier healthcare services to our patients through our commitments to service, quality, people, finance and growth, while maintaining economic viability and keeping an eye on the future. For more information, visit us online.

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Through its global network of local Chapters in 54 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children's programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-supported programs provide a bridge to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal faster and cope better. For more information, visit them online.

Photo: From left are Linda Hoffman, the treasurer of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Mid-Penn Region; Sam MacDonald, Director of Business and Fund Development at Elk Regional; Mary Helen Coroso, interim manager of The Family Unit; Laura Lorenzo, RN; Sara Myers, RN, manager of The Family Unit; and Betsy Cheatle, RN.