Weighing Your Options for Weight Loss

More than 11 million Americans suffer from severe obesity, which is commonly associated with Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other co-morbidities. Morbid obesity is generally defined as excess body weight of 100 pounds or more or a body mass index of at least 40 kg/meters2. Currently, weight-loss surgery provides the only effective, lasting relief for those who are morbidly obese and have been unsuccessful losing weight through diet, exercise or medication.

Most CHS hospitals offer expert bariatric surgical services, along with free seminars and support groups related to this life-changing treatment. Good Samaritan, Mercy and St. Charles Hospital are all accredited by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). St. Charles is accredited as a Comprehensive Center with Adolescent Qualifications.

“We specialize in a multidisciplinary approach to weight loss through both surgical and non-surgical methods,” commented St. Charles bariatric surgeon John Angstadt, MD. “We have designed a special comprehensive program for our adolescents to provide the extra support they need for success.”

For bariatric surgery candidates, potential procedures include sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric band and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, depending on the patient’s needs. Single-incision or laparoscopic techniques are available for select patients.

For more information about bariatric services available at CHS hospitals in Nassau and Suffolk, please call 1-855-CHS-4500 or visit chsli.org.

Caring for Wounds

If you or a loved one has a wound that hasn't begun to heal within a month or hasn't healed entirely in two months, you may have what is known as a “chronic” or “non-healing” wound.

There are many factors that can cause a wound to become chronic. Some wounds are associated with complications from diabetes or poor circulation. Other result from pressure ulcers and trauma. Chronic, non-healing wounds can have serious health consequences and may adversely affect your quality of life.

At Catholic Health Services we have center’s for wound healing and hyperbaric treatment conveniently located across Long Island. Our team of experienced specialists will work with you and your physician to assess your symptoms, determine the underlying cause of your non-healing wound, and customize the most effective treatment plan to stimulate healing. Our treatment plans are designed to complement the care your own physician provides, ensuring that your health care team is always working together to provide the treatment that’s right for you. Most treatments are covered by Medicare/Medicaid, HMOs and other private insurance plans.

CHS offers hyperbaric medicine and wound healing at Mercy Medical Center, St. Joseph Hospital  and St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center. Please visit www.chsli.org or call 1-855-CHS-4500.

Who Will Make Medical Decisions for You When You Cannot?

By:
Howard Sussman, MD, FACS, chief medical officer, St. Joseph Hospital

You are an integral part of the health care team. The doctors, nurses, physician assistants, dietitians, therapists, and technologists work with you to provide care and advice about the nature of a disease and various treatment options, allowing you to make informed decisions about your care and actively participate in following the plan of care.

Your medical decisions are made based upon your personal values, which may be due to religious beliefs, pain or discomfort, loss of control and incapacity, or based upon experience with family members’ or friends’ illnesses.

What happens when you can no longer make decisions for yourself? Who understands your values, concerns, and fears and can make decisions that reflect what you would want?

Advanced Directives are legal documents that allow you to outline your care preferences.

A Living Will allows you to express your wishes and the care you desire when you can’t. It is your opportunity to speak to your surrogate and the health care team about your concerns, fears and desires. Living Wills are not legally binding documents in New York, but are an accepted way to express your wishes.

A Health Care Proxy allows you to designate someone to act on your behalf when you are unable. You may appoint a family member or close friend. You may not appoint your physician.  The person you choose should be someone who knows your wishes and will make the same decisions you would make. It may be difficult to give this responsibility to one person in a large family; however, it is not permitted to appoint two surrogates at the same time. You may designate an alternate proxy or agent, if the original agent cannot fulfill his/her obligation.

You must give your agent permission to withhold hydration and artificial nutrition, such as tube feedings, if you would not want that kind of care.

If you don’t designate a agent through a Health Care Proxy, the person who will make decisions for you is determined through the Family Health Care Decision Act. This law specifies who has priority to be the decision maker.

Facing any illness can be frightening. The health care team will help you understand the illness, the treatments, possible outcomes and provide guidance to help you reach an informed decision about your care. Designate a Health Care Proxy who understands your wishes and whom you trust to make important and difficult decisions for you when you are unable.  Make sure your loved ones know where to find the document to avoid any confusion when the time comes to make those difficult decisions.

If you need a family practitioner, please visit www.chsli.org or call 1-855-CHS-4500.

Managing Your Health With CHS MyChart

Keeping track of doctor’s appointments, test results, prescriptions and immunizations for you and your family can be challenging. CHS MyChart, a secure patient portal, can help you better manage this important information. Available from a home computer, smartphone or other personal device, MyChart gives you password-protected access to portions of your health record so you can view past and upcoming appointments, request prescription renewals, review medications and immunizations, communicate with your doctor, receive test results and much more.

“Your health is important to us, and it is essential that you’re engaged with your providers during treatment for illnesses and that you follow preventive guidelines to maintain good health,” explained Vice President of Medical Informatics Alan S. Katz, MD. “CHS MyChart offers patients the ability to learn about their conditions, review their test results and securely communicate with their providers for optimal health care, all from their computer or smart device.”

Part of CHS eHealth, along with the Epic electronic medical record (EMR), MyChart helped CHS to earn the Most Wired designation from the American Hospital Association. All six CHS hospitals—and many physician practices—use the shared EMR. This means better, more comprehensive care for you, as your health care providers can quickly review results and vital information through a secure network. Using the unique alphanumeric code provided at discharge from the hospital or by your primary physician, you can activate a MyChart account in just minutes by entering key information, including a secret answer to a security question.

Look for the program about CHS MyChart on “CHS Presents: Lifestyles at the Heart of Health” early this year on Telecare TV or CHS’s YouTube channel. Also, you can learn more about CHS MyChart and how to get started at http://www.chsli.org/content/chs-mychart. Technical support is available at (631) 465-4200.

High Blood Pressure: The Silent Killer

High blood pressure is a dangerous condition. There are usually no symptoms, so many don’t know they have it. High blood pressure can lead to heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.

The good news is that it is possible to prevent and control it. How? By making some fairly simple lifestyle changes:

• Losing weight, if necessary, and maintaining a healthy weight 
• Being physically active 
• Following a healthy eating plan 
• Eating less salt, and 
• Limiting your alcohol consumption
  

Joseph Bruni, MD, who is board certified in internal medicine, stated, “One step to begin right away is to gradually eat healthier foods. This can reduce chances of developing high blood pressure and lower blood pressure, if it's already high.”

A healthy diet contains ample servings of fresh fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products. It is moderate in total fat and low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Included are whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts. Reducing sodium intake is an important component.

Here are some tips to help you help you eat healthier:

• Make small changes like adding a serving of fruit or vegetables at lunch and dinner. 
• Slowly increase your use of fat-free and low-fat dairy products to three servings a day. 
• Gradually cut in half the amount of butter, margarine or salad dressing you eat. 
• If you now eat large portions of meat, cut them back by a half or third at each meal. 
• Try two or more vegetarian-style (meatless) meals each week. 
• Try casseroles, pasta and stir-fry dishes, which have less meat and more vegetables, grains and dry beans. 
• Try fresh or dried fruits, raw vegetables, or low fat and fat free yogurt for snacks.

Start eating better today. It can save your life.

If you need a family practitioner, please visit www.chsli.org or call 1-855-CHS-4500.

Winter Storm Takes Its Toll on Blood Supply

The winter months tend to be the most difficult time of the year to collect blood to meet the needs of patients. Twenty inches of snow make this challenge even more real as blood collections were curtailed for almost two full days this week.

With nearly 2,000 donations needed each day in New York and New Jersey alone, including all Catholic Health Services hospitals which are served exclusively by New York Blood Center, it’s cruicial for donors to set aside an hour to donate. 

"Thankfully, we were able to anticipate the blood drive cancellations caused by the storm, and our hospital partners received the life-saving blood products they needed to endure the storm," said Rob Purvis, New York Blood Center Vice President of Customer Service.

Blood can be safely donated every 56 days. Platelets can be given every seven days – up to 24 times a year. Anyone between the ages of 17 and 75 who is in good health and weighs at least 110 pounds can donate blood. Healthy individuals 75 and older can donate blood, if they present written permission from their physician obtained within two weeks of their donation.

To find a blood drive or donation center near you, visit http://www.nybloodcenter.org/donate-blood/where-to-donate-today/

If you need a family practitioner, please visit www.chsli.org or call 1855-CHS-4500.

I’m Perfectly Healthy, So Why Do I Need to See a Doctor?

You feel fine.  You seem healthy, so why should you visit the doctor?

“This is a question I often hear,” commented Adam Carpentieri, DO, a board certified family practitioner affiliated with St. Joseph Hospital.  “There are many reasons why you should visit a physician annually.  For a person without any significant medical concerns, the most compelling is to catch issues before they become problems.  We need to be proactive, not reactive, when it comes to our health care.”

This point is often forgotten, as we go about our busy lives, taking care of others, our homes, our cars, neglecting our health.  On flights, they tell you in an emergency to first put on your oxygen mask, then help others.  The correlation follows: If we don’t care for ourselves, we won’t be able to care for our loved ones.

An annual exam can uncover a number of hidden problems, such as the beginning of adult onset diabetes, elevated blood pressure or cholesterol or weight issues.  During an exam, discuss any new aches or pains, which could be early signs of arthritis.  Extra weight can cause undue pressure on your joints.  Addressed early, some issues can be treated or avoided.

Dr. Carpentieri explained some patients don’t visit their family doctor because they are seeing specialists.  Patients might say, “I’m seeing a cardiologist or urologist or gynecologist, so why do I need to see another doctor?”

“Your family practitioner can act as your general contractor, coordinating your overall health and ensuring nothing is missed,” said Dr. Carpentieri.  “At St. Joseph, we have a close-knit medical staff.  We know one another, work well together and can collaborate.  This means better care for you.”

If you need a family practitioner, please visit www.chsli.org or call 1855-CHS-4500.