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St. Elizabeth’s Recognizes Hard Work by the Allston-Brighton Youth Coalition

Sun, 5 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

The Youth Coalition at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board meeting

St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, a member of Steward Health Care, Thompson Reuters Top 100 Hospital and teaching affiliate of Tufts University School of Medicine, congratulates the Allston-Brighton Substance Abuse Task Force (ABSATF) Youth Coalition for its role in banning alcohol advertisements on public transportation.

The MBTA recently announced it would prohibit alcohol advertisements on its trains and buses, beginning on July 1, 2012. In the months leading up to this decision, the Youth Coalition presented state transportation officials with documentation of alcohol ads on the T along with petitions and resolutions on banning alcohol T ads. St. Elizabeth’s Elizabeth Parsons, who serves as the ABSATF Youth Coalition coordinator, said, “The Youth Coalition worked hard to raise awareness of the impact of alcohol ads that they see every day on public transportation. Thanks to St. Elizabeth’s support, the students were able to follow through on their efforts which resulted in a healthier environment for youth throughout the city, not just in Allston-Brighton.”

Supporting the youth in their awareness campaign, hosting events, and offering prevention resources are a few ways that St. Elizabeth’s actively partners with the Allston-Brighton Substance Abuse Task Force. St. Elizabeth’s is home to SECAP (St. Elizabeth’s Comprehensive Addiction Program), Boston’s first hospital-based addiction recovery program, which has helped thousands of people recover from addiction to alcohol, narcotics and other substances.

Read more on past acknowledged ABSATF alcohol ad awareness efforts: St. Elizabeth’s Hosts Allston-Brighton Substance Abuse Task Force Summit.

About Steward Health Care
Steward Health Care is a community-based accountable care organization and the parent company of Caritas Christi Health Care. Headquartered in Boston, Steward has more than 13,000 employees serving more than one million patients annually in 85 communities. Hospitals in the system include Saint Anne's Hospital in Fall River, Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton, Norwood Hospital, Carney Hospital in Dorchester, Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill, Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Morton Hospital in Taunton and Quincy Medical Center. Other Steward Health Care entities include Steward Physician Network, Steward Hospice and Home Care, Labouré College and Por Cristo. Further information is available at www.Steward.org.

Saint Anne’s Hospital's new Emergency Room now open

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

New ER offers twice the capacity and specialized emergency care for children and adults

Good Samaritan Medical Center to Launch Center for Weight Control

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

First public information session Saturday, Feb. 11th

Starting next month, Good Samaritan Medical Center will introduce a new service line: the Good Samaritan Center for Weight Control.

For the convenience of patients, this program will be locally-based in Brockton but clinically affiliated with St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center - an accredited Level 1 Bariatric Center by the American College of Surgeons.

Under the direction of Anthony McCluney, MD, Good Samaritan Medical Center team members will work closely with each other and with our patients, educating them about weight loss methods and helping each individual decide which options are best for him or her. The Good Samaritan Center for Weight Control will be located in Suite 222E, 830 Oak Street, Brockton, in the Medical Office Building on the Good Samaritan campus.

The first public information session for interested patients will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 11 a.m. in the J. Joseph Moakley Conference Room at Good Samaritan Medical Center, 235 North Pearl St., Brockton.

Register for the information session and meet Dr. Anthony McCluney, the Director of the Good Samaritan Center for Weight Control and the Assistant Director of Bariatric Surgery at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center.

To register for the informational session on February 11, please click here or call: 508-427-3990.

Zapping VAP at Saint Anne's Hospital

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Saint Anne’s Hospital earns national recognition by U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Holy Family Physicians Travel to Vietnam, Dominican Republic

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Urologists Liam Hurley, MD and Steven Previte, MD and Audiologist Dierdre Anderson, Au.D., donate time and expertise to care for patients and share their medical expertise with local clinicians.

Steward Medical Group Millview Medical and Saint Anne's Hospital welcome family practice physician Joey Anne Tryon, D.O.

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Fall River, MA – Steward Medical Group Millview Medical, a primary care practice in Fall River, has announced the addition of family practice physician Joey Anne Tryon, DO, to their team.

Board-certified in family medicine, Dr. Tryon earned her bachelor of science degree in biology at Holy Cross College. Prior to attending the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, in Biddeford, ME, where she was a National Health Service Corps Scholar, she served for two years in the United States Peace Corps, Lesotho, South Africa, where she worked as a high school science instructor. During that time, she designed and implemented curricula in the natural sciences for a 500-person student body and served as president of the Peace Corps’ HIV/AIDS Committee.

A native of Taunton who is fluent in Spanish, Dr. Tryon completed her residency in family medicine at the Greater Lawrence (MA) Family Health Center’s family medicine residency program, where she served a predominantly immigrant, Spanish-speaking population in an underserved community. Most recently, she provided healthcare to families through Southcoast Physician Services at the Truesdale Clinic, Fall River. She is a member of the American Association of Family Physicians and the Massachusetts Medical Society.

Dr. Tryon joins Drs. Christopher Joncas, Michael Campbell, Mary Sherlock, Marconi Abreu, and nurse practitioner Teresa Ferreira of Steward Medical Group Millview Medical in providing comprehensive primary care to family members of all ages. She is accepting new patients at her office at Saint Anne’s Hospital Medical Office Building, 851 Middle Street, Fall River. Inquiries or referrals are welcome by calling 508-689-3802.

Saint Anne’s Hospital (www.SaintAnnesHospital.org) is a community hospital with comprehensive inpatient, outpatient, and emergency care services, serving adults and children in southeastern Massachusetts and nearby Rhode Island. Founded in 1906 by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, Saint Anne's Hospital is a member of Steward Health Care, the largest fully integrated community care organization in New England. Saint Anne’s specialized centers and services include Saint Anne’s Hospital Regional Cancer Care; the Robert F. Stoico/FIRSTFED Center for Breast Care; Steward Diabetes Care Program; the Steward Centers for Pain Management; geriatric psychiatry; orthopedics; pediatrics (including inpatient care and specialty outpatient medical, behavioral and developmental care through the Fernandes Center for Children & Families); adult and pediatric rehabilitation; cardiovascular care; and primary care.

Steward Health Care is the largest fully integrated community care organization and community hospital network in New England and the second largest private employer in Massachusetts. Headquartered in Boston, Steward now has more than 16,000 employees serving more than one million patients annually in 85 communities. Hospitals in the system include Saint Anne’s in Fall River, Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, Norwood Hospital, Carney Hospital in Dorchester, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill, Morton Hospital and Medical Center in Taunton, and Quincy Medical Center in Quincy. Other Steward Health Care entities include Steward Medical Group, Steward Hospice and Home Care, Labouré College, and Por Cristo. Further information is available at www.steward.org.

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Holy Family Hospital Opens Volunteer Blood Donor Program

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

All donations are used for hospital patients, allowing members of the community to provide life-saving help to one another. Now accepting blood donations by appointment.

Howell Joins St. Elizabeth’s as Chief Operating Officer

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

BRIGHTON—Nathan Howell began this week as the chief operating officer at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, a Steward family hospital, teaching affiliate of Tufts University School of Medicine and Thomson Reuters Top 100 Hospital. Howell, who has served as COO at hospitals in Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Missouri, brings experience in improving patient care and patient satisfaction, growing inpatient and outpatient service lines and leading facilities modernization projects.

“Nate has a proven track record of leadership on improvement efforts around service line growth, patient satisfaction, quality of care, environment of care and patient flow,” said St. Elizabeth’s President John Polanowicz. “He has demonstrated success in partnering with clinical and administrative leaders and members of the community to better serve patients and families, and I’m sure he will do the same here for our patients and families.”

Howell has served as chief operating officer for three different hospitals. Most recently, he served as chief operating officer for Easton Hospital, a 254-bed hospital in Pennsylvania that is part of Community Health Systems. Prior to that, he was chief operating officer for Midwest Regional Medical Center, a 356-bed hospital in Midwest City, Okla., and he served as COO of Crossgates River Oaks Hospital in Brandon, Miss. He also worked for several years for John Hancock Financial Services.

“I look forward to working with the clinical and administrative leaders of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in continuing to provide high-quality care and advanced treatments to patients and families in one of Boston’s most vibrant neighborhoods,” Howell said.

Howell earned an MBA from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University and a bachelor of arts in sociology from Colby College.

About St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center
St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, a Thompson Reuters Top 100 Hospital, is a major academic medical center affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine. Areas of medical excellence include cardiology, neurosciences, bariatric surgery, women’s health, high-risk obstetrics, bone and joint health, hematology/oncology, pulmonary medicine and emergency medicine. St. Elizabeth’s is a member of Steward Health Care, which is the second largest health care system in New England. Visit St. Elizabeth’s online at StewardStElizabeths.org.

About Steward Health Care
Steward Health Care is a community-based accountable care organization and the parent company of Caritas Christi Health Care. Headquartered in Boston, Steward has more than 13,000 employees serving more than one million patients annually in 85 communities. Hospitals in the system include Saint Anne's Hospital in Fall River, Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton, Norwood Hospital, Carney Hospital in Dorchester, Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill, Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Morton Hospital in Taunton and Quincy Medical Center. Other Steward Health Care entities include Steward Physician Network, Steward Hospice and Home Care, Labouré College and Por Cristo. Further information is available at www.Steward.org.

Good Samaritan Medical Center Recognized with Breastfeeding Achievement Award

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Good Samaritan Medical Center was recently honored by the state Department of Public Health for its ongoing commitment to breastfeeding training opportunities for its maternity staff.

The medical center was awarded a 2011 Breastfeeding Achievement Award by the DPH at the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition annual conference in October, held at the Massachusetts Medical Society headquarters in Waltham.

“We are proud of the hospital’s accomplishments in this important area of maternal and infant care,” said Lauren Smith, MD, MPH, medical director of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

The 2011 Breastfeeding Achievement Award recognizes institutions with meaningful breastfeeding training opportunity for staff. Such opportunities demonstrate an institution’s dedication to providing recent, evidence-based information to ensure that families receive the best breastfeeding care.

“As public health professionals and health care providers, we know that supporting breastfeeding in the early days and months of life contributes to the health and well-being of mothers and their children for years to come,” Smith said.

This was the fourth year in a row that Good Samaritan Medical Center received this distinction.

Good Samaritan Cardiac Rehabilitation Support Group Changes Meeting Time, Location

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The New Year will bring a new meeting time and location to the Good Samaritan Medical Center Cardiac Rehabilitation Support Group.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation Support Group will meet at Good Samaritan Medical Center, 235 N. Pearl Street, the third Wednesday of each month from 1-2 p.m. in the Radiology Conference Room.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation Support Group is designed for any patient who has undergone a cardiac event. The group is facilitated by members of the medical center’s cardiac team and social work department. There is no fee for the program.

For more information call the Cardiac Rehabilitation program coordinator at 508-427-2609.

Enjoy “Freedom from Smoking” in 2012!

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Beginning Jan. 10: Saint Anne's Hospital's low-cost smoking cessation program gives you the tools you need to quit

Vijay Sudheendra, MD, named chief of anesthesia at Saint Anne’s Hospital

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Fall River, MA – Anesthesiologist Vijay Sudheendra, MD, has been named chief of anesthesia at Saint Anne’s Hospital.

In his new role, Dr. Sudheendra works with a team of anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists at Saint Anne’s Hospital and the Southern New England Surgery Center (SNESC) of Saint Anne’s Hospital in Attleboro.

Dr. Sudheendra also serves as medical director of SNESC, where he oversees the center’s clinical operations. A free-standing ambulatory surgery center founded in 2007, SNESC performs more than 7,200 surgical procedures annually, including general surgery and specialty surgeries in orthopedics, gastroenterology, colorectal surgery, podiatry, plastic surgery, urology, and neurologic surgery.

Dr. Sudheendra is a member of Narragansett Bay Anesthesia LLC, which, in addition to Saint Anne’s, also provides anesthesia services at Miriam Hospital, where he worked prior to joining SNESC in 2008.

He completed residencies in anesthesiology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, OH, and Weill Medical College of Cornell University-New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, followed by training in cardiothoracic anesthesia at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. A graduate of Karnataka Medical College in Hubli, India, he also completed a residency in anesthesiology at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology and a diplomate in perioperative transesophageal echocardiography through the National Board of Echocardiology.

An assistant professor of surgery and anesthesiology in the Department of Surgery and Anesthesia at Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, Dr. Sudheendra has authored numerous professional journal articles, peer-reviewed publications, and book chapters, and presented at more than 20 medical conferences in the United States and abroad. His most recent presentations have focused on the use of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia, a technique used at Saint Anne’s two surgery locations.

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Saint Anne’s Hospital is a community hospital with comprehensive inpatient, outpatient, and emergency care services, serving adults and children in southeastern Massachusetts and nearby Rhode Island. Founded in 1906 by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, Saint Anne's Hospital is a member of Steward Health Care, the largest fully integrated community care organization in New England. Saint Anne’s specialized centers and services include Saint Anne’s Hospital Regional Cancer Care; the Robert F. Stoico/FIRSTFED Center for Breast Care; Steward Diabetes Care Program; the Steward Centers for Pain Management; general and specialty surgery; orthopedics; pediatrics (including inpatient care and specialty outpatient medical, behavioral and developmental care; adult and pediatric rehabilitation; geriatric psychiatry; cardiovascular care; and primary care.

Steward Health Care is the largest fully integrated community care organization and community hospital network in New England and the second largest private employer in Massachusetts. Headquartered in Boston, Steward now has more than 16,000 employees serving more than one million patients annually in 85 communities. In addition to Saint Anne’s Hospital, other hospitals in the system include Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, Norwood Hospital, Carney Hospital in Dorchester, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill, Morton Hospital and Medical Center in Taunton, and Quincy Medical Center in Quincy. Other Steward Health Care entities include Steward Medical Group, Steward Hospice and Home Care, Labouré College, and Por Cristo.

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2012 New Year’s Resolution: St. Elizabeth’s Quits Smoking

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

BRIGHTON—St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center is going tobacco free this year as part of a citywide effort. The Boston Public Health Commission has mandated that all hospitals in Boston ban the use of cigarettes and all tobacco products on hospital grounds. St. Elizabeth’s is enacting this change effective Jan. 1, 2012, well before the city-mandated April deadline.

“Employees volunteered to serve on our Tobacco Free Task Force to work with city public health officials and make this happen,” said St. Elizabeth’s President John Polanowicz. “With so many well documented health concerns around smoking, second-hand smoke and smokeless tobacco use, going tobacco free is the right thing to do for our patients and families, employees and staff and everyone who visits St. Elizabeth’s.”

Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced the Tobacco-Free Hospital initiative in November 2011 as a partnership between the City of Boston, the Boston Public Health Commission, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Carney Hospital and eight other Boston hospitals to decrease tobacco use and exposure on hospital campuses.

St. Elizabeth’s Tobacco Free Task Force launched a comprehensive approach to go tobacco-free by instituting policies prohibiting patients, visitors, and employees from smoking on hospital property at all times. In June, the hospital reduced the number of designated smoking areas on campus, and will close those areas to smoking Jan. 1. The hospital also distributed and promoted smoking cessation tools and resources to patients and staff.

For more information, please visit: www.StewardStElizabeths.org/Tobaccofree

About St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center
St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, a Thompson Reuters Top 100 Hospital, is a major academic medical center affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine. Areas of medical excellence include cardiology, neurosciences, bariatric surgery, women’s health, high-risk obstetrics, bone and joint health, hematology/oncology, pulmonary medicine and emergency medicine. St. Elizabeth’s is a member of Steward Health Care, which is the second largest health care system in New England. Visit St. Elizabeth’s online at StewardStElizabeths.org.

About Steward Health Care
Steward Health Care is a community-based accountable care organization and the parent company of Caritas Christi Health Care. Headquartered in Boston, Steward has more than 13,000 employees serving more than one million patients annually in 85 communities. Hospitals in the system include Saint Anne's Hospital in Fall River, Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton, Norwood Hospital, Carney Hospital in Dorchester, Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill, Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, and Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton. Other Steward Health Care entities include Steward Physician Network, Caritas Hospice and Home Care, Labouré College and Por Cristo. Further information is available at www.Steward.org.

Steward Health Care to participate as Medicare Pioneer Accountable Care Organization

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

New Model Designed to Offer Better Care to Beneficiaries Through Partnership with Medicare.

Gonzalez Named Chief of General Pediatrics at St. Elizabeth’s

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Natick Resident Practices in Watertown, Research Focuses on Childhood Obesity

BRIGHTON - St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Shirley Gonzalez, MD, FAAP, as chief of the Division of General Pediatrics of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.

In this role, Dr. Gonzalez is responsible for the clinical and administrative activities of the department including continually assessing and improving the quality of care, treatment and services. Dr. Gonzalez has served for nine years as a community-based pediatrician with the Steward Pediatrics and Family Medicine practice in Watertown. In addition to serving as chief, she will continue to see patients at her practice along with rounding in St. Elizabeth’s newborn nursery.

Her mission as a practitioner is to promote the health of children in our communities and empower parents as their primary educators. She founded and directs the TEEEN program (Teens, empowerment, education, exercise, nutrition). Her research focuses on the effects of behavioral programs on overweight pediatric patients, including nutrition fact label knowledge acquisition and health care quality of life, and she has presented at many scientific meetings.

Dr. Gonzalez received the Boston Business Journal’s “Champion in Health Care” award in 2009 for innovative work in the field of pediatric obesity. She is an active member of City Connects and Boston Nutrition Obesity Research Council, and she volunteers with the Joslin Diabetes Camp/Barton Camp for children with Type 1 diabetes.

Dr. Gonzalez is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. She graduated from Brown University, earned her M.D. from Northwestern University, and completed her residency at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago Illinois. She is also certified by the American Academy of FertilityCare™ Professionals.

About St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center
St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, a Thompson Reuters Top 100 Hospital, is a major academic medical center affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine. Areas of medical excellence include cardiology, neurosciences, bariatric surgery, women’s health, high-risk obstetrics, bone and joint health, hematology/oncology, pulmonary medicine and emergency medicine. St. Elizabeth’s is a member of Steward Health Care, which is the second largest health care system in New England. Visit St. Elizabeth’s online at StewardStElizabeths.org.

About Steward Health Care
Steward Health Care is a community-based accountable care organization and the parent company of Caritas Christi Health Care. Headquartered in Boston, Steward has more than 13,000 employees serving more than one million patients annually in 85 communities. Hospitals in the system include Saint Anne's Hospital in Fall River, Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton, Norwood Hospital, Carney Hospital in Dorchester, Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill, Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, and Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton. Other Steward Health Care entities include Steward Physician Network, Caritas Hospice and Home Care, Labouré College and Por Cristo. Further information is available at www.Steward.org.