Winter 2012 - Meritus Health

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Foot Smarts for DiabeticsA diabetes diagnosis can make your feet vulnerable tonerve damage (neuropathy) and foot complications.By taking proper care of your feet, you can avoidcomplications down the road.Check your feet everydayLook at your bare feet every day for cuts, blisters, redspots, and swelling. Use a mirror to check the bottomsof your feet or ask a family member for help if you dohave trouble seeing.Wash your feet everydayWash your feet in warm—not hot—water every day.Dry your feet well. Be sure to dry between the toes.Wear shoes and socks at all timesNever walk barefoot. Wear comfortable shoes thatfit well and protect your feet (especially your toesand heels).Protect your feet from hot and coldWear shoes at the beach or on hot pavement. Wearsocks at night if your feet get cold.Keep the blood flowing to your feetPut your feet up when sitting. Wiggle your toes andmove your ankles up and down for 5 minutes, 2 or 3times a day. Don’t cross your legs for long periods oftime. Don’t smoke. Smoking affects blood circulation.Check with your doctorHave your doctor check your bare feet and find outwhether you are likely to have serious foot problems.Remember that you may not feel the pain of an injury.Equipped for Life OffersProducts for the FeetYour feet are often the most used and abused part ofyour body. Whether you suffer from tired feet orchronic foot pain, Meritus Health’s Equipped forLife offers an impressive selection of foot health productsdesigned to minimize foot discomfort.• Foot supports including insoles, and heel wedges andcups• Braces, splints, toe separators, feet cushions• Orthopedic/diabetic shoes• Nursing/healthcare worker shoes• Socks and hosiery including diabetic socks,compression stockings, and comfort socks• Foot hygiene and foot odor productsWe have what you need to treat specificfoot conditions and keep your feet healthy.Contact Equipped for Life at 301.714.0200.Wound Center Cares forDiabetic Foot UlcersFor someone with diabetes,a small foot injury like acut, splinter or blister canfail to heal itself and lead to aserious medical condition. TheWound Center at MeritusMedical Center leads the wayin the treatment and care ofchronic and non-healingwounds. The center offersspecific treatments for patientswith diabetic foot ulcersincluding:■ Hyperbaric oxygen therapyto help heal chronic woundsnot responding to conventionaltherapy. This medical treatmentallows a patient to breathe in100% oxygen which helpsenrich the bloodstream.■ Total contact castingredistributes foot pressure andreduces swelling to help healdiabetic foot ulcers. The castsnugly fits the exact contour ofthe foot and protects the footduring recovery.■ Bio-engineered skinsubstitutes such asDermagraft, Apligraf, and Oasisto support wound closure fordiabetic foot ulcers.Thomas Gilbert III, DO, FACEP,FAPWCA, FACHM serves as theWound Center’s medicaldirector and is the region’sonly board certified physicianin hyperbaric medicine.Contact the Wound Center at 240.313.9580for information and appointments.10 MeritusHealth.com
OWNER’S MANUALHospitalists: Specialized Care When You Need ItWhen you’re admitted to Meritus Medical Center, mostpatients don’t have to wait for their primary caredoctor to fit in hospital rounds between scheduledoffice visits. For the last six years, patients and family physicianshave benefited from a dedicated team of hospital-basedphysicians, called hospitalists, who are inside the hospitalaround-the-clock to provide on-site, focused care throughouta patient’s hospital stay.It’s a win-win because primary care physicians who use thehospitalists’ services are freed up from the complexities ofhospital medicine and can focus on caring for scheduled patientswho come into their office, and patients benefit because thehospitalists are right there, inside the hospital, available at anyhour of the day, every day of the week. This can also translate toincreased availability of your primary care physician duringoffice hours – no longer do they need to rush to the hospital tosee hospital patients during a busy office day leaving a waitingroom full of patients.And without the distraction of having to get back to the officeto see office patients, hospitalists can spend more time withpatients, and they are available in a moment’s notice if a patientor family member has a question or concern.“Because we don’t have the worry of seeing office patients,”says Francisco Daniels, DO, hospitalist on staff at MeritusMedical Center, “we’re able to be 100 percent dedicated tohospital patients.”Primary care physicians can stay in constant communicationwith the hospitalists to follow their patients’ care, and afterdischarge, patients will return to their primary care physician forall of their follow-up needs. To ensure continuity in your care,hospitalists share a discharge summary on each patient withtheir primary care physician so that your family physician isup-to-speed before any follow-up appointments. They also workclosely with other specialists throughout the healthcare system–from gastroenterologists to cardiologists, depending on eachpatient’s needs.When it comes to measuring the benefit of hospitalists,research has found that patients who are treated by hospitalistsare in the hospital for less time and their medical costs arereduced. Specifically, a study published in the American Journalof Managed Care found that hospitalists reduced length of stayby about one day and lowered overall costs by about $1,000.“Hospitalists are like an extension of the care you receive fromyour primary care physician,” says Ellen Rice, PhD, qualitymanager at Meritus Medical Center. “Hospitalists, specialists andprimary care physicians work closely together to create aseamless continuum of care for our patients.”For more information on the hospitalist program,call 301.790.8804.“I try to educate my patients before they arehospitalized that they will be treated in thehospital by the hospitalists, doctors whospecialize in the care of patients in thehospital. It goes a long way to putting themat ease when they see a newface in the hospital. Then,when they come back tome for follow-up, theyalways have great thingsto say about the care theyreceived from thehospitalists.”—Dr. TaniaCrussiah,Family physician,WilliamsportFamily PracticeHospitalists likeDr. FranciscoDaniels (left) providearound-theclockcare topatients at MeritusMedical CenterMeritusHealth.com 11
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Page 3 and 4: OWNER’S MANUALDo You Take BetterC
Page 5 and 6: OWNER’S MANUALWhen Your Body Alar
Page 7 and 8: New to Meritus HealthKhadijah Abdur
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Winter 2012 - Meritus Health

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