CMC_HLN_Fall2020_final

Healthy LivingFall
News from Catholic Medical Center
2020
100 McGregor Street Manchester NH 03102
COVID-19 WHAT’S NEXT
At Catholic Medical Center, health, healing and hope have
been the foundation of our mission for over 100 years. The
safety of our patients, staff and community remains our
highest priority, and challenges like COVID-19 reinforce our
commitment to every individual who seeks our care.
You may have a lot of questions about what happens next.
We’re here to provide you with answers and high-quality,
compassionate care. Stay up to date on the latest information
by visiting catholicmedicalcenter.org/whatsnext.
Health Care Re-Imagined
The COVID-19 pandemic has quickly
transformed the appearance and
delivery of health care. Here at CMC
we’re taking many steps to enhance
your safety. Whether you’re coming
to the hospital for a procedure or
appointment, or visiting one of our
outpatient sites for routine care, you
can expect to see things that are
different from your last visit, including:
• COVID-19 screening at all our
sites, including testing for all
patients having a procedure or
being admitted for a hospital stay
• Isolated nursing units and office
areas for patients with COVID-19
or COVID-19 symptoms
• Reduced seating in our waiting
areas to help maintain social
distancing
• In-car services, like our drivethrough
COVID-19 testing site
• Modified registration process to
reduce your contact with others
• Signs throughout our facilities to
help maintain social distancing
At the hospital, we’ve installed
temperature scanning portals at our
entrances to enhance the screening
process. At all our sites, we have
increased our frequent and vigorous
cleaning, especially disinfecting
high-touch areas. We’re also using
telehealth more than ever, so speak
with your provider about whether a
virtual visit is right for you.
As long as the threat of COVID-19
lingers in our community, we will
require our visitors to wear a mask. We
require employees to wear one, too!
This is for everyone’s safety. Likewise,
we are limiting visitors depending on
Primary Care
Your partner in navigating
what’s next
COVID-19 conditions in the hospital
and the community. For the most
updated COVID-19 information, visit
catholicmedicalcenter.org/
whatsnext
Autumn is a time of routine and tradition
but, this year, everything is different.
One thing that remains the same is the
commitment of your primary care team.
From the care you need to the guidance that will help your family navigate the
“new normal,” CMC Primary Care is your partner along the way.
CatholicMedicalCenter @cmchealth @catholicmedicalcenter
CatholicMedicalCenter.org

Medical News
Back to School Jitters
Heather Newell,
APRN
Back to school in 2020 is unlike any other year.
Whatever your child’s school arrangement,
families are adjusting to new routines and
realities. Heather Newell, APRN from Family
Physicians of Manchester offers these tips to
help ease the process.
• REMEMBER THE BASICS. Reinforce these habits with
your kids at home, so they are easier to practice at school.
• Clean hands often. Wash hands with warm, soapy
water for a minimum of 20 seconds at a time. Instead of
two rounds of ‘Happy Birthday’, try singing ‘Somewhere
over the Rainbow’ or make up your own song! When
out and about, pack a hand sanitizer with at least 60%
alcohol that your child can use periodically.
• Don’t touch your face—or anyone else’s. Work with
your child to avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth.
Keeping hands away from the face is an effective way
of halting the spread of germs. Reinforce the age-old
advice, “Keep your hands to yourself.”
• Maintain distance. Classrooms likely have tools in
place to help with 6-foot distancing. But when they’re
away from their desks, kids will naturally want to be
close to each other, especially if they haven’t seen each
other in six months! Coach your child on good hygiene
and mask wearing for times when they can’t avoid
being in close contact.
• Wear a mask. Masks should be worn when children
(age two and older) cannot keep a distance from others.
It’s important for children not to touch their face with their
mask on, so work with them on getting comfortable with
their mask and learning how to wear it without touching
it frequently. Try different fabrics and ear loops until they
find something comfortable.
• WATCH YOUR CHILD FOR FEVER OR SYMPTOMS OF
ILLNESS. Don’t take any chances by treating a slight fever
with medication and sending them to school. While fever
is a frequent symptom of illness in children, it is the most
common symptom of COVID-19. Keep them home if they
have any COVID-19 symptoms and call their provider if they
have an oral
temperature
of 100.4 or
higher.
• CHECK IN
ON THEIR
EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. Kids amaze us with their
resiliency. Still, the pandemic continues to give them a lot
to adjust to and the toll may be hard to notice. Younger
children, especially, are sensitive to changes in routine
or stress in their family. Whether your child is in class or
learning remotely, check if the school has mental health
professionals who can provide strategies to manage your
child’s well being. Your child’s PCP is also a great resource.
• STOCK UP. Make sure your child has enough tools to
do their class work without borrowing pens, scissors
and other high-touch school supplies. Inquire with the
teacher about access to wipes and remind your child to
clean all supplies—especially any they borrow—before
and after use.
• GET OUTDOORS! Playing outside is good for physical
and mental health. According to the American Academy
of Pediatrics, it also helps children be more engaged
with learning by promoting curiosity, creativity and critical
thinking. Be sure to work
outdoor time into their
school-year routine. If
extracurricular sports
are not an option, try
a round of driveway
basketball, an afterschool
bike ride, or
a weekend family
hike.
Healthy Living
2
CatholicMedicalCenter.org

Where heart
meets health.
The doctor will see you now!
You should expect to be safe when you go to your doctor's office. After all, you’re
going for your health! We’ve taken measures at all of our practices to make sure
you get individualized care as safely as possible.
• We’re minimizing the number of people in our waiting areas, staggering
appointment times, and removing chairs to help maintain social distancing.
• In some cases, we’re asking you to wait in your car, where we’ll screen you for
fever and other COVID-19 symptoms and begin your registration process.
• If coming into the office isn’t the right option for your appointment, we can
arrange a telehealth (or virtual) visit to take place over your smart phone or
other secure video connection.
All of our providers are ready to see you!
Don’t Delay Preventive Screening
New Hampshire Gastroenterology’s Dr. Ergen Muso evaluates colon cancer screening options
Cologuard vs
colonoscopy.
Which one is the
right test for me?
Is one better than
the other? Is it safe
to perform one in
Ergen Muso, DO a COVID world?
Before answering,
let’s learn a bit more about these tests.
Colorectal cancer is the 3 rd most
common cancer diagnosed in both men
and women each year in the United
States and the 2 nd most common cause
of cancer death. Fortunately, it’s mostly
preventable with the right screening.
Unfortunately, not everyone is getting
screened and in 2020 it’s expected to
cause about 53,000 deaths.
What is Cologuard?
Cologuard is a fairly new, stool-based
test, which detects blood in your stool
as well as abnormal DNA which raises
concern for precancerous polyps. It’s
a fairly good test for what it’s meant to
be, with high sensitivity to pick up precancerous
polyps.
• There is no special prep
• No need for time off
• No changes to your diet or
medications
• Delivered to your doorstep
• Collect your sample in the privacy
of your own home
• Covered by insurance as a
screening test
This sounds great. Then why would I
need a colonoscopy?
Cologuard is not for everyone. Patients
with certain risk factors, like history of
polyps, cancer, family history of colon
cancer, or inflammatory bowel disease
should not have this test. False positive
rates also range in the 10-15% range. If
negative, it’s recommended to repeat
the test in three years.
What happens with a
positive test?
If your Cologuard is positive you
would need a colonoscopy to find and
remove the polyps before they turn into
cancer. In this case, the colonoscopy
is no longer considered a screening
test and will fall under a patient’s
deductible.
Is Cologuard a replacement for
colonoscopy?
No. Gastroenterologists are increasingly
concerned that the direct-to-consumer
marketing of Cologuard is overstating
its role in helping to solve a serious
public health problem. Cologuard is not
intended to replace colonoscopy.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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@catholicmedicalcenter
@CatholicMedicalCenter

Medical News
Obesity & COVID-19
Dr. Andrew Wu, CMC New England Weight Management Institute
Andrew Wu, MD, FACS,
FASMBS
As we learn more about COVID-19,
it’s clear that the clinical effects of
this disease are particularly severe in
certain populations such as the elderly,
those with weakened immune systems,
and those with obesity. Dr. Andrew
Wu, a bariatric surgeon with the New
England Weight Management Institute,
provides his insight.
Does your weight increase your risk
of COVID-19?
Simply being overweight increases your risk of severe illness.
Recent studies have shown that obesity is the primary risk
factor for developing a severe case of COVID-19 in those
under the age of 55. A standard measurement of weight is
measuring your body mass index (BMI). If your BMI is 30-40,
you have a one third greater chance of developing a severe
case of COVID-19. This risk doubles if your BMI is above 40.
Why does obesity place a person at higher risk of
severe COVID-19?
The exact reason is unclear, but we do know that obesity
is directly linked to a weakened immune system, and at the
cellular level, there is increased production of inflammatory
cells. The lungs are an organ that decreases in function
with an increase in inflammation. Lung function is further
compromised with increased difficulty in breathing and
worsened oxygen exchange. Since COVID-19 primarily
targets our respiratory system, it’s more likely obese
patients will need a breathing tube to provide oxygen. It is
well established that those who are on a ventilator have a
significant increase in death from COVID-19.
What can you do to minimize your chance of become
infected with COVID-19?
Everyone needs to continue to practice safe social
distancing (>6 feet), wear a mask, and practice hand
hygiene. Your goal is to improve your immune system
by eating a well-balanced diet, taking your vitamins, and
maintaining your weight. Exercise is very important—
increased activity is directly linked to decreasing
inflammation and improving your immune system.
How can you remain healthy and prevent obesity
during this stressful time? How can CMC help?
Here at CMC’s New England Weight Management Institute
(NEWMI), we can support you in leading an active, healthy
lifestyle and improving your health to minimize risk of disease.
Staying healthy requires you to set personal goals such as
engaging in effective exercise of at least 20 minutes a day
and counting caloric intake in a food diary.
Our comprehensive, multidisciplinary center continues to
provide resources to practice a healthier lifestyle, including
both medical and surgical weight loss options. Our office
is always open for in-person visits. We’ve also developed a
convenient, effective, and robust telehealth platform to help
you through this process with live virtual medical, surgical,
and dietitian consultations. We have monthly support
groups and informational sessions to provide you with the
expert help and information you need to continue your
healthy journey whether you are a current patient or new to
NEWMI. We hope you continue to stay safe, practice social
distancing, remain virus free, and live a healthy lifestyle.
Interested in your options?
Join us for a FREE info session on surgical
weight loss options via Zoom, Mon, Sep
21; Wed, Oct 21; Mon, Nov 16, or Mon, Dec
14. All sessions are from 4:30–6 PM. Visit
CatholicMedicalCenter.org/weightlossinfo
Info sessions on OPTIFAST ® full and partial fast
programs are held the first and third Wednesday
of every month from 5:30–6:30 PM via Zoom.
Call NEWMI at 603.663.7377 to register for a
session today.
Healthy Living
4
CatholicMedicalCenter.org

Where heart
meets health.
"PREVENTIVE SCREENING" CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
What is a Colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy allows the doctor to
examine the entire colon for polyps
while a patient is sedated. Any polyps
that are found are removed to prevent
cancer. Colonoscopy is still considered
the gold standard test by all the
gastrointestinal and cancer societies.
Colonoscopy has the highest detection
rate of small tumors and polyps and it
is the only cancer screening that can
prevent colon cancer by removing
precancerous polyps. Colonoscopy
does require a colon prep and, in most
cases, anesthesia for the procedure.
Colonoscopies are normally repeated
every 10 years, but your doctor may
recommend a different timeline based
on the findings. The American Cancer
Society recommends beginning regular
screening colonoscopy at age 45. At
CMC, we are taking many COVID-19
precautions and safety measures prior
to any procedure. Patients are tested
for COVID before all procedures,
including colonoscopy.
Which test is best?
What matters most is that all patients
undergo age-appropriate colon cancer
screening of some type and adhere
to routine surveillance depending on
their specific circumstances. If you’re
a patient who is considered high risk
for COVID, talk with your doctor about
whether Cologuard is right for you.
For all other patients, colonoscopy
is still the gold standard. This is a
preventable cancer—don’t let yourself
be a victim.
Updates & News from CMC
Kilton Road
101
Hannaford’s
Meetinghouse Rd
Manchester Country Club
South River Road
Whole Foods
Carabba’s
Italian Grill
Everett Turnpike
landmark
business
location
Off South River Road, at the junction with Meetinghouse Road
Outpatient Vascular
Services
same care, new location
Outpatient vascular
consultations, same-day
procedures, and advanced
vascular lab imaging are
now available at the New
England Heart Institute's
Vein & Vascular Specialists
at 160 S. River Road in
Bedford. Vascular providers
previously located at 87
McGregor Street are now
seeing patients here, too.
Cardiac and vascular
surgical patients, including patients who see Dr. Benjamin
Westbrook and Dr. David Caparrelli, will continue get their care
at the hospital. Vein & Vascular Specialists is conveniently
located just off the highway, at the corner of Meetinghouse
Road and S. River Road. For more information, visit
catholicmedicalcenter.org or call 603.665.5150.
Vascular Lab Earns IAC Accreditation
CMC’s Vein & Vascular Specialists has been granted a
three-year accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation
Commission (IAC) in Vascular Testing in the areas of
Peripheral Arterial Testing, Peripheral Venous Testing
and Extracranial Cerebrovascular Testing. This latest
accreditation demonstrates our ongoing commitment to
providing quality patient care in vascular testing.
Hidden Scar TM
Breast Cancer
Surgery
Dr. Jessica Ryan,
Medical Director
of the CMC Breast
Care Center, has
been recognized as a Hidden Scar-trained surgeon for Hidden
Scar breast cancer surgery. Hidden Scar breast cancer
surgery allows Dr. Ryan to remove cancerous tissue through a
single incision made in a hidden area, preserving the natural
shape of the breast while reducing visible scarring.
The main benefit in providing a woman with a Hidden Scar
surgery is to allow her to forget about her breast cancer
diagnosis,” says Dr. Ryan. “After healing, she will get
dressed each morning without a constant reminder of the
surgery, treatment and challenges she faced. This often
helps women to feel well and to move on confidently.”
Classes & Events
We continue to provide online maternal support groups and
childbirth education classes and will be scheduling in-person
fitness classes soon! Please visit catholicmedicalcenter.org/
classes for our offerings and to register.
CatholicMedicalCenter
@cmchealth
5
@catholicmedicalcenter
@CatholicMedicalCenter

Medical News
Keeping Hearts Healthy
Providing excellent care
when and how you need it
During the height of the COVID-19
pandemic, emergency rooms across
the country noted a steep decline in
the number of patients coming in with
heart attack symptoms. “The danger of
brushing off a true emergency dwarfs
the risk of being exposed to the virus.
Having a mild heart attack at home
and not having it evaluated can lead
to severe, long-term problems like
irreversible heart failure,” said CMC
Emergency Department Medical
Director Dr. Alan Flanigan in an op-ed.
Cardiac care and open heart
surgeries never paused at CMC, even
during the seven weeks that elective
surgeries were curtailed. Instead, the
cardiologists, surgeons, and staff of
the New England Heart & Vascular
Institute (NEHVI) doubled down on
safety measures to ensure that patients
continued to get the timely, high quality
Recovery got a makeover: CMC medical staff cut the ribbon on the
new Radial Catheterization Lounge during the COVID-19 pandemic
care they needed. “In some cases, a
routine visit could wait,” said NEHVI
Executive Medical Director Dr. Louis
Fink. “But heart health is generally not
something to put off so we found ways
to make sure those patients were cared
for in spite of the uncertainties and
anxiety caused by COVID-19.”
Essential surgeries and procedures went
on and telehealth was ramped up to
supplement office visits. When patients
did come in to one of our locations, they
found a thorough screening process and
waiting areas that had been adapted to
maximize safety.
“In fact,” says Dr. Fink, “we even
opened a new, state-of-the-art Cardiac
Radial Lounge in the midst of all this.
(see CMC’s Cardiac Catheterization
Lab Opens Radial Lounge on
catholicmedicalcenter.org) If anything,
the pandemic has reinforced the
importance of providing care in new
and innovative ways.”
FROM OUR PATIENTS
You can’t
be too
careful”
Barb Race and
her husband were
supposed to be
on a cruise to Italy
in May, the time
of year when she
was scheduled to
have her annual
echocardiogram. “Obviously, that didn’t
happen,” she chuckles, “I was able to move
the appointment up with no problem.”
Barb has congestive heart failure and a
pacemaker so it’s important for her to get
her follow up echo exam to make sure
everything is running as it should. She
admits she had a little bit of reservation
coming to the hospital with COVID-19
still in the community, “but I have a little
reservation about going to the grocery
store, too” she says. “You can’t be too
careful. Everything out there feels like a
threat sometimes but this is something I
had to have done.”
Fortunately, Barb’s concerns were quickly
put at ease when she arrived at CMC—
even though she was supposed to have
her appointment at another location. “I
had the Bedford location in my calendar
but I showed up at the hospital instead.
They were so understanding and were
able to find someone who would do the
echo so I didn’t have to wait. Every single
person was warm and wonderful. They all
went above and beyond.”
But perfect is a partnership. Barb notes
that patients, too, have a role to play
in creating a safe environment—at the
hospital and everywhere else. “I would say
wear a mask and keep the six feet. That’s
really about all we can do. It’s important
to get your health concerns taken care of
and people should feel comfortable if they
take the precautions.”
For more stories from our patients, visit
catholicmedicalcenter.org
Healthy Living
6 CatholicMedicalCenter.org

Philanthropy
CMC thanks our community
for giving us health, healing
and HOPE
The staff at CMC would like to extend a
huge thank you to our caring community
for the tremendous support during
COVID-19! Our friends and neighbors
have donated $415,000 and thousands
of in-kind items including:
• 7,500 meals and snacks to sustain
long shifts and stressful schedules
• Nearly 10,000 fabric masks to
protect staff and patients
• 78 iPads so patients in isolation
could communicate with loved ones
• Critical personal protective
equipment (PPE) such as
N95 masks, face shields and
isolation gowns
• Hundreds of homemade “Get
Well” and “Thank You” cards made
by local children
• Fun items like Girl
Scout Cookies,
BOMBA socks, skin
products from Badger
and Thirty-One Bags
CMC was also grateful to
partner with Elliot Hospital,
Southern New Hampshire
Medical Center and St.
Joseph Hospital on an
initiative called Front Lines
NH. The four nonprofit
hospitals banded together to
help each other through the COVID-19
pandemic and launched a dedicated
website to raise funds for the fight.
The Front Lines NH Challenge
Match matched donations of up to
$2,500, dollar-for-dollar, with lead
sponsors Primary Bank and St. Mary’s
The Bedford Rotary donated
meals from Celebrations Catering
Bank each donating $25,000. Other
Match sponsors included Southern
New Hampshire University; Service
Credit Union; Northeast Delta Dental;
and Anagnost Companies. In all, the
sponsors donated $85,000 and the
Match was successfully met.
Your Support Touches Lives
Name:
Address:
ENCLOSED IS MY GIFT OF: $
Please direct my gift to CMC’s:
Greatest Need
New England Heart & Vascular Institute
Program of my choice:
Phone:
Email:
Please do not publish my name in print or online
By Credit Card:
Visa Mastercard AmEx Discover
Card #:
Exp. Date:
CVC:
Cardholder’s Name:
Online: CatholicMedicalCenter.org/giving
By Check:
Check is enclosed
Make check payable to
“Catholic Medical Center.”
If your gift is for a particular
purpose or department,
please note it on the memo
line of your check.
Please return by mail to:
CMC Philanthropy Office
100 McGregor Street
Manchester, NH 03102
All gifts are tax deductible. For information
about planned giving or leaving a legacy
gift in your will or estate plan, please
contact Jennifer Pitre, Vice President
of Philanthropy, at 603.665.2569 or
Jennifer.Pitre@cmc-nh.org.
CatholicMedicalCenter @cmchealth 7
@catholicmedicalcenter @CatholicMedicalCenter

100 McGregor Street
Manchester NH 03102
ECRWSS
NONPROFIT ORG. ORG.
U.S. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PAID
MANCHESTER, NH NH
PERMIT NO. NO. 11 11
Great food, great friends and
comfy clothes!
Our gala will look a bit
different this year...
Instead of gathering in our finest threads,
we will be joining each other from our
homes dressed in our comfiest clothes
or PJ’s. Since everyone loves a great
meal, we’ve arranged to have dinner and
other goodies ready for pick up at the
Manchester Country Club, by appointment,
beginning at 4 PM followed by
a live-streamed virtual event at
6:30 PM. We’re excited to have
a special guest appearance
from NH native and comedian
Seth Meyers.
For more information or to support the event, please visit CatholicMedicalCenter.org/Gala2020 or contact Keri Degen,
Director of Philanthropy at Keri.Degen@cmc-nh.org or 603.663.6056.
Sponsorships begin at $1,500 and tickets are $250 per person. Visit CatholicMedicalCenter.org/Gala2020.
your thoughts
We welcome your comments and encourage your ideas
about future stories in Healthy Living News. Please contact us
at CatholicMedicalCenter.org or e-mail info@cmc-nh.org.
CatholicMedicalCenter
@cmchealth
@catholicmedicalcenter
@CatholicMedicalCenter
Catholic Medical Center is a fully accredited hospital of the
Joint Commission. Requests for a public information interview
can be made by contacting the Joint Commission
at jointcommission.org. ©2020 CMC. All rights reserved.