Chefs Win Competition

Pediatric Health Fair

Vestibular Rehabilitation

Musculoskeletal Radiologist Catholic Health Services’s MyChart®

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Run For Rehab

St. Charles Hospital recently opened a 10-­bed inpatient unit dedicated to medically supervised alcohol and

ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, April 22, to mark initiation of the new program.

Patients admitted to the unit at St. Charles are monitored by the medical team during the withdrawal process. A physician who specializes in addiction medicine leads a team of professionals, including nurses

“Patients withdrawing from substances may experience physical symptoms, including shaking, vomiting, sweating, fever, muscle spasms, bone and joint pain, and more,” explained Claire Olsen, ACSW, LCSW, CASAC, NCAC II, director, Inpatient Alcohol/Chemical Dependency Rehabilitation, St. Charles Hospital. “Our expert physicians and clinicians can ease some of these symptoms and ensure patients are safe during the process by utilizing graduated treatment plans and medications formulated to wean the body off the addictive substances.”

substance abuse in Suffolk County. The County’s most recent community health assessment reports that between 2007 and 2010, opioid pain reliever abuse rose 87% in New York, most notably in Suffolk County.According to the report there were 214 opioid-­related deaths in Suffolk County in 2012, and approximately 110 deaths in 2013.

June 2014

FPOSt. Charles Hospital Opens New Unit Dedicated to Medically Supervised Alcohol and Drug Detoxification

“The opening of this unit is a strong example of our continued mission to provide

compassionate care for individuals with specialized medical needs,” said Jim O’Connor,

“Without access to this

type of treatment, the physically traumatic withdrawal process can pose safety risks as

well as invite serious medical complications for individuals struggling with addiction.”

continues on page 3

(L-R) Claire Olsen, ACSW, LCSW, CASAC, NCAC II, director, Inpatient Alcohol/Chemical Dependency Rehabilitation, St. Charles Hospital; New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright; Jim O’Connor, executive vice president/chief administrative o!cer, St. Charles Hospital; Fr. Francis Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, Hope House Ministries, Port Je"erson; New York State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle; Doug Casimir, member, St. Charles Hospital Foundation Board; Anne Shea Lewis, director, Maternal Child Health, St. Charles Hospital; Mark Solomon, MD, nephrology, St. Charles Hospital.

COUNT ON IT!

Living with addiction is as tough as living with a disease of the body or a mental illness. The struggles, pain, fear, and anger experienced by people with addiction is much the same as that which is experienced by people with a physical illness. Yet the sad reality is that the compassion and empathy shown for those with physical illnesses is often absent when it comes to individuals with addiction. With the recent opening of a medically supervised

It is a fact that the best and most successful option to offer individuals with chemical or alcohol addiction is the opportunity to overcome their addiction by providing them with the necessary medical and psychological support.

permeates every sector of our society, most particularly our youth, medically

epidemic, we knew that as health care providers, we must be part of the change. As a faith-­based

We constructed a new unit and hired specialists in this area. Today, our medically supervised

high quality care as we serve all our patients. It is our greatest hope that this program will change the lives of those who complete it and provide them with the opportunity to move beyond the disease and towards a hopeful future.

world as it furthers our mission within our community. Count on it!

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” ~ Mahatma Ghandi

Numerous sponsorship and underwriting opportunities are available.

Save the Date!

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St. Charles Hospital Holds Pediatric Health Fair at Port Jefferson Health and Wellness Expo

St. Charles Hospital hosted a pediatric health fair at the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce’s Health and Wellness Expo on Saturday April 5, 2014.

Representatives from the hospital’s multiple pediatric programs provided child health information and answered questions from expo attendees. Children participated in demonstrations that underscored the importance of bike helmet safety and proper hand washing. St. Charles Hospital’s award winning chefs offered free healthy smoothies.

The hospital made special arrangements to have Quaker Jack from the Long Island Ducks make an appearance at the expo.

For more

information about

pediatric services at

St. Charles Hospital,

please call

(631) 474-6797.

Currently, only three Long Island hospitals host a dedicated inpatient unit and program for medically-­supervised alcohol and chemical

Hospital’ 10-­bed unit, 15 of those inpatient beds are located in Suffolk County hospitals.

Various drug treatment centers on Long Island offer treatment services for alcohol and chemical dependency. These include Bridge Back to Life, an outpatient addiction and counseling service

which offers outpatient substance abuse treatment through several clinics locations in

services and inpatient rehabilitation, and Outreach Development Corporation in Brentwood which provides substance abuse treatment services. Several other hospitals across Long Island provide alcohol and chemical

St. Charles Hospital also offers inpatient alcohol and chemical dependency rehabilitation once an

For more information about the medically supervised

alcohol and chemical detoxification and rehabilitation

program at St. Charles Hospital, please call

(631) 474-6797.

St. Charles Hospital Opens New UnitDedicated to Medically Supervised Alcohol and Drug Detoxificationcontinued from cover

St. Charles Hospital Given an “A” in Nationwide Patient Safety Test

St. Charles has received an ‘A’ on a national safety score that rates hospitals on the quality of their care.

Hospital in Roslyn and Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre.

to quality information on health care facilities so they can make educated choices when selecting the best

Hospital.

The rankings, which come out every six months, rely on data from Leapfrog’s own ratings as well as outside sources including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Joint Commission. Calculated under the guidance of Leapfrog’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 28 measures of

hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm. More than 2,500 U.S. general hospitals were assigned scores in spring 2014 and St. Charles Hospital came out on top.

According to Leapfrog, over 400 people die every day from preventable hospital errors, which is equivalent of a major jetliner crashing every day. The ratings service say the scores empower patients to make informed decisions about the safety of their hospital care.

To read more about the scores and see how hospitals were rated, you can log on http://www.hospitalsafetyscore.com.

For more information, about St. Charles Hospital please call (631) 474-6797.

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St. Charles Expands Outpatient Services with the Addition of Vestibular RehabilitationSt. Charles now offers vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) at the Port Jefferson and Smithtown outpatient network locations. VRT is a highly specialized form of rehabilitation for the purpose of decreasing or eliminating symptoms of dizziness, nausea, headaches and imbalance resulting from damage to the organs of the inner ear.

“After a neurological incident or head injury, the brain may not correctly interpret signals from the inner ear, which leads to

rehabilitation specialist. “VRT offers individuals with vestibular conditions a series of body and eye exercises which retrain the brain and, in some cases, dislodges and correctly relocates debris within the inner ear canals.”

“Because of the neurological link between the inner ear and the brain, VRT is a critical component of ThinkSMART!TM, St. Charles Hospital’s comprehensive concussion management program. Likewise, it is an excellent resource for individuals discharged from our CARF accredited inpatient stroke rehabilitation program,” said Jennifer Semel, director, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, St. Charles.

to inner ear dysfunction and individuals with acoustic neuroma, a benign cancer which can grow on the inner ear.

Patients who come to St. Charles for VRT have access to state-­of-­the-­art diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions, including Frenzel goggles and the Biodex Balance System.® Frenzel goggles are high powered magnifying glasses which obscure a patient’s ability to focus visually and at the same time

assess patient’s balance at the start and end of therapy as well as challenge them during training sessions.

For more information about vestibular rehabilitation services at St. Charles, please call (631) 474-6797.

More than 100 runners and walkers braved rain, wind and chilly temperatures during the St. Charles Run for Rehab on Saturday, April 26, 2014. The participants completed a four mile course through the hills of Belle Terre Village and crossed the

This year’s competitors included Port Jefferson area physicians, members of local running clubs, and St. Charles employees. The North Country Road Warriors, a club for runners and walkers on the North Shore of Long Island, once again established a presence by donning red shirts as they c o m p e t e d . S t u d e n t s f r o m

Community Shows Dedication to St. Charles Run for Rehab

continued on page 6The North Country Road Warriors participated in the 2014 Run for Rehab.

St. Charles Hospital Introduces Catholic Health Services’s MyChart® At St. Charles, we believe our patients should be educated and engaged in their own health care. We are proud to offer CHS MyChart®, a component of the electronic medical record, CHS eHealth.

CHS MyChart® is a secure portal through which patients can conveniently receive information about their health. Information can be access by patients following inpatient or outpatient care provided at St. Charles Hospital, the Outpatient Specialty Care Center, or at any of the hospital’s eight rehabilitation network locations.

Q How did you learn about CHS MyChart®? Peter: I heard about CHS MyChart® from my co-­workers. They told me how easy it is to sign up and all the information that is available there.

Q What do you hope to gain from using MyChart®? Peter: I hope to be more involved in my medical care and be more aware of my medical information.

Danae: We signed up our infant daughter, in addition to ourselves, so we will always be able to check her medical information. If we take her to a different doctor, such as a specialist, we can pull up her information on the iPad while we are in the

Q How was the sign-up experience? Peter:minutes. I was a little nervous to do it but when I

Q How, when and where will you log on? Peter: I will access CHS MyChart® from my iPad or laptop while I’m relaxing at home, but it is nice to know that I can also view it from my smart phone any time I want.

For more information about CHS MyChart® at

St. Charles Hospital, please call (631) 474-6797.

Communicate with their doctor

Request appointments

View current medications

Receive test results released by your physician

Review past and upcoming appointments

Receive important health reminders

Request prescription renewal

Patients can log on to CHS MyChart® on their home computer or compatible smart phone or tablet and:

Peter and Danae Paniagua of Islandia NY

Q What are your thoughts? Peter: I love it… I can see my labs, my medications, my allergies, my immunizations, information on preventative care, tips for healthy living, among other things. When I visit my physician, I can go prepared with my questions.

Danae: With CHS MyChart®, I can see lab results right away. It is a much more convenient than having to call back to get test results.

Peter and Danae Paniagua of Islandia, NYshare their experience with CHS MyChart®

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A team of chefs from St. Charles Hospital

the Association for Healthcare

St. Charles Hospital Chefs Win First Place in Culinary Competition Between New York Hospitals and Healthcare Organizations

cCommunity Shows Dedication to St. Charles Run for Rehab

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The 2014 event raised

more than $1,000 for

rehabilitation services at

St. Charles.

For more information

about rehabilitation

services at St. Charles,

please call (631) 474-6797.

New Center at St. Charles Offers Women Alternatives forUrinary Incontinence and Pelvic Organ Prolapse

One out of every 3 women in the U.S. experiences urinary incontinence with an astounding 13 million U.S. women suffering from stress urinary incontinence (SUI);; urine leakage during a physical activity such as laughing, sneezing and exercising. In addition, approximately 1 in 2 women over age 45 suffers from pelvic

lose interest in social activities or intimacy, which in turn can have a negative effect on relationships.

However, despite the prevalence of these conditions, they are rarely discussed and often go untreated.

the aging process and suffer silently. The good news is that new treatment options for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse can easily and quickly restore continence, alleviate pain and discomfort and restore independence.

The Female Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Floor Center at St. Charles Hospital provides more treatment

including physical therapy, pessary care (nonsurgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse), pharmacologic

Call (631) 474-6797 for more information on the Female Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Floor

Center at St. Charles Hospital.

Musculoskeletal Radiologist Joins St. Charles Medical Staff

is well known in the physician community for his expert interpretation of musculoskeletal

musculoskeletal ultrasound and ultrasound guided pain management procedures.

For more information about radiology services at St. Charles Hospital, please call

(631) 474-6797.

spearhead the new Female Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Medicine Program at St.

procedure for urinary incontinence, advanced vaginal reconstruction and prolapse repair as well as sacral nerve neuruomodulation.

at Cornell Medical College and completed residencies in Surgery and Urology at Long

Urology, American Urological Association, Association of Clinical Urologists, American

Board of Urology, and a Fellow, American College of Surgeons.

Scott Press, MD

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Count On St. Charles

Catholic Health Services

200 Belle Terre RoadPort Jefferson, NY 11777

WHAT’S INSIDE Chefs Win Competition

Run for Rehab

Pediatric Health Fair

Vestibular Rehabilitation

Catholic Health Services’s MyChart®

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDHicksville, NY

PERMIT No. 134

Call St.Charles Hospital’s Accredited Sleep Disorders Center,celebrating 8 Years and 10,000 Successful Sleep Studies!

Is sleep evading you at night?!

The Sleep Disorders Center offers a fully accredited sleep program for

It is the only program in the area that offers a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach that

representing every area of sleep medicine:

Our physicians work collaboratively to thoroughly examine your sleep patterns in order to deliver an accurate diagnosis.Follow-­up care and treatment through our network of specialists ensures that your health is handled by experts in sleep medicine.

For more information on St. Charles Hospital’s AccreditedSleep Disorders Center call631-474-6797.

Pulmonary Neurology DentalPsychiatryEar,Nose,Throat (ENT)