Vasdev Lohano, MD, a board certified endocrinologist with the Floyd Memorial Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate, underscored the importance of increased awareness to diabetes and the lifestyle choices that contribute to it.  “Every 24 hours more than 4,000 adults are diagnosed with diabetes and approximately 200 people die from the disease. Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke and a leading cause of leg and foot amputations, kidney failure, and new cases of blindness in adults. However, people with diabetes, or those at risk for it, can lower their risk of complications by following important steps to control the disease.  It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.  Some suggestions I give to my patients include:

• Maintain a healthy weight by eating a well-balanced, healthy diet consisting of lots of fruits and vegetables and high-fiber carbohydrate choices.  Fiber helps prevent against blood glucose spikes after eating, so ensuring that you’re getting enough in your diet is essential.
• Engage in moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day. Physical activity can help you control your weight, blood glucose, and blood pressure, as well as raise your “good” cholesterol and lower your “bad” cholesterol.
• Know your body mass index (BMI).  It’s an excellent indicator of obesity and can help you understand your ideal weight.  Studies have shown that losing as little as five to seven percent of your body weight can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, or suffering complications if you already have the disease.  Visit www.floydmemorial.com/weightloss for an easy to-use BMI calculator.”

About Dr. Lohano

Dr. Vasdev Lohano is a board certified Endocrinologist with extensive experience in treating patients with diabetes.  He has worked with patients at the Floyd Memorial Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate for nearly two years, and has recently began seeing patients in under-served outlying areas, including Charlestown at 9427 Highway 403, Corydon at Northfield Plaza, 313 Federal Drive NW, Suite 010, and New Albany at 2315 Green Valley Road, Suite 100.  To schedule an appointment with Dr. Lohano, call 812-981-6645.

Troutman brings over 20 years of experience working with physicians and hospital leadership. In her new role, Troutman’s responsibilities will include fostering positive relationships with all physicians, leading the Floyd Memorial Medical Group employed-physician group, and recruiting new physicians as determined by community need.

“We are very excited to welcome Kathy to our leadership team,” said Mark Shugarman, FACHE. “Physician relations is key to the hospital’s success and Kathy has a proven track record in establishing and maintaining positive and long-lasting partnerships with physicians.”

Troutman holds a Masters of Science in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Northwood University in Midland, Michigan. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Kentucky Healthcare Strategy Group.

“Caring for the sick, elderly and dying in their homes truly is a privilege for us,” said Lora Clark, executive director of Floyd Memorial Home Health. “Home care services make it possible for people to stay in their homes, regardless of their condition.”

Through technological advances, home-delivered healthcare has grown far beyond basic professional nursing and homecare aide services. Floyd Memorial Home Health offers nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy, and medical social services as well as home medical supply education and personal care. The staff is highly-trained in cardiac, diabetes, wound and post-operative care.

Floyd Memorial Home Health is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. (ACHC). For more information, call 812-948-7447.

We are so fortunate to have the expertise of the Harvard-affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate located on our campus. Offering board-certified endocrinologists and a team of specially-trained certified diabetes educators and nurses, the program embodies the concept of combining medical treatment, patient education and clinical research for optimal patient success.

This year also marked the 21st annual Prostate Cancer Screening sponsored by the Floyd Memorial Foundation. Our team of volunteer physicians and staff screened over 859 men in two hours on Sunday, September 27. The previous year, we screened over 820 men and detected prostate cancer in 17. For those men, a 15-minute screening became a lifesaving experience.

Finally, I want to end my column for the year on an extremely high note. Floyd Memorial has once again been recognized for its clinical achievements by HealthGrades, the nation’s largest independent healthcare ratings organization.

Here are just a few of the distinctions from the 12th Annual 2010 HealthGrades Quality in America Study:

CARDIAC

• Best Rated in Louisville/Southern Indiana* for Overall Cardiovascular Services and Surgery
• Recipient of the HealthGrades Cardiac Surgery and Cardiac Care Excellence Awards
• Ranked in the Top 3 in Indiana for Cardiac Surgery and Overall Cardiac Services
• Five-Star Rated for Coronary Bypass Surgery – Two Years in a Row
• Five-Star Rated for Treatment of Heart Attack and Heart Failure

PULMONARY

• Best Rated in Louisville/Southern Indiana* for Overall Pulmonary Care
• Recipient of the HealthGrades Pulmonary Care Excellence Award – Two Years in a Row

GASTROINTESTINAL

• Best Rated in Louisville/Southern Indiana* for GI Services, Procedures and Care
• Ranked #1 in Indiana for Gastrointestinal (GI) Surgery

ORTHOPEDIC

• Five-Star Rated for Hip Fracture Repair – Five Years in a Row

CRITICAL CARE

• Ranked in the Top 10 in Indiana for Overall Critical Care

PATIENT SATISFACTION

• 2009 Highest Recommended Hospital in the Region by Hospital Compare**

Our Mission

Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services delivers comprehensive healthcare to our local and extended communities with compassion, quality and excellence.

Check out our quality ratings for yourself at: www.floydmemorial.com/quality

Anticoagulation is a drug therapy that slows blood clotting to prevent the development of harmful clots. Sometimes the medications are referred to as “blood thinners.” Because the use of anticoagulation drugs, including Lovenox and Coumadin (Warfarin), require close monitoring, Floyd Memorial has started an Anticoagulation Management Services Outpatient Clinic. The goal of the Clinic is to monitor adult patients receiving anticoagulation therapy in partnership with the patient’s physician, providing a resource for physicians to improve the overall quality and continuity of care for their patients on anticoagulation therapy.

The Clinic is supervised by a physician medical director and staffed by clinical pharmacists who are highly-trained in anticoagulation management. The clinical pharmacists closely monitor patients, assess adverse reactions and counsel on regimen adherence. Patient education plays a key role as well as close interaction and follow-up with the patient’s physician. National research shows that receiving coordinated care for anticoagulation therapy can decrease the risk of negative side effects and improve patient results.

Patients interested in enrolling in the clinic should talk to the physician managing their anticoagulation therapy. For a free brochure, call 812-948-7674.

Now Floyd Memorial patients who have undergone breast MR and have detected growths have a less invasive option available. MR-guided biopsy is a new procedure that allows a radiologist to perform a tumor biopsy in the Radiology Department under local anesthetic, forgoing the need for surgical biopsy and general anesthesia (being “put to sleep”). Using MR-guidance to calculate the exact position of the abnormal tissue and verify the correct placement of the needle, the radiologist numbs the immediate area around the breast with local anesthetic, inserts a biopsy needle through the skin, advances it to the lesion and removes tissue samples for further examination under a microscope.

They are also able to leave behind a tiny “marker” that the general surgeon may use to more accurately locate the tumor in later surgeries should cancer be detected.

Benefits of MR-guided breast biopsy include:
• Little or no scarring
• Shorter procedure time
• Quicker recovery time
• Less risk after local vs. general anesthetic

Floyd Memorial’s Radiology Services includes the Women’s Imaging Center which offers the latest in digital mammography and the added comfort of Mammopads for all patients. The Center also offers a private waiting area and point-of-service registration. One of only 30 in Indiana, Floyd Memorial’s Cardiac Rehab Department received re-certification by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). The commendation was granted for clinical excellence in program management, personnel, documentation and patient care.

The Cardiac Rehab Department provides a medically supervised rehab program for patients who have suffered a cardiac event such as a heart attack or open-heart surgery. The program also offers a maintenance program that is offered to
the public at an out-of-pocket rate.

For more information or a free Women’s Services pamphlet, call 1-800-4-SOURCE (1-800-476-8723).

For a free Cardiac Rehabilitation brochure, call 1-800-4-SOURCE (1-800-476-8723) or visit us online at www.floydmemorial.com and request the brochure by clicking on “Contact Us.”

Deepak Azad, MD, MPH, an internal medicine physician in Scottsburg, was recently re-elected to serve as Treasurer of
the Indiana State Medical Association (ISMA), a statewide physician organization with approximately 8,400 members.
This is Dr. Azad’s third one-year term as treasurer. Previously, he served two one-year terms as assistant treasurer.

He was appointed to the Commission on Health Care Interpreter and Translators by late Gov. Frank O’Bannon. Dr. Azad
is also a member of the ISMA Physician Medicaid Task Force and has served on the organization’s Commission on Legislation.

Local Pediatrician Rides to Conquer Cancer

Stuart Eldridge, MD, a pediatrician with Physician Associates of Floyds Knobs and member of the Floyd Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees, participated in the Ride to Conquer Cancer on September 26 and 27. The ride, a two-day, 150-mile journey from Louisville to Lexington, and back, raised funds to support cancer awareness and research. As Dr. Eldridge expressed, “Great accomplishments come only through hard work, dedication and the support of family and friends. I was truly blessed to be able to participate in this event and raise over $4,200 for such a noble cause.”

“Diabetes is chronic. It’s going to be there. The education classes we offer give individuals the tools and knowledge to handle the disease. They get you recharged about taking care of yourself.”

Vasti Broadstone, MD
Board Certified Endocrinologist
Floyd Memorial Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate

The Center opened in 1997 as Kentuckiana’s only diabetes program affiliated with the world-renowned Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Joslin, a global leader in diabetes research, care and education, has been dedicated to conquering the disease for over a century.

“This is the most comprehensive diabetes program in the area,” said Sri Prakash Mokshagundam, MD, one of the renowned endocrinologists working at the center. “We have a full complement of diabetes education, counseling, weight management and endocrinologists.”

The endocrinologists work closely with the education staff, all of whom are certified diabetes educators by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), said Vasti Broadstone, MD, a Joslin endocrinologist. “Patient education is so intrinsically tied to what we do, I could hardly function without them.”

Dr. Broadstone explained that while she can tell patients how to control their diabetes, the learning process of how to do it themselves takes much more than a single office visit. “Diabetes requires you to be a pharmacist, nurse, dietitian, doctor and psychologist,” she said. “If you don’t have the right tools, you will be overwhelmed, burn out and give up.”

In addition to cutting-edge medical care, the right tools at Joslin include educational courses, which feature sessions for people newly diagnosed and those needing a refresher. Also offered are classes that help patients prevent or delay the onset of type-2 diabetes, prenatal programs and free seminars with speakers on relevant topics. Support groups, also led by certified diabetes educators, are open to all patients and their loved ones.

“The certified diabetes educators we utilize are very familiar with the way we treat our patients, and that results in more coordinated care. We view the same problem from two different perspectives.”

Sri Prakash Mokshagundam, MD
Board Certified Endocrinologist
Floyd Memorial Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate

Pioneering the Best of What’s New

The Joslin doctors also treat other endocrine issues, such as thyroid conditions, polycystic ovary syndrome, adrenal disorders, pituitary disease and hormonal disorders. Just as patients must keep up with their education, Joslin professionals are dedicated to finding new and better ways to help them.

Vasdev Lohano, MD, FACE, an endocrinologist at the Center, is finding much success with a new kind of continuous glucose monitoring system that takes blood sugar levels every five minutes and transmits results to a beeper-size monitor. “If you’re checking only once a day, you don’t really know what’s happening to your sugar level,” he explained. “Continuous monitoring opens your eyes to what happens when you eat certain things.”

Along with using the latest monitoring tools, Joslin’s team is involved in facilitating cutting-edge clinical trials. “The trials help us keep ourselves abreast of the latest developments in our field,” Dr. Mokshagundam explained.

To learn more about clinical trials currently enrolling patients at the Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate, call 812-981-6684.

“I learned how to properly give myself an insulin injection and when to take medications. I learned the number of grams of sugar I should have and how to spread it out.”

Diana Armstrong-Apple
Diabetes Education Patient

Armstrong-Apple, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 15 years ago, found herself “trudging along” with an A1C level of 9.5 –above the optimum level of less than 7. “I had never had any education classes on diabetes,” she said. “At one time, maybe I got a piece of paper with a diet on it.” All that changed when she signed up for classes with Joslin.

“I learned so much every night,” she said. Best of all, after just three months, her A1C level had dropped to 7.2.
“It was definitely worth it,” she said, noting she is working to reduce her level even more. “They are so helpful and kind. I’d never been to a doctor or group as concerned with my health as they are.”

Education Plays Key Role at Joslin

The five certified diabetes educators at the Floyd Memorial Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate – including two registered nurses, two registered dietitians and one registered dietitian/clinical exercise specialist–helped more than 1,000 patients last year.

“It’s most important that patients get out in a group environment,” said education program coordinator Beth Ackerman, RD, CDE. “They find out there are a lot of people out there that are just like them and have the same questions.” Joslin educators offer programs such as:

• Balance and Control: a comprehensive diabetes course offered at a variety of timeslots to accommodate nearly
any schedule
• Diabetes Refresher Course
• Classes for women with gestational diabetes
• Support groups
• Exercise programs and special events
• Pre-diabetes education to help those at risk prevent the full onslaught of type 2 diabetes.

Joslin Connects Regionally

Joslin Center Endocrinologist Vasdev Lohano, MD, FACE, knows that 30 miles may be farther than some patients are willing to drive for diabetes care. So he’s bringing diabetes care to them. In August, Dr. Lohano started seeing patients at three satellite locations. “We’re reaching out to people, meeting with local physicians, and bringing the best diabetes care available to previously under-served areas. Everyone is very pleased,” he said.

The new offices are located at:

• New Albany at 2315 Green Valley Road, Suite 100
• Corydon at Northfield Plaza,313 Federal Drive NW, Suite 010
• Charlestown at 9427 Highway 403, Charlestown (in the shopping center next to Jay-C food store)

“A lot of people don’t want to drive a long distance to get the diabetes care they need. Our new centers in outlying areas including Corydon and Charlestown expand the reach of the Joslin Center and bring much-needed care to those communities.”

Vasdev Lohano, MD, FACE
Board Certified Endocrinologist
Floyd Memorial Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Lohano at one of these locations, please call 812-981-6645.

For more information on Joslin’s diabetes education courses or to receive the quarterly Diabetes Focus newsletter, call 812-949-5700.