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Lariviere Family Supports RH Oncology
2009-2010 Annual Appeal Kicks Off
Comfort Covers warm Rumford Hospital patients
Rumford Hospital's ED now equipped with ultrasound
Rumford Hospital honors employees
RH's Medical Imaging is all digital!
Lariviere Family Supports RH Oncology
More members of Al and Freda Lariviere’s family have stepped forward to make very generous gifts to the Rumford Hospital Oncology Fund. Eric Boucher, the son of the Larivieres’ older daughter, brought a check for $500 to the nurses in the Lariviere Oncology Suite while he was visiting his grandparents in August. Two months later Boucher's sister, Cori Rockwood, was on hand to present a check from her and her husband.
Brother and sister are both graduates of Mountain Valley High School and still feel close to Rumford, where they grew up, and to the Lariviere Oncology Suite, which their grandfather raised funds to establish and which is named for their uncle David.
When the Lariviere's son David was diagnosed with cancer, he was living near Portland and had to drive only a few miles for chemotherapy services. Al knew that people in Rumford weren't so fortunate - that they had to drive to Lewiston for infusion services. He was determined that in the future Rumford area patients wouldn’t have to do that.
Lariviere began asking friends and family for donations to establish an oncology suite right at Rumford Hospital - quality health care, close to home. In 1997 Lariviere’s determination paid off, and the first suite was opened with three infusion stations. In 2004 the suite moved to a new location on the second floor of the hospital and doubled in size.
Throughout its history the Lariviere Oncology Suite has enjoyed the support of the Lariviere family, including the elder Larivieres’ older son Phil and his wife Gloria and younger daughter Suanne Fischer and her husband David, as well as Boucher’s mother Karen.
11/19/2009
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2009-2010 Annual Appeal Kicks Off
The Rumford Hospital Annual Appeal 2009-2010 first mailing of the year appeared in local mail boxes during the second week of November and within a few days $20,000 had been donated and pledged. In addition to asking for gifts, the Annual Appeal letter and brochure name a few of the furnishings and equipment that have been purchased in the past with annual appeal funds. “We want people to read the material and learn more about the hospital,” explains Jolan Ippolito, chair of the hospital board.
“We hope the response from the community will be as generous as in past appeals, as we have lots of newly developed equipment to purchase,” she adds. “We need to keep renewing our hospital.” Since opening the new consolidated unit in December of last year, Rumford Hospital has been able to relocate Therapy Services to the former inpatient area, purchase digital mammography and bone density scanning equipment, and renovate two operating rooms.
The 2009-2010 Annual Appeal brochure has a beautiful and timely cover photo taken by Charlotte Hartley of the Therapy Services Department. It shows Physical Therapist Rhonda Norton working with Campbell Magno, using two of the pieces of equipment in the dedicated pediatric room of Therapy Services’ new space. The photo is timely because some of the new therapy equipment was purchased with annual appeal funds.
11/19/2009
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Comfort Covers warm Rumford Hospital patients
Just when the program to give every Rumford Hospital patient a lap robe, a comfort cover, was running out of the handmade covers, Rejeanne Laverdure stepped in to save the day. She had made more than 20 crocheted covers to donate to the hospital’s program.
Comfort Covers are the brainchild of hospital Accountant Charlene Cooper and Birthing Center Nurse Manager Joette Carlton, who are both fond of needlework. Comfort Covers – some crocheted, some knit, some fleece, some quilted – help patients feel not only warm but also cared for, warming hearts as well as laps. Each cover carries a tag urging a patient to take the cover home with them.
Initially the Caring Stitchers, as the group led by Cooper and Carlton calls itself, were all hospital employees who met every other Monday to knit and crochet and exchange patterns. They also taught volunteers to knit and crochet. Now the group has expanded to welcome members from the community, some of whom meet with the group and some of whom do their “stitching” on their own.
The group has also added meetings on the Mondays when they don’t knit and crochet to devote themselves to quilting. Anyone interested in joining the Caring Stitchers should call Cooper at 369-1038 for information about preferred sizes and meeting times.
11/19/2009
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Rumford Hospital's ED now equipped with ultrasound
Rumford Hospital recently purchased a portable ultrasound machine, which will be used by Emergency Department and Birthing Center providers. Purchased with grant funds, the machine will allow clinicians to assess cardiac activity, basic anatomy, and suspected internal bleeding from trauma. It will help OB providers in determining fetal position and heartbeat, and other specific conditions.
Ultrasound provides immediate images that assist providers to determine the treatment requirements necessary for patients. Bedside imaging is becoming standard in many emergency departments across the country. Portable ultrasound will not replace complete and comprehensive image studies, but it enhances other diagnostic assessments when looking for specific diagnoses.
In facilities where ultrasound is not available 24 hours a day, patients are often held in the ED until ultrasound technologists can be called in or patients may be asked to return the next morning for the ultrasound. When a quick diagnosis is imperative in an emergency situation, the bedside ultrasound will provide a timely and quality solution to 24/7 ultrasound availability.
“Having a portable ultrasound machine available is a statement to the community that Rumford Hospital is committed to providing outstanding quality care,” says Robin Gilbert, RN, Emergency Department Manager.
11/19/2009
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Rumford Hospital honors employees
Rumford Hospital recently honored employees with 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10 and five years of service. Andrea Child of Dixfield was honored for 35 years of service. She is a registered nurse on the Medical/Surgical unit. Brenda Duguay of Rumford, Head Intensive Care Nurse, received accolades for 30 years, as did Paula Voter of Mexico, Dietary Manager. Pharmacy Certified Technician Cindy Toher of Rumford was honored for 25 years.
Linda Blais of Rumford, Plant Operations; Donna Cambra of Rumford, Medical Records; Joette Carlton of Dixfield, Birthing Center Nurse Manager; Elaine Cross of Bethel, Lab; and Sally Stone of Dixfield, Lab Manager, were honored for 20 years of service. Weighing in at 15 years of service were Deb Day-Oliver of Bethel, Quality Services; Rodney Kuhl of Rumford, Swift River Family Medicine; Alicia Welch for Dixfield, Lab; and Stephen Yap, RN, of Rumford, Emergency Department.
Honorees for 10 years were Elaine Buckley, RN, Med/Surg; Kim Gagnon, Physician Practice Manager; Jo Hebert, Central Supply; Pauline Larone, RN, Med/Surg; Tamera Richard, Surgical Services; Nicole St. Pierre, ICU; Donna Touchette, Linen Service; Karen Welch, Radiology; Jennifer Woods, Radiology; and Linda Zadakis, Lab.
Barbara Bailey, Jean Cole, Dan Elliott, Cheryl Gardener, Tena Goodbois, Estelle Harrington, Nicole Harris, Elizabeth Hodgdon, Andrea Holder, Kelly Ladd, Vickky Milledge, Nicole Nolette, Charlene Shaw, Judith Thibodau, and Marlene Viger were honored for five years at Rumford Hospital.
11/19/2009
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RH's Medical Imaging is all digital!
With the installation of the new digital mammography equipment, Rumford Hospital’s Medical Imaging is totally digital. The implementation of digital mammography is a regional initiative within the Central Maine Medical Family. The Rumford installation was the final phase of installations that began at CMMC’s Bennett Breast Care Center in July, followed by the Bridgton Hospital installation in December. Purchasing the equipment for all three facilities allowed group discount pricing, and the initiative was completed by a grant from the Avon Foundation that help purchase the equipment for Bridgton and Rumford hospitals.
Digital mammography means that the image can be seen immediately by mammography experts at the Bennett Breast Care Center. In addition, digital images provide a higher detail image than traditional film mammography. The Hologic Selenia units installed at all three hospitals were specifically selected for the CMMF hospital due to its lower radiation exposure to the patient – up to one third less exposure on average than other digital and traditional film units. It also has some of the highest resolution images in the industry.
Patients definitely benefit when their x-rays can be shared electronically. That applies to all patients, not only those having mammograms. In addition to the ability to have a radiologist who specializes in a particular area look at the image, an emergency physician treating the Rumford victim of a car accident that happened in Lewiston could have immediate access to “baseline” x-rays before proceeding with treatment. The digital images can also be included in each patient’s electronic medical record.
Digital imaging is less time consuming. Instead of going into a darkroom and putting film through a processor, the technologists go to a CR reader, which scans the image from the cassette. If film x-rays were too light or too dark, the techs had to retake them. With the new technology they can tweak the image, improving its brightness or contrast. The technologists cannot alter the digital x-ray, just make it easier to read.
Gone is the bulky x-ray filing system. After time limits for keeping reference x-rays are expended, the picture archival communication system (PACS) will store images on a computer hard drive. Technologists can also burn images onto a CD or laser print them onto film that looks much like old x-ray film.
PACS is a time-saver for the technologists and means improved safety for patients. Because the techs need enter the patient information only once, there is less chance that retyping or copying will alter the data.
The radiology information system (RIS) allows physicians to place electronic orders with an electronic signature. The techs retrieve those orders and take the x-ray. The radiologist reads it, and the RIS holds his/her report, the results of the x-ray. Now it can be included in the electronic medical record.
“All this wouldn’t have been possible if Rumford Hospital weren’t a part of the Central Maine Medical Family,” says Gale Hill, Medical Imaging Manager. “And having the same equipment at all three hospitals will lend more consistency of care within CMMF.”
11/19/2009
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