Healthy Living Newsletter
2005 Community Ministry Benefit Report
Why We Care
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| Sushma Reddy, MD, a local endocrinologist
meets monthly with patients at the Peoples’ Clinic
for Better Health through the Sweet Touch program. To
learn more about Dr. Reddy and physician volunteerism,
see the back page of this publication. |
Peoples’ Clinic for Better Health is one of Mercy
Hospital’s prime examples of Community Benefit Ministry.
This collaborative project of Mercy Hospital and the St.
Clair County Medical Society offers free primary care medical
services to those members of our community who lack the
resources to pay for their care. One-half of the patients
are the working poor; those among us who lack medical benefits
or have insufficient medical coverage.
Located in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission on the south
side of Port Huron, the clinic only operates because of
volunteers, including physicians from the St. Clair County
Medical Society, who staff the clinic.
There are more than 20 regular and relief physicians who
provide care directly at the clinic. Numerous other physician
specialists accept Peoples’ Clinic referral patients
who are seen in private offices throughout the community.
A corps of additional volunteer nurses and community members
provide for the day-to-day operations of the clinic, which
is open three-days a week to residents of St. Clair County.
Prescription medications are also provided to patients.
This service is funded in part by the United Way of St.
Clair County.
Sushma Reddy, MD, a local endocrinologist, provides specialty
care to diabetic patients at the clinic through the Sweet
Touch program.
Although she operates a busy medical practice herself,
she meets with a number of patients each month to oversee
their diabetes self-management, adjust medications and offer
general care.
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| Sushma Reddy, MD, a local endocrinologist
visits with a patient of the Peoples’ Clinic for
Better Health Sweet Touch program. Physicians, such
as Dr. Reddy and others from the St. Clair County Medical
Society, help Mercy Hospital provide Community Benefit
to help fulfill its ministry of providing care to the
poor and underserved. |
“We become physicians to provide care to patients,”
explains Dr. Reddy. “We take an oath to care for people
regardless of their ability to pay. Providing care to patients
at Peoples’ Clinic is one way I fulfill my oath.
“The Peoples’ Clinic is definitely needed in
our community,” she continues. “Many patients
would otherwise fall through the cracks, or they would end
up in local emergency rooms with medical conditions out
of control. I volunteer here because I can provide quality
care to patients who desperately need it.”
The Peoples’ Clinic reported more then 3,200 patient
visits last year, the most frequent diagnoses were hypertension,
upper respiratory infection and diabetes.
“For many of my patients, the Peoples’ Clinic
provides the resources they need to get themselves on their
feet and moving again,” says Dr. Reddy. “A number
of years ago, I had a patient who was admitted into the
hospital emergency room. At one point, she almost died,
because she didn’t have the resources to manage her
diabetes. After seeing her in the hospital, I referred her
for continued care through the Peoples’ Clinic Sweet
Touch program. The care she received helped her manage her
diabetes for a number of months while she attended school.
'Today, she is a medical technologist who works for a large
amusement park in Florida,” concludes Dr. Reddy. “Peoples’
Clinic was there when she needed it, and I’m pleased
I was available to help her become a vital part of her community.
Success stories like these are why physician volunteerism
is so important and why the Peoples’ Clinic is so
valuable to everyone in our community.'
A Letter from the President & CEO
On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are proud to present
this, the Mercy Hospital 2005 Community Benefit Report. This
report reflects the dedication of numerous employees, volunteers
and physicians as we strive to give back to our community
in the most productive ways possible.
Although this report highlights the stories of three areas
of Mercy Community Benefit Ministry, it’s important
to note that these three are only a small representation
of the daily devotion Mercy staff offer through various
community benefit activities.
At Mercy, we are not only obligated to share with you our
commitment back to the community, but are pleased to do
so in the tradition of Trinity Health.
Mercy Hospital is a Ministry Organization of Trinity Health,
which is the fourth largest Catholic health system in the
United States. There are 25 Ministry Organizations throughout
the system, encompassing 44 hospitals in seven states. Trinity
Health represents a combined revenue of $5.7 billion and
provides $401 million in Community Benefit Ministry. What
a powerful statement on behalf of the patients served.
I invite you to take a brief moment to review the important
information presented in this report. It will provide valuable
insight into just a few of our local Community Benefit Ministry
programs and services.
Sincerely,
Peter Karadjoff
President & CEO
Mercy Hospital
Our Mission
We serve together in Trinity Health, in the spirit of the
Gospel, to heal body, mind and spirit, to improve the health
of our communities, and to steward the resources entrusted
to us.
Tackling SKIN Cancer
Access to medical care is a national concern, but touches
people daily on a local level. Providing free and reduced
cost medical screening is part of the commitment of Mercy
Hospital’s Community Benefit Ministry program.
Each year, the American Academy of Dermatology holds an annual
Skin Cancer Screening in local communities. This service is
free to the public and offers access to local dermatologists.
The event is hosted every other year at Mercy Hospital.
In April 2005, the Mercy Hospital Cancer Committee and
staff of the Mercy Regional Cancer Center joined forces
to go all out for the event, raise awareness in the community
and meet this important need head-on.
As a result, 285 persons were seen by four volunteer dermatologists
and Mercy staff nurses in just one day.
Educational materials, ultra-violet cards and lip balm
were distributed as aids in prevention of overexposure to
the sun.
An unique service — access to a skin damage camera
— attracted participants at the event. This camera
allowed individuals to see the combined damage to their
facial and hand skin due to overexposure to the sun.
As a result of the program, 32 people were recommended
for biopsy of suspicious sites, one patient was diagnosed
with a melanoma and several others were deemed to have less-invasive
forms of skin carcinoma.
The American Cancer Society estimates that more than one
million cases of basal cell or squanmous cell cancers occur
annually in the United States. Most, but not all, of these
forms of skin cancer are highly curable. The most serious
form of skin cancer is melanoma. Michigan can expect 1,840
cases of this type of cancer to be diagnosed this year [2005].
“We reached a milestone with the event,” comments
Karen Harris, Director of Quality Services at Mercy Hospital,
and one of the event Co-Chairs. “More residents had
the opportunity for skin cancer screening than ever before
in the history of the local event.
“This is a testament to the hundreds of hours of
volunteer time and other hospital resources expended,”
concludes Karen. “Mercy’s commitment for advocacy
to eliminate barriers to health care is at the core of our
mission and our Community Benefit Ministry. It is a commitment
that binds our work and focuses our attention on our community.”
The “Reality” of Obesity
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| Pedometers were distributed to
participants of the Reality Wellness series, offering
an opportunity for individuals to walk their way to
fitness. |
The reality of the incidence of obesity in and around St.
Clair County is profound. Although national and local health
organizations work to educate the community of the dangers
of obesity; one thing remains clear, obesity continues to
be on the rise in every local community. As a result, some
healthcare professionals are referring to obesity as an
“epidemic”.
In the fall of 2004, Mercy Hospital diabetes educators
and dietitians brain-stormed ideas on how they might address
this growing crisis. The need to address this lifestyle
issue is shared by healthcare professionals and community
members alike.
“We are keenly aware of the learning behavior change
needs of the community,” comments Sue Colarossi, Registered
Dietitian and Manager of Mercy’s Food and Nutrition
Services. “We also noticed that many individuals,
ourselves included, were interested in the explosion of
reality TV.”
Enter Reality Wellness, a unique blend of educational opportunities
presented in fun and informative monthly sessions, that
included topics such as, “Trading Spaces” Cooking
with Herbs; “Survivor” Exercise Challenge; “Fear
Factor” Nutrition and “Extreme Makeover”
Your Medicine Cabinet.
Each session, held during the lunch hour, included an interactive
informational presentation of the topic, gifts, and a low-fat,
highly enjoyable dining experience.
“Although our messages at each event were carefully
crafted to educate the participants about specific lifestyle
issues, the events were fun, informative and so popular
that the sessions would fill even before the next session
was advertised,” explains Sue.
Surveys were conducted at both six month and one-year intervals
to determine the effectiveness of the program. The surveys
showed astounding results.
The aim of the first presentation, “Desperate”
Dieting, was to increase awareness of fad dieting and discourage
participation in some of the “popular” forms
of weight loss. As a result, 18 participants reported being
more aware of nutrition faddism.
The session “Extreme Makeover” Trans Fats and
Net Carbs, resulted in 15 participants reporting that they
could now identify trans fats and net carbs outlined on
food labels.
“Slimming down and being healthy is not just about
losing weight,” explains Sue. “It’s about
changing lifestyle behaviors. That concept can seem overwhelming
for many, so we were pleased to provide the necessary encouragement
that added to the success of the program.
“At Mercy, we strive to empower people in the community
to take responsibility for their own health,” concludes
Sue. “The Reality Wellness series offered a holistic
approach with outstanding results.”
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