Clark Memorial Installing State-of-the-Art MRI

July/2011

Welcome to Clark Memorial July E-News

Welcome to this month's Clark Memorial e-newsletter. There are a lot of new and exciting things happening at your community hospital and we hope this newsletter provides you with brief, helpful information to keep you and your family healthy.

Clark Memorial Installs New MRI

Siemens Aera 1.5 MRI

Since the end of May, team members at Clark Memorial Hospital have been preparing for the new state-of-the-art MRI that the hospital is currently installing. The Siemen's Aera 1.5 MRI boasts several new features that will improve both your experience and quality of care. Clark Memorial is the first in this area to have this new type of machine.

One feature that most patient's will enjoy is the 70 cm opening, compared to 60 cm in older models. "This larger space helps claustrophic people reduce the anxiety and fear often associated with a MRI," says Kathy Shaughnessy, director of medical imaging. "It also helps to reduce sedation rates, which reduces the risk of the procedure."

The efficiency of the new equipment will allow the hospital to perform up to 30 percent more MRIs daily and to accommodate difficult-to-scan patients, such as children or obese patients. "We are thrilled to be able to meet the medical imaging needs of our community and physicians with this new technology," says Ruth Schmidt, vice president of outpatient services.

The hospital will complete the installation and be ready to use the new MRI in August. MRIs are currently being done on leased equipment during the installation process.

For a photo of the actual installation click here.

My Stomach Hurts...Is It Serious?

Do you have pain in the pit of your stomach that sometimes radiates to your back? Is it sometimes accompanied by vomiting or nausea, particularly after eating foods with a lot of fat? If these are symptoms you experience, you may have some type of gallbladder disease. Learn more at Clark Memorial's free Lunch and Learn program on August 23 at noon. To register, call

(812) 283-2926.

Team Members Lose 356 Pounds!!!

To promote healthier behaviors, Clark Memorial offered its team members the opportunity to participate in Weight Watchers at Work® as part of an incentive package included in the team member health insurance plan. After just 14 weeks the group has lost a total of 356.4 pounds!

The inaugural spring session includes 27 participants who meet once a week to have their weight checked and gain valuable support and helpful suggestions. "If it wasn't for the meetings, I wouldn't stay on track," says Rita Caldwell, human resource team member and class participant.

The sessions have been so successful, the hospital is looking into starting new sessions to meet the varied scheduling needs of its team.

Want to show your support? Comment on our Facebook post about their weight loss.

Community Support Groups Going Strong

Clark Memorial Hospital is hosting several community support groups covering a wide variety of needs. All groups are free and open to the community.

* Overeaters Anonymous is the the most recent addition, kicking off this month. The free, peer led support group meets every Tuesday, from 7 - 8 p.m. in Room 1941.

* The Depression/Bipolar Support Alliance support group meets on Monday evenings from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. in Room 1941.

* Mended Hearts, a support group for people and their families who have heart disease, meets monthly. Meetings July - December will be at Clark Memorial in the Private Dining Room on the fourth Monday of the month from

6 - 7 p.m. Each meeting includes a special guest speaker. Please R.S.V.P. at (812) 2208.

* The Diabetes Support Group is designed for people living with diabetes and their families. The group meets quarterly in the Lois Kratz Health and Wellness Center.

For more information

Issue: 15