Adena News and Press Releases

While most physician offices are closed on Memorial Day, Adena Urgent Care locations in Chillicothe and Waverly will be open Monday, May 27; as will Adena’s Clinic at Walmart operations, located in Chillicothe and Washington Court House Walmart stores.

Adena Urgent Care provides care for all ages. These are walk-in facilities and no appointment is needed. At Adena Urgent Care, our providers treat colds, coughs, sore throats, minor lacerations and minor sprains, strains and fractures. Urgent Care locations in Chillicothe and Waverly are open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., including Memorial Day.

On Memorial Day, Adena’s Clinic at Walmart locations will be open from 12 – 5 p.m. These facilities are walk-in operations for anyone over the age of 18 months. Services offered are those related to common illnesses such as: colds, sore throats, sinus infections, flu-like symptoms, pink eye, and other minor conditions. Adena’s Walmart clinics are located at:

Anyone experiencing an emergency illness or injury, such as chest pain and stroke, should call 911 and go directly to an Emergency Room.

Now that spring has arrived and we are heading into summer, patients and visitors can look forward to a more pleasant experience at the Adena Cancer Center, as work is moving forward on the Healing Garden.  The garden has always been a planned part of the center grounds, and after much effort, construction and landscaping are underway.

“It is very exciting to finally move forward with the Healing Garden,” commented Jeff Webb, construction manager.  Several considerations had to be taken into account for the safety, convenience and pleasure of the patients.  While a gravel walk way at first seemed appealing, to accommodate the safety of wheelchairs, a flat concrete path has been included.  Also, there have to be some limitations in the plantings, as certain fragrances or odors from plants may affect patients. 

Healing Gardens have recently shown great promise in patient experience and even improved patient outcomes for those with chronic illness.  Upon learning of the benefit of peaceful, natural surroundings to patients, Adena has made the Healing Garden at the Cancer Center a priority.  The one-third acre plot of land adjacent to the center will provide serene views of colorful flowers and plants and the surrounding hillside.  Patients seated inside, even those seated at infusion stations can enjoy the beautiful, calming view, or they may choose to stroll outside and enjoy the natural setting.

The work will be completed in two phases. The first phase is under way and includes the addition of concrete pathways and the installation of a few pergola structures for shade and landscaping. The second phase will involve the completion of the landscaping.

The Healing Garden is made possible in part through the generous discounted or in-kind donations of area contractor and landscapers, material suppliers and design professionals, including:

• Coppel Coal
• Detillion Landscaping
• Eastern Avenue Lumber
• Hanson Aggregates & Concrete
• Gary Gillum Construction
• Melvin Stone
• MKSK Landscape Architects
• Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center
• Pritchard Land Surveying

Additionally, proceeds from this year’s plant sale, sponsored by the Women’s Board of Adena Regional Medical Center will help fund the garden.

“It’s been a nice project,” commented Webb. “Nothing too complicated with it.”  And that lack of complication and simple nature is what patients can enjoy while undergoing their treatment and recovery at Adena Cancer Center.

Learn more about cancer care at Adena.

Kevin M. Murphy has joined Adena Health System as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He has more than 22 years of experience as a CFO in the health care industry.

Murphy most recently served as Senior Vice President & CFO for Hurley Medical Center, located in Flint, MI. There he led efforts to affect financial turnaround, yielding positive operating margins following five proceeding years of loss. Murphy also served as Vice President of Finance/CFO for the Middletown Regional Health System, located in Middletown, OH. He represented the hospital in negotiations with Premier Health Partners, resulting in a joint-operating agreement that provided Middletown with an $80 million equity infusion. Murphy was also the responsible executive overseeing the development of the health system’s 2007 Atrium Medical Center development project.

“Kevin brings a strong background in health care financial management to Adena,” said Adena President and CEO Mark Shuter. “I’m confident he has the expertise to assist Adena in financially navigating today’s changing health care climate, while offering the maximum potential for future success.”

Murphy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from St. Anselm College (Manchester, NH); a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Notre Dame; and a Master of Business Administration from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife plan to make their home in Chillicothe.

Two local athlete/scholars have been named Adena Sports Medicine’s male and female Athletes of the Year, for the 2012-13 school year. This was the inaugural year for the program, designed to honor senior male and female high school athletes in our region. Each winner will receive a $2,000 Adena Athlete of the Year scholarship, and their respective schools will each receive $500 toward their athletic program.

	Wes Beam, a senior at Zane Trace High School, was named male Athlete of the Year. He maintained a 3.993 GPA while participating in three varsity sports, serving his school, church, and community and working part-time. As one of Wes’ references stated, “He is one of the most respectful, honest, and genuine students I have ever worked with.”
	Hannah Spohn, a senior at Oak Hill High School, was named female Athlete of the Year.  Hannah maintained a 4.0 GPA during her high school career, playing three varsity sports, serving her community and working part-time. One of Hannah’s references said, “Hannah is always willing to give her time unselfishly to help others. She has a genuine concern for the well-being of people.”

Local high school senior athletes are eligible for the Athlete of the Year contest by being voted Adena Sports Medicine’s Athlete of the Month (AOM). The contest runs from October through May, and senior athletes are nominated by their athletic directors and coaches. The contest is open to seniors who demonstrate outstanding grades, athletic skill, leadership qualities and a proven dedication to their community. The AOM is selected based on votes cast on Adena’s Facebook page. A committee of local athletic trainers, physical therapists and a sports medicine physician selected the monthly finalists. The Committee also evaluated the criteria of each month’s male and female winners and selected the Athletes of the Year.

Adena Sports Medicine provides a variety of services to the youth of our region including: safety training for coaches by local athletic trainers and therapists; pre-season sports physicals; and athletic training to area high schools to help prevent injuries, keep athletes safe and ensure maximum recovery should an injury occur.

For more information about the Athlete of the Year program, visit www.adena.org/athlete.

Heather Braden, RN was recently awarded Adena Health System’s first-ever DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing, for her care of pediatric patients. A nurse for six years, Braden works at Adena Medical Center in Chillicothe in the Women and Children’s Unit. She was among 11 Adena nurses nominated for the award.

The DAISY Award was created by the family of Patrick Barnes, a 34-year old man whose family was overwhelmed by the level of compassion and care his nurses provided during his 8-week hospitalization for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), which ultimately took his life. To honor the nurses who cared for Patrick, his family founded DAISY an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, and created the award as a way to thank nurses around the country who go the extra mile. This is the first year Adena has presented the DAISY Award.

Heather was nominated by her manager, Sarah Fallow, RN. “Heather saw that our pediatric patients were struggling with food and what they wanted to eat,” said Fallow. “She worked with Dietary to create a kid-friendly menu that the patients could use to choose any meal. This allowed sick children to eat what sounds good to them. She is frequently mentioned in patient satisfaction surveys as the ‘extra something’ that makes her patients’ stay special.”

Heather has worked at Adena for two years. “I did not expect this at all,” she said. “I have awesome co-workers, awesome managers and definitely couldn’t have done it without them. It’s what I love to do. I love kids. I love nursing and wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Receiving the award won’t change anything for Heather. “I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and providing for my patients, giving them what they need. And if they need anything else, I’m going to push for that too.”

Jeyanthi Ramanarayanan, MD, a board-certified Oncologist/Hematologist has joined the staff of the Adena Cancer Center. Dr. Ramanarayanan specializes in the treatment of many types of cancers, blood disorders and soft tissue tumors. With a research background and experience, she has a specific interest in treating cancers of the breast and lymphoma.

Dr. Ramanarayanan elected to specialize in Oncology during her residency at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New Jersey. “I was fascinated by innovative curative therapies emerging in the field of oncology for leukemia,” she said. “Training in the field of oncology has enabled me to practice evidence-based medicine and make a meaningful difference in caring for cancer patients.” Dr. Ramanarayanan also cites the importance of offering compassionate care for patients during their course of illness and treatment as being extremely gratifying for her.

Dr. Ramanarayanan attended medical school in India, and performed her internship and residency at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Jersey City, NJ. She completed a Clinical Fellowship in Hematology at the University of Buffalo’s Erie County Medical Center, and performed a Clinical Fellowship in Oncology at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY.  Dr. Ramanarayanan is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Medical Oncology.

Excited to be at Adena, Dr. Ramanarayanan moved to southern Ohio to be closer to her family.

Learn more about Cancer Care at Adena.

For the first time at Adena, Nurses Week served as the catalyst for hand blessing ceremonies for nurses throughout the Health System.  Adena’s Lead Chaplain Jerry Compton and Associate Chaplain Paul Ray performed hand blessings during chapel services and in staff huddle meetings at locations across the region.

Chaplain Compton and Rev. Ray had each performed hand blessings in previous positions, and knew the spiritual component it brought to staff.  “It’s kind of being in touch with the sacred,” said Chaplain Compton.  “Schooling can teach you everything you need to know about nursing or medicine, but you have to get deep down inside your spiritual self and ask, ‘Why did I decide to become a nurse or a doctor?’ Those are the issues we address.”

Staff reaction to the hand blessings has been extremely positive. The chaplains have received “tons of emails” expressing thanks. They have also seen many tears during the blessings and are building relationships and gaining the trust of those who may have broken with clergy or the ministry in the past. “Sharing the sacred does something to build bridges between hearts,” added Chaplain Compton.

The chaplains have gone to huddle meetings on various units during shift change to reach as many nurses and staff as possible, and sharing words of inspiration with the staff, and thanking them on God’s behalf for the work they do. “It’s important for the nurses to be aware of God’s presence in their lives and the way He uses them to do the work they do,” said Chaplain Compton.

Hand blessings are performed as the recipient holds their palms open to receive the blessing.  The chaplains take Mir, an anointing oil, and place it on the person’s palms. They then hold the nurse’s hands and pray a prayer for them to recognize the blessings God has given them, as well as the ways they share those blessings with others.

The blessings have not only benefited the nurses, but have also been special for Adena’s spiritual leaders. “It’s been overwhelming to recognize the lack of attention we each give to our own spirituality,” said Chaplain Compton. “We’re so busy with our day-to-day tasks, doing all of the things we’re capable of doing, and yet we’re not really being in tune with our motives.  We’ve got to reflect and taking the time to create space for the holy.”

Nurses Week is held the first week of May to recognize the efforts of nurses around the country. Chaplain Compton plans to continue the hand blessing practice during future Nurses Weeks.

Adena Sports Medicine is offering free sports physicals for middle and high school athletes, cheerleaders and band members. Adena physicians and experts will evaluate the student athlete’s general health, current fitness level and discuss and existing injuries or conditions that might increase the risk of injury.

Physicals will be offered at the following Adena locations:

Monday, June 3       5:30 p.m.        Adena Health Center – Jackson

                                                   1000 Veterans Drive

                                                   Jackson, OH  45640

Friday, June 7          5:30 p.m.        Adena Rehabilitation and Wellness Center

                                                    445 Shawnee Lane (behind Shawnee Lanes)

                                                    Chillicothe, OH  45601

An appointment is required. To schedule an appointment for a sports physical at Adena’s Jackson facility, call (740) 395-8134 no later than May 27. To schedule an appointment for the Chillicothe physical clinic, call (740) 779-7977 by May 31.

This program is sponsored by Adena Health System and area physicians to ensure that no athlete, cheerleader or band member is denied participation because of family circumstances.  These free events are for middle and high school athletes, cheerleaders or band members only. We cannot provide physicals for summer camps or employment.

Adena Health System is celebrating its nursing staff as part of National Nurses Week. The week is intended to focus attention on the diverse ways America's 3.1 million registered nurses work to save lives, and to improve the health of millions of individuals.

Currently, Adena Health System employs more than 800 nurses. Each nurse makes a tremendous contribution to the overall care of our patients, and leaves an indelible mark on the lives of patients and their family members.

“Our nurses are the heart and soul of Adena Health System,” said Adena President and CEO Mark Shuter. “They strive to make sure each patient is well cared for and their needs are adequately met while in the hospital or the physician’s office. They are our heroes every day and deserving of high praise during National Nurses Week - and always.”

National Nurses Week begins on May 6, marked as RN Recognition Day, and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing.  This week, Adena’s nursing staff will be honored with recognitions, award ceremonies, and on Thursday, will have breakfast and lunch served by hospital leadership.

Adena Rehabilitation’s Hearing and Speech Awareness 5k Walk/Run is scheduled for Saturday, May 18, 2013 beginning at 7:15 p.m.  The event is an all new, evening road race through the streets of Chillicothe. The race will begin and end at Yoctangee Park, located in downtown Chillicothe.

Communication disorders can impact patients of all ages. Some are present at birth, while others may be due to aging, a medical condition, or an injury.  Rehabilitation and treatment can improve the quality of life for those who experience problems speaking, understanding and hearing. The Walk/Run is to bring attention to these disorders and the impact they have on our patients.

There is a $25 pre-registration fee ($30 on race day), and all proceeds from the event will go to the Adena Health Foundation’s Speech and Hearing Fund.  Walkers and runners will receive a race bag and a glow necklace to wear for the evening event.  There will also be a silent auction and prizes for top finishers.  Participants may register after 6:30 p.m. on the evening of the event, or pre-register online.

You may send questions about the event to kschloenbach@adena.org.