caring winter 2009

COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM | CARING 1WINTER 2009

REAL LIFE, REAL HEALTHI N V E N T U R A C O U N T Y

“It turned

out my hip

socket had

worn out.”

Ted England’s

Dog Days Are

Extended

Thanks

To Three

Orthopedic

Surgeries

2 CARING | COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM

O

Gary K. Wilde President & CEO, Community Memorial Health System

On October 1st, I had the pleasure of at-tending the ribbon cutting ceremony for our new Emergency Department at Ojai Valley Community Hospital. The feeling of camarade-rie and excitement among everyone that day was most evident. It was a day to not only cel-ebrate the opening of the new and expanded Emergency Department, but a day to observe and commemorate what marvelous things can happen when a passionate and dedicat-ed group of people get together with a fo-cused idea in mind. The new OVCH EmergencyDepartment is truly for everyone, and truly was built because of everyone.

At Community Memorial Health System, we have always been extremely proud of the caliber of orthopedic care provided at our fa-cilities, and the level of technology we offer. Because of the expertise of our physicians and staff, our comprehensive services have estab-lished the CMHS program as a leader in the area. In this issue we’ve featured two physi-cians among our fine group of orthopedic sur-geons who have dramatically changed the lives of several area residents. These stories highlight our state-of-the-art care and empha-size how honored we are to have a long list of highly experienced and talented orthopedic specialists on staff.

Although we think of physicians as healers, we often take for granted that they too experi-ence times when they need to be healed. In this issue of Caring, we’ve included a story about a local electrophysiologist who assisted an ortho-pedic surgeon, who in turn came to the aid of

the electrophysiologist. Dr. Robert O’Hollaren summed it up perfectly in the article: “I’ve been very fortunate to receive wonderful care from the other doctors at the hospital… anytime I can return the favor, I’m happy todo it.”

Providing care to people in need is our core mission. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our Ventura Foundation, our Healthy Wom-en’s Program offers a solution to women in the community who have no access to breast care treatment due to a lack of insurance. I hope all of you will read the article on Tamara Leckie who shares her personal story about her journey with breast cancer and the HealthyWomen’s Program that came to her assistance during a most difficult time.

Throughout our history, volunteers have been an integral part of Community Memo-rial Health System. Not only do they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in im-measurable areas, but they also bring a community perspective. We’ve profiled two of our dedicated volunteers, Sue Horganand Mel Sheeler. Their passion and commit-ment to giving unselfishly to help others un-derscores how invaluable volunteers are to ourentire organization.

In closing, I would like to extend mybest wishes to everyone for a wonderful and safe holiday season, and to all of our physi-cians, employees and volunteers, thank you for a wonderful year, and for making a differ-ence each and every day within our systemof care.

Gary Wilde President & CEO

Wilde Thoughts

Marvelous things happen when a passionate and dedicated group of people get together.

COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM | CARING 3

contents

Michael EllingsonVice President of Marketing and Development

Mary McCormickEditor

Stephanie Paul, Woody Woodburn, Dan Wolowicz, ZestNetWriters

Community Memorial HospitalOjai Valley Community Hospital

Centers For Family Health

A not-for-profi t organization.147 N. Brent St., Ventura, CA 93003

©2009 Community Memorial Health SystemFor permission to reprint any portion of this magazine please call 805/652-5492.

Martin A. Pops, M.D., ChairGregory H. Smith, Vice Chair

Erin A. Quinn, Ph.D., SecretaryJeffrey D. Paul, Treasurer

Samuel D. Small, D.O.Chief of Staff,

Community Memorial HospitalJohn Slaght, M.D.

Chief of Staff, Ojai Valley Community Hospital

Shelby BauerMarc A. Beaghler, M.D.

Ralph R. BennettMichael D. Bradbury

Philip C. DrescherTimothy J. Gallagher

John J. HammerWilliam L. Hart, M.D.

John V. Hill, M.D.Fritz R. Huntsinger

Robert J. LagomarsinoHarry L. Maynard

F. Ted Muegenburg, Jr.John W. Russell

William Speitel, M.D.Gary L. Wolfe

Kay Woodburn

EMERITUS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

Leonard OrtizJanice P. Willis

Community Memorial Health System 2009 Board of Trustees

Jann HendryPhotographers

ZestNetArt Direction/Design

MISSIONTo heal, comfort and promote health

for the communities we serve.

VISIONTo be the regional integrated

health system of choice for patients,

physicians and employees by

providing the latest treatments.

To be a valued community treasure.

VALUEIntegrity, service, excellence, caring

and transparency.

The Man With The BIONIC HIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

ACHING KNEES: No Longer Their Golfi ng Handicap . . . . . . . . . . 6

Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Ojai Valley Community Hospital Foundation NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

TAMI Wasn’t Prepared For This . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

REHABILITATIVEExcellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

GOLD DUST GALA 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

New EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT Opens at Ojai Valley Community Hospital . . . . . . . . . 16

ISHU RAO: Electrician of the Heart . . . . . . . . . 18

One GOOD TURN Deserves Another . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

CARING For Our FutureProject Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

COMMUNITY @ Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

BIONIC HIPSE

THE MAN WITH THE


BIONIC HIPSEEHIPSEHIPS

down on the dirt as if he had been shot in the leg. “I thought I’d gotten hit in the ankle by the throw,” he recalls. “I crawled the rest of the way and got in under the tag. It was the last home run I ever hit.”

Ted England hit a lot of home runs as a kid, and played just about every other sport as well. His father, Frederick, went to medical school on the G.I. Bill after all four children were born. He worked at Ventura County Medical Center during Ted’s freshman and sophomore years at Ventura High School. When Dr. England opened his own practice in Oxnard as a fam-ily physician, Ted transferred to Oxnard High where he played varsity football and also com-peted on the swim team for two years before graduating in 1959. He continued his athletic exploits on the gridiron at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he also played rugby. After graduation he remained active playing recreational league basketball, racquet-ball, cross country skiing and, of course, com-petitive softball.

The only trophy that eluded him was fa-therhood. “I don’t have any children because I never got old enough for children,” England laughs. “I always wanted to wait until after one more season.” One more season has turned into decades more.

After crawling across the plate for his last home run at age 47, and after having been a competitive athlete nearly his entire life, Eng-land thought his fi nal season of playing was now over. An attorney specializing in tax law, England was trying a case in court the follow-ing day so he had to wait to see a doctor. He kept putting it off until six weeks after suffering the injury, Dr. Tom Golden, a Venturan ortho-pedic surgeon practicing at Community Me-morial Hospital, came into England’s law offi ce for a business matter.

“I saw him limping around and asked him,

‘What’s the matter?’” Dr. Golden recalls.“He made me lie down right there on the

carpeted fl oor in our waiting room and exam-ined me,” England says, recalling the offi ce visit that turned into an impromptu house call.

The clear diagnosis: a ruptured Achilles tendon.

“Then he asked me,” England remembers, “‘So when are you having the surgery?’ I said, ‘You found it, you fi x it.’ And he did.”

Two days later Dr. Golden successfully re-paired England’s severed tendon, though the operation was made more diffi cult by the long time that had elapsed since the original injury.

“I don’t think most people could have en-dured going six weeks without taking care of it,” Dr. Golden says. “But Ted is a pretty tough, stoic guy.”

Every two weeks over the course of two months, Dr. Golden put on a new full-leg cast that slightly straightened the angle of the knee

bend and in turn slowly lengthened England’s Achilles tendon that had been left more than an inch shorter than normal by the operation.

Early each morning, Ted England takes his two dogs on a long walk through the open landscape behind his home in Wheeler Can-yon. The hilly terrain is challenging, yet despite two artifi cial hips England manages the scenic trek “pain free.”

“These days I’m bilaterally bionic,” the 67-year-old England jokes. “My new space-age hips have given me a new lease on an active life.”

A new lease on life is what England gave to his two walking companions. A few years ago, just days after losing his prior dog to a mountain lion, England went to the local animal shelter to offi cially report his tragic loss. A sign inside reading “Please Adopt Charlie” caught his atten-tion. Described as “half greyhound and half pit bull,” England thought Charlie would be perfect for the wild and remote canyon land.

“I fi gured he could run like the wind and bite like heck,” England laughs, adding: “In truth, I think he’s mostly Great Dane.”

Whatever Charlie’s true mix, England ad-opted him and later took in Lilo, a Chesapeake Lab who, along with her litter of seven pups, was left abandoned outside the gate leading up to his property.

“I fi gured I had room for one more,” Eng-land says, noting that homes were also found for the three puppies that survived.

England’s active lifestyle survived a big scare in 1989, more than a decade before he had his fi rst hip replacement, when he com-pletely severed his left Achilles tendon playing in a men’s slo-pitch softball league. A right-handed power hitter, as you might expect from a former collegiate football player – linebacker and center – England crushed a pitch to right-center fi eld. With no fence at Beck Park fi eld in Oxnard, the ball rolled all the way into the street as England raced around the bases.

Halfway between third and home, Eng-land’s Achilles tendon snapped in two; he went Continued on page 21

Dr. Thomas Golden



Aching KneesNo Longer Their Golfi ng Handicap

JJJackie Davis and Nance Young share a passion for golf and local theatre productions, and more recently the friends of nearly three decades added another common bond: having total knee replacement surgery.

After enduring decades of painful ar-thritis, Jackie and Nance now share similarsuccess stories with having not just one state-of-the-art artifi cial knee joint prosthesis, but two each.

“My knees bothered me for more than 25 years,” Nance relates. “It got to where I couldn’t do stairs anymore. I like to go to the beach, but I had a diffi cult time walking in the sand and getting out of the ocean was really hard. I have an active lifestyle and my knees were making things diffi cult.”

As a member at SeaBee (CBC) Golf Course of Port Hueneme and River Ridge Golf Club in Oxnard, Nance was playing twice a week to a low-thirties in-dex before knee pain eventually became an insurmountable handicap.

“I fi nally decid-ed I had to do some-thing,” shared the 79-year-old Oxnard resident. In Decem-ber 2007, she had replacement sur-gery on her right knee performed by orthopedic surgeon

Dr. Robert Mazurek at Community Memorial Hospital.

“I was petrifi ed beforehand,” admits Nance, affectionately called “Grandma Lady-bug” by her six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. “I hadn’t been in the hospital since my son was born 53 years ago! But Dr. Mazurek was fantastic at alleviating my fears. The one thing I told him, ‘Get me back on the golf course.’”

Eight weeks later, she was. “It was unbe-lievable to me!” Nance continues. “I went in on a Friday for the surgery; went home Mon-day morning; had physical therapy, and before I knew it I was golfi ng again. I had no pain. It was wonderful!”

Nance was so “astounded” with the results she had Dr. Mazurek repeat the procedure on her left knee 11 months later. Again, she ex-perienced a relatively easy rehabilitation and

Dr. Robert Mazurek

Jackie Davis, leftNance Young, right

A native Venturan and graduate in the Ventura High Class of 1949, Jackie served for 20 years in the Air Force. She retired as a Se-nior Master Sergeant in 1972 and promptly took up golf. Formerly as low as a 16 handicap, Jackie gave up a few strokes and some driving distance after her knee-replacement surgery – “You can’t rotate quite as well” – but not her trademark accuracy. Indeed, among her play-ing group she is still known as “Straight Down The Middle Davis” because that’s where her tee shots inevitably land.

When her right knee threatened to keep her off the golf course, Straight Down The Middle Davis enthusiastically landedherself back in the O.R. this past October to have Dr. Mazurek fi t her with a matching titanium-cobalt-chrome-and-polyethylene replacement.

“I feel great and can’t wait to get backout on the driving range next week,” Jackie said fi ve weeks after the second operation. “I’m 78, but now I feel like my knees are only 40 or 50!”


was golfi ng less than two months later as well as going up and down stairs “with no problem whatsoever.”

Nance’s positive experience with knee re-placement surgery, which is the most com-mon of joint replacements, has become the norm. “The materials have improved and the

instrumentation has improved, so it’s less inva-sive,” Dr. Mazurek explains. “Recovery after six weeks is actually about average; most patients are driving in two weeks.”

“I’m 78, but now I feel like my knees are only 40 or 50!”

WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD VOLUNTEERSAuxiliary volunteers provide that special touch of comfort, compassion and assistance to patients and their families. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer please call the Auxiliary:

Community Memorial Hospital 805/652-5043Ojai Valley Community Hospital 805/646-1401 ext. 224

Comprised of titanium, cobalt-chromi-um alloy and 21st century polyethylene, to-day’s high-tech knee prostheses last longer than ever before. “With reasonable wear,” Dr. Mazurek notes, “they should safely last 20 to 25-plus years.” Reasonable wear in-cludes golfi ng, skiing, even doubles tennis, though running and jumping with regularity is discouraged.

“Being back on the golf course is such a gift,” says Nance, who took up the game 35 years ago because her late husband Joe, a ca-reer Navy man and single-handicap player, loved it. “I just wish I had done the surgery sooner.”

“I wish she’d done it sooner, too,” laughs Jackie, “because then I would have done it sooner myself!”

Indeed, after seeing how well her friend did, Jackie had her own left knee replaced by Dr. Mazurek in May 2008. After a similarly speedy rehabilitation, Jackie was again play-ing golf at River Ridge, CBC and Buenaven-tura Golf Course.


Mel Sheeler has a pretty good answer when asked why

he gives so much of his time as a board member of Community Memorial Hospital Foundation, the all-volunteer fundraising arm for the Ventura hospital.

“Well, since I was born in the hospital, it’s always had a near and dear place in my heart,” says the lifelong Ventura resident with a smile.

Sheeler, who has been a member of the hospital’s founda-tion since 2000 and the event chair of the annual NICU Golf Tour-nament for the past three years, has built a reputation as a local businessman whose passion for volunteerism has made him well known within CMH and many of Ventura’s service organizations.

“I think everybody has a re-sponsibility to give back in some way,” says Sheeler, whose profes-sional career included 25 years as an executive in fi nance. “No matter how much or how little that may be, if we all just gave back a little, we’d all live in a much better community.”

In addition to his work with CMH, Sheeler is involved in over a dozen service organizations and charitable groups, often serving as board chair or president.

His four decades of volunteer-

ism includes the Kiwanis Club, the Ventura Chamber of Commerce, Caregivers, the Ventura Music Festival, Girl Scouts of the Cen-tral Coast, the American Cancer Society, the Boy’s & Girl’s Club of Ventura and the Ventura Police Activities League.

In 2002, Sheeler was named “Citizen of the Year” by the Ven-tura Chamber of Commerce. The importance of volunteer work is something that Sheeler says he shares with his two grown sons, Glen and Eric.

Sheeler attributes his ability to seemingly be in so many places at once to the encouragement and

support he receives from his wife of 11 years, Cathy, and the fact that he can rely on the employees of his Ventura moving company, Sheeler Moving and Storage, to keep things running smoothly when he’s out of the offi ce.

For the past three years, Sheeler has chaired the NICU Golf Tournament, an annual event that raises upwards of $27,000 a

year for CMH’s Neonatal Inten-sive Care Unit.

The highly trained NICU staff at CMH uses advanced medical services and equipment to provide the very best care for premature or seriously ill newborns.

During Sheeler’s time as event chair, the tourney has raised over $80,000 to purchase state-of-the-art equipment for the NICU. Money from this year’s tourna-ment will be used to invest in the NICU department to be built in the new hospital currently under development.

Sheeler says the best part of the tournament is seeing all of the tremendous hard work of the plan-ning committee pay off in a day of fun on the links for a good cause.

What does Sheeler like most about his work with the Community Memorial Hospital Foundation?

“I think it’s just getting to know not only the administration, but the offi ce staff and the doctors

on a more personal basis,” he says. “It’s getting to know fi rst hand how truly dedicated each one of them are to our community and to the patients in their care.”

Sheeler says he plans to con-tinue to volunteer for both CMH and Ventura’s numerous chari-ties and service groups. And why wouldn’t he? It’s work he was seemingly born to do.

“If we all just gave back a little, we’d all live in a much better community.”

HELPING CMH IN ITS

CONTINUOUS EFFORT TO

OFFER THE BEST HEALTHCARE

POSSIBLE BY CONSISTENTLY

INVESTING IN THE NEWEST

TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION

AND TRAINING.

BOARD MEMBERPROFILE: MELSHEELER


Benefactors’ Ball

NICU GolfTournament

October 3, 2009 Embassy Suites Hotel Mandalay Beach Resort, Oxnard

The Benefactors’ Ball has been a time honored Foundation tradition for over thirty years. Every year physicians, hospital administrators and community leaders gather together for a night of fi ne dining, live music, and dancing in support of Community Memorial Hospital.

This year 168 people attended the elegant event, with the net proceeds of $83,996 designated to assist with the building of the new Community Memorial Hospital.

July 31, 2009 Sterling Hills Golf Club, Camarillo

The annual NICU Golf Tournament was at capacity this year with 162 attendees. Everyone enjoyed a great day of camaraderie and fun while raising vital funds for Community Memorial Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The net proceeds of $26,055 this year went to the new CMH building fund, which will house the preeminent Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the region.

PLEASE HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN

YOUR COMMUNITY THIS YEAR, AND

SUPPORT OUR FOUNDATIONS’

ANNUAL APPEALS CURRENTLY

IN PROGRESS.


BOARD MEMBERPROFILE:

TO HELP THE OJAI VALLEY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL ACHIEVE ITS OBJECTIVES BY BROADENING FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND HEIGHTENING AWARENESS OF THE BENEFITSTHE HOSPITAL BRINGS TO THE COMMUNITY.

As Sue Horgan watched the ribbon-cutting ceremony of-

fi cially opening the Ojai Val-ley Community Hospital’s newly renovated emergency department,she couldn’t help but thinkback to the fi rst time she and her husband, Gary, came to the emergency room with their then two-year-old daughter 17 years earlier.

The couple was enjoying a quiet Saturday afternoon when their oldest daughter, Michelle, accidentally fell from the back of the couch and broke her arm.

The young parents rushed their toddler to what was, at the time, a small ER with a cramped waiting room and exam area.

“There was very little privacy in the waiting room. Everyone was sitting in a single room waiting to see the doctor,” says Horgan, a mother of two teenage daughters. Michelle is now a sophomore at Loyola Marymount University.

Little did Horgan know then that she would become a mem-ber of the Ojai Valley Communi-ty Hospital Foundation Board of Directors and help the committee fundraise and plan for the hospi-tal’s new $2.1 million emergency department.

“The larger emergency de-partment gives the hospital anoth-

er way in which it can continue to provide some of the highest qual-ity medical care and services any-where,” says Horgan, who served on the hospital’s fi nance commit-tee prior to its merger with Com-munity Memorial Hospital in 2005, when she joined the founda-tion board.

The former bank executive says that although the high level of medical care and attention her family has received at the Ojai hos-pital for the past 18 years hasn’t changed — her youngest daugh-ter, Shannon, was born there — the new, state-of-the-art, emergency department is a far cry from the one-room ER the community had long outgrown.

The facility is just one of the many positive changes the Denver native has seen during her nearly 20 years in the Ojai Valley.

Horgan began her commu-nity involvement as a parent vol-unteer at her daughters’ preschool and has since been involved with a variety of Ojai’s service organi-zations. Her volunteerism earned

her a reputation as a hardworking community advocate and eventu-ally a nomination to the Ojai City Council in 1999.

Horgan has twice served as the city’s mayor and continues her civic work on the city council and as a member of numerous boards, which over the years have included the Ventura Regional San-itation District, the Ventura Coun-cil of Governments and the Ven-tura County Library Commission. She also sits on the Board of Directors of Villanova Prepara-tory School, where her daughter, Shannon, is a sophomore.

“My involvement in the com-munity, and my experience as mayor and as a city council mem-ber has really helped me under-stand our community and its needs,” Horgan says.

She says OVCH is an impor-tant part of the Ojai Valley. It gives both residents and tourists alike outstanding medical attention without having to travel outside the valley.

Horgan also notes that OVCH impacts the community’s economy as a large employer and as a sponsor for a number of civic and community activities.

So what does this busy mom, city leader and longtime volunteer like best about serving on the hos-pital foundation board?

“It’s working with such won-derful people,” Horgan says. “They are a group of dedicated

and talented people who have come together to make a signifi -cant difference in our community.”

And with nearly 20 years of experience working as a dedi-cated volunteer, it seems there are few in the Ojai Valley who know better than Sue Horgan what it means to make a differ-ence in a community.

“They are a group of dedicated andtalented people who have come together to make a difference...”

SUEHORGAN


PLEASE HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN

YOUR COMMUNITY THIS YEAR, AND

SUPPORT OUR FOUNDATIONS’

ANNUAL APPEALS CURRENTLY

IN PROGRESS.

Nightingale Ball

October Classic

November 14, 2009 Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, Ojai

October 24, 2009 Nordhoff High School, Ojai

Walk,Wheel orRun for Your Life

The annual Nightingale Ball, presented by the Ojai Valley Community Hospital Foundation Guild, returned home this year with an evening of dinner and dancing at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa.

240 people enjoyed the evening’s festivities, and raised just over $100,000 towards improve-ments in the hospital’s Radiology Department.

190 runners, walkers, and wheelchair participants went “for the gold” as they helped raise funds at the 8th annual October Classic.

The net proceeds of approxi-mately $10,000 from this year’s event went towards improvements at the hospital’s Continuing Care Center – a skilled nursing facility.


DTamiDTamiDTamiTamiTami

“I can’t really put it into words except to say it is overwhelmingly scary,” Tami shares. “I thought I had prepared myself, but no way. It shocked me. When I heard the word ‘cancer’ it registered right away and panic hit me.”

Quickly, a second wave of panic struck. Fears beyond the medical battle now before her.

“I was afraid I could sink my family fi nan-cially because we don’t have health insurance,” Tami shares. “I was paying cash. We just don’t go to the doctor, even when we’re sick. Now

I realize how stupid we were; we should have had coverage.”

Fortunately, Tami qualifi ed to receive the highest quality diagnostic care and treatment at The Breast Center free, thanks to Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation’s Healthy Women’s Program aimed at helping women

wasn’tprepared forDespite the hectic demands on her time that only a working mother/wife/sports team mom can fully appreciate, Tami Leckie also takes in and rehabilitates rescued bulldogs until new permanent homes can be found. This past summer, Tami found herself in need of rescue. In June, she discovered a small lump in her left breast while doing her monthly self-exam.

“I honestly blew it off for a couple of weeks fi guring it was nothing before I fi nally went to see our family doctor,” Tami says, noting that after the offi ce examination she was referred to The Breast Center, located at Community Memorial Hospital, to have a state-of-the-art mammogram screening.

“I had never had a mammogram before,” continues Tami, 39, who had no family history

of breast cancer. “I always thought you didn’t need a mammogram until you were 40.” The results of her mammogram and ultrasound indicated a biopsy was warranted.

On Friday, August 14, Tami had a biopsy performed at CMH and after nervously enduring a long weekend fi lled with more

worrying than sleep, the results came back the following Monday – her husband Tony’s birthday.

“Even though I was worried, I still really thought it was going to be good news,” Tami says. When the phone call with the results came, even without hearing a word of the conversation, Tony could tell from his wife’s body language that the news “wasn’t good.” She had a malignant tumor: invasive ductal carcinoma, an aggressive grade 3 form of breast cancer.

“Cancer. Hearing that hits hard,” says Tony. “I don’t think you’re ever prepared to fi nd out your wife or a loved one has cancer.”

Tami wasn’t prepared for it either. Like most women in her position, she says the shock of being diagnosed with breast cancer is diffi cult to fully describe.

Fortunately, Tami qualifi ed to receive the highest quality diagnostic care and treatment at The Breast Center free, thanks to Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation’s Healthy Women’s Program aimed at helping women who are uninsured or underinsured.


TamiTamiTamiTamiprepared for

who are uninsured or underinsured. The program, which is funded by the Foundation’s annual Gold Dust Gala and the Wallis Founda-tion, is also unique in that it is the only program in the area which is also available to women under the age of 40.

“I can’t thank the program enough,” Tami says. “The mammogram, ultrasound, surgery – it basically covered everything. It was a godsend that saved us just as it has saved many other women and their families.”

The Ojai couple kept the cancer diagnosis from their three teenage children, Dillon, Alex and Demi, for a few days while they tried to regain their own equilibrium. Turning to the Internet, however, made their heads spin.

“We looked up the medical term – ‘invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 3’ – on the computer to learn all we could,” Tami notes. “That was a bad decision because a lot of the information you fi nd is wrong.”

Tami found accurate information, and reassurance, at The Breast Center where physicians and staff took the time to answer her every question and concern. “I didn’t even have an appointment; I just walked in and they spent time with me,” Tami says appreciatively. “Everyone there was so great. It’s not just a job

for them; they really care about you.”Further reassurance came after meeting

with CMH surgeon Dr. James Woodburn III.“Quite honestly, surgery was super fright-

ening for me,” Tami allows. “I’d never had surgery before. I’ve never had a broken bone. I’ve never even had stitches. So the thought of surgery terrifi ed me, but Dr. Woodburn was great at curbing my fears. He made a huge dif-ference in my emotional stability and keeping my spirits up. Everyone at The Breast Center was also great at helping lift my spirits and keeping me emotionally strong.”

On September 1, Dr. Woodburn performed a lumpectomy, removing a tumor about the size of a candy M&M. The margins came back clear; the lymph nodes were negative. “That was the best news!” says Tami, who did not require postoperative chemotherapy but is currently undergoing six weeks of daily radiation treat-ments under the expert care of CMH radiation oncologist Dr. Jeffrey Rodnick. That treatment will be followed by hormone therapy.

Through the entire ordeal, the Leckie fam-ily has pulled together like a sports team in the clutch, which should be no surprise considering Tony is an assistant football coach at Ventura College while all three children are athletes at

Nordhoff High School – Dillon, 17, plays foot-ball and basketball; Alex, 17, plays football and baseball; and Demi, 15, combines volleyball with her passion for art. Tami, meanwhile, has been a team mom every step of the way from youth leagues through today.

“Tony’s and the kids’ support has been unbelievable,” Tami says. Filling the absence of Tami’s mother, who died of an aneurysm at age 49, Tony’s mother has come to stay and help out through December. Other family members and friends have also been “amazing.”

The whole process has made me reach out to others in my life, and other women in general, about the importance of getting a mammogram,” Tami continues, noting that she has convinced her sister, Tina Looker, to get a screening at The Breast Center.

While fi ghting her own battle these past months, Tami has continued to care for rescue bulldogs as well as the family’s three-year-old pet bulldog, Harley.

“I wanted another bulldog of our own but Tony didn’t,” Tami explains. “Helping Southern California Bulldog Rescue is a wonderful compromise and is a great way to save the lives of dogs that otherwise would be euthanized.”

Thinking about her own rescue, Tami Leckie says: “I was so scared. I remember walking through the mall and thinking this could be the last time I go shopping with my daughter, but I always felt like I was safe when I was in Dr. Woodburn’s offi ce and in The Breast Center.”

this

Both men agree, though, that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and that the complications caused by the rise in America’s obesity rates has forced a growing number of patients into physical rehabilitation. Laub says exercise, a healthy diet and a balanced lifestyle are keys to a strong body.

“Consistent exercise at a low to moderate level would prevent a lot of the problems that cause patients to come to physical therapy.”

The department’s patients range in age from newborn babies to octogenarians seeking treat-ment for a variety of therapies, such as learning to walk again or wound care.

Laub says physical therapy — helping people move and walk again — is the most com-mon type of rehabilitation his therapists handle on a daily basis.

The goal of occupational therapists, he says, is to help teach day-to-day activity to patients who have been left handicapped or had their range of motion limited by injury, disease or stroke.

Although speech-language pathologists do focus on helping patients learn to speak again and correct speech problems, Laub explains, they also determine whether a patient is able to swallow properly without aspiration. A safe swallow mechanism is essential to prevent aspi-ration which can cause pneumonia.

Laub likens his job of managing his staff of experienced and highly trained therapists to that of a coach. “I have to make sure that we have the right personnel, the right resources on the fl oors and that I have given those resources the tools they need to be successful.”

What’s the most rewarding part of the job?“It’s the reward and gratifi cation of helping

people help themselves,” Pearce says. “It’s help-ing people who would not otherwise be ableto do it for themselves, and there is a lot of reward in that.”

G

“Consistent exercise

at a low to moderate level would prevent

a lot of the problems that cause patients

to come to physical

therapy.”

REHABilitativeEXCELLENCE


Gary Laub understands that a truly out-standing physical therapist is someone who is not only sensitive to how a patient may feel physically, but emotionally as well.

“There are a lot of emotions that come into play in physical therapy, and I think a good therapist understands all that and really takes the time to help the patients understand their situation,” says Laub, a Ventura resident who has made a career in the ever-evolving fi eld of physical therapy.

As head of the Rehabilitation Services Department at Community Memorial Hospital since 2006, Laub and his team of 33 therapists and support staff handle a very busy caseload that includes — well, just about every patientat CMH.

“Our job is to mobilize the patients,” says Laub. “Bad things happen when you lay in bed for very long.”

The rehabilitation department at CMH is made up of physical, occupational and speech therapies. The department handles both in-patient care for those patients staying in the hospital and out-patient care for those returning to the rehab department for therapy following surgery, an accident or stroke.

The department is staffed by a team of li-censed physical therapists, licensed occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists, says Laub, who adds that the staff also includes licensed physical therapist assistants and physi-cal therapy aides. “The qualifi cations and creden-tials of our staff really set us apart,” Laub says.

Gary Pearce, Manager of Rehabilitative Services, says the therapists’ commitment to ex-cellence in patient care is what makes the rehab department at CMH so special.

“Our emphasis on a daily basis is to really do our best to treat our patients with the utmost respect and to offer quality service in every aspect of what we do,” Pearce says.

Ti� ets & InformationFor information on sponsorship packages or to purchase tickets please visit: www.golddustgala.org or call: 805/667-2881.501 (c)(3) organization

Proceeds from the Gold Dust Gala are used for breast cancer detection and treatment, cervical cancer screening and vaccine, and needed diagnostic equipment that benefi ts women in our community who lack access to life-saving exams. These services are provided by Community Memorial Health System.

Phil Vassar

saturday, april 17, 2010seaside park, ventura

“One of country’s most appealing

voices.”– The NEw York Times

“Vassar evokes the best singer-pianists, from

nat king cole and hoagy carmichael to ronnie

milsap and diana krall.”– People magazine

“the energy level at a vassar show tops anything else that music city has to

offer.”– milwaukee journal sentinel

COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM | CARING 15 COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM | CARING 15


area, an appropriate clinical support space, a new admitting and waiting area, and a new ambulance bay connected to the department. There are also six private treatment rooms, large enough to allow visiting family members. “I can’t convey the true excitement and emo-tion,” said Dr. Betsy Patterson, president of the Ojai Valley Emergency Physicians Group. “We are so proud to no longer be an emergency room, but rather an emergency department.”

Completion of the leading-edge ED was possible due to the generous donations and hard work of involved community supporters. The catalyst for this project, and its most signifi cant benefactor, was the initial $500,000 donated by long-time hospital supporter, Chilant Sprague.

New Emergency Department

Ojai Valley Community Hospital Opens

Chilant took up the challenge of bringing a modern ED to her favorite hospital on the day she waited for test results in the crowded emer-gency room hallway with her husband Manny. Mary Jo Garrett, OVCH Administrator, related the story at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new ED held on October 1st. Chilant said to Mary Jo, “All of the beds were fi lled and there was no quiet place to sit. As I stood behind Manny, I thought, I can do something about this.” And she did.

Although Chilant passed away last year, her stepson, Dan Sprague, shared, “My mother would be extremely proud of this new ED she so dearly wanted our community to have.” Chilant dearly loved the Ojai community

AAAt 7:00 a.m., on October 23, 2009, the new Emergency Department at Ojai Valley Community Hospital (OVCH) opened its doors to the public. This landmark event marked years of anticipation, and fulfi lled the wishes of a grateful community.

Patients, staff and visitors will all have the benefi t of a newer and larger location within the hospital. The department is designed to improve staff fl ow and make use of the latest technology. It boasts a private consultation

Ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Emergency Department at Ojai Valley Community Hospital, October 1, 2009.


“This is a clear example of what a

community working together with a dedication

to a mission can do.”

and its treasured citizens. For that reason, she established the Chilant & Mansfi eld Sprague/Herbert Frenzell Foundation, and left an endowment in excess of $3 million designated for the continuing support of the Emergency Department.

“This has been a team effort from the beginning,” explained Gary Wilde, President & CEO of Community Memorial Health System (CMHS). “The new ED embodies an impor-tant milestone for the hospital that allows us to provide excellent care for the community. This project became a reality through the hard work and shared vision of involved citizens who saw the value of having a state-of-the-art ED in a small rural community, something not

commonly found in today’s healthcare environ-ment.” But the ED is not the end of CMHS’s commitment to the citizens of Ojai. Future plans, according to Mr. Wilde, will include a remodel of the OVCH Continuing Care Center

and hospital earthquake renovation. In addi-tion, plans are underway to enhance the radi-ology department, update the post-anesthesia care unit, incorporate an outpatient addition and create a redesigned entrance and exterior for the hospital.

For the past 35 years, talk of modernizing the crowded, out-of-date emergency room at OVCH had yielded only visions and dreams. At the ribbon cutting ceremony, Dr. Martin Pops, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of CMHS, explained that when the hospital was purchased by the Ojai Valley Community Hospital Foundation (OVCHF) in the year 2000, it became a not-for-profi t community hospital belonging to the people of Ojai. One

of the fi rst things the newly formed Foundation did was to survey the community and ask them what was most important to them from their now locally-owned hospital. “Over-whelmingly, the response was an up-to-date, capable, effi cient, emergency room – this now has become a reality,” stated Dr. Pops.

Barbara Pops, former Chair of the OVCHF, and the wife of Dr. Martin Pops, is another highly involved member of the Ojai community who embraced the vision for a new ED. Throughout her leadership she worked tirelessly to get members of the local community involved in supporting the ongoing development of OVCH. Since then, the dedicated members of the Foundation, as

well as the supportive efforts of the Founda-tion Guild and local donors, have provided nearly $3 million to upgrade and modernize their community hospital. Current Foundation President, Tim Wolfe, who was also in atten-dance for the ribbon cutting, stated, “Today’s celebration of the ED is a clear example of what is possible when the community sup-ports a project that is deemed to be vitally necessary.” Those sentiments were echoed by Ojai City Council member, Sue Horgan, who added that OVCH is so important to our com-munity because of our rural location. “Every day we are reminded of its importance. And in gratitude to the many donors and supporters of this hospital,” she said, “Because of your

generosity you have given the gift of life to our community.”

Excitement brimmed from attendees of the ceremony as the giant scissors were brought forward for the traditional ribbon cutting. The spectators gathered around and with a big cheer from the crowd, the ribbon was cut and the dream of a new emergency department became a reality.

Barbara Pops, former Chair of the generosity you have given the gift of life to our

Dr. Martin Pops unveils the bronze plaque honoring Chilant Sprague, who helped makethe new Emergency Department possible.

DDr. Ishu Rao sits in front of the window of his fi fth-fl oor offi ce, framed by Ventura’s sur-rounding honey-colored hillsides and a cloud-less cobalt-blue sky cooled by an ocean breeze.

The 39-year-old doctor admits it was in part the idyllic weather and the coastline’s nat-ural beauty that helped lure him from a thriving private practice in Dallas to Community Me-morial Hospital, where he has become one of the Central Coast’s leading experts in the fi eld of electrophysiology since his arrival in 2007.

“If you look on coastal California, there are electrophysiologists all over the place except in this area,” says the Santa Barbara resident and father of two. “It’s really an underserved com-munity in a beautiful part of the country.”

One of the most complicated — and rela-tively new — facets of modern medicine, elec-trophysiology is the study of the heart’s electri-cal system.

Rao’s focus is to give treatment to patients suffering from an irregular heartbeat who might otherwise be forced to maintain an often costly regime of heart medication for the rest of their lives.

Rao is so passionate about his work that he has made it a top priority to spread the word that CMH, equipped with a new $700,000 electrophysiology lab, offering high tech treatment for those suffering from an ir-regular heartbeat.

“What I like to think we did was give the community a local option for advanced medi-cal care that they wouldn’t otherwise have,” says Rao, noting that most local patients have been forced in the past to seek treatment at Los Angeles-based hospitals such as UCLA, Ce-dars-Sinai or Good Samaritan.

“In the fi rst three months I was here, we did more electrophysiology cases, studies and

procedures than the hospital had done in the past 12 months,” he says.

So what keeps the body’s ticker ticking?The heart emits tiny electrical pulses that

control the rhythm of the heart, and a strong heartbeat means a healthy heart. Problems oc-cur, however, when the heart doesn’t tick just the way it should.

A heart that beats too fast makes the body work too hard and leaves a person feeling breathless and tired. When a heart beats too slowly, the blood doesn’t circulate properly and a person will feel dizzy and might faint.

In either instance, it’s known as a heart ar-rhythmia. And for Rao, fi xing an irregular heart-

ISHU RAO: ELECTRICIANOF THE HEART

THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOWSelecting the right physician is a diffi cult decision and Community Memorial Health System is here to help.


CALL: (805) 652-5600 OR VISIT: www.cmhshealth.org

beat is what drives the Pennsylvania native to learn more about the art and craft of his fi eld.

“When people think about the heart, they think about the plumbing. That’s the arteries. Everyone else in town is a plumber, but I’m an electrician,” Rao says with a wry smile. “That’s the easy way of explaining what I do.”

Although Rao offers a simplistic descrip-tion of what he does, his specialty is ablation procedures, an extremely exacting treatment that requires an immense amount of ongoing professional education, a highly trained sup-port staff and state-of-the-art technology — all of which is available at CMH.

In an ablation procedure, Rao feeds a cath-eter through an intravenous (IV) line inserted near the groin area. He then carefully guides the catheter through a major vein into the heart.

Once placed within the heart, Rao uses an electrocardiogram — known as an EKG — to electrically stimulate the heart to create a three-dimensional image that shows precisely where the problem resides.

Rao then uses radio-frequency energy to zap the pinhead-sized patch of irregular cells that cause the faulty electrical signals or to block the bad electrical pathways.

“The burn lesions we create are three to fi ve millimeters wide and three to fi ve millime-ters deep,” says Rao. “They’re very, very pre-cise so we’re not destroying massive amounts of heart tissue.”

The procedure takes about two hours, Rao says, and patients are required to stay the night in the hospital.

The American Heart Association reports that 2.2 million people in the United States suf-fer from arrhythmias, and treatment for those affected with irregular heartbeats has typically been through heart medications.

Rao says ablation procedures — 90 percent effective in most cases — eliminate the need for patients to continue heart medications.

Rao also implants defi brillators for patients predisposed to cardiac arrest, bi-ventricular de-

vices to help “resynchronize” the heart’s electri-cal system and pacemakers.

Because of the demanding nature of elec-trophysiology and the high-tech hardware needed to perform ablation procedures, Com-munity Memorial Health System not only brought to the Ventura hospital a high-tech electrophysiology lab and Rao’s expertise, but hospital offi cials made the commitment to sur-round Rao with a team of highly trained nurses.

Rao says the team started training with him back in Texas months before he even came to Ventura.

“So when I came in 2007, the team not only knew a lot more about electrophysiology, but they also knew what I did and the way that I had learned to do things,” says Rao. “That ear-ly training fast-forwarded the development of our program by at least six months.”

Rao says the training, both for himself and his team, continues daily.

“We’re continuing to go through our medi-cal education as we go,” he says. “We create case scenarios with members of our staff so we can continue to improve their knowledge base and their skill set,” says Rao, who admits that he often spends time talking shop during his drive home to his wife, Charlotte, and their two daughters, Leela, 5, and Lola, 3.

“My drive home is about 45 minutes and on any given day, I’ll be on the phone with one of my EP colleagues from around the country talking about what we do,” he says.

Rao’s constant dedication to his profession and commitment each day to be a teacher and a student of electrophysiology have helped him earn a reputation as one of the premier heart doctors on California’s Central Coast.

“Patients don’t generally expect this type of medical care at a community hospital,” Rao says, “but they should. I want to raise the awareness about what we offer, because a lot of people don’t know what we can do right here in Ventura. It’s some of the best medical tech-nology anywhere.”

ISHU RAO: ELECTRICIANOF THE HEART

“I’m an electrician,” Rao says with a wry smile. “That’s the easy way of explaining what I do.”


20 CARING | COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM20 CARING | COMMUNITY MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM

FFor Ishu Rao and Robert O’Hollaren — doctors at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura — the commonly used expression takes on a very different meaning when it comes to the two trading professional services.

Rao, an electrophysiologist, tells the story of how the two docs came to see each other during a recent afternoon chat in his fi fth-fl oor offi ce.

It was earlier this year when Rao decided to get back out on the tennis court following a near 20-year absence from the game. He says he wanted to spend more time with his oldest daughter, Leela, and tennis was just the ticket.

“My fi ve-year-old daughter had started taking lessons, and I thought I’d start playing to join her,” says the Pennsylvania native who brought his family to Ventura by way of Texas three years ago.

Well, it didn’t take long on the court, Rao says, before his body reminded him he wasn’t in his twenties any longer.

“Within a month, I tweaked my ankle,” says Rao ruefully. “It felt like my Achilles ten-don. I iced it all weekend...came in Monday morning, and I was seeing patients when I real-ized I needed someone to look at it.”

Rao says a fellow doctor suggested

O’Hollaren, an orthopedic surgeon, who had seen Rao nearly a year earlier to help correct an atrial fi brillation — more commonly known as an irregular heartbeat.

It was not only a chance, Rao says, to have his ankle looked at by an orthopedic surgeon with thirty-plus years experience, but also the opportunity to catch up with a former patient.

Rao, at ease simplifying the immensely complicated fi eld of electrophysiology — the study of the heart’s electrical system — gives a brief case history of his colleague.

It was about eight months ago when the 58-year-old O’Hollaren found himself fac-ing the likelihood that his irregular heartbeat meant a lifelong regimen of medication and re-turn visits to the hospital, Rao explains.

O’Hollaren, a Ventura resident, is an avid surfer who didn’t want to continue taking drugs

for a heart condition he knew was curable.“When my medication was not effective,

I found myself back in the hospital for a car-dioversion (electrical shock is delivered to the heart), which was very disruptive to my life,” O’Hollaren says.

The problem, Rao says, was that the previ-ous electrophysiologists O’Hollaren had visited over the past decade were unable to perform an ablation procedure that would provide a lasting cure. O’Hollaren had undergone fi ve ablation procedures before he saw Rao.

Rao says that for O’Hollaren’s condition he had to pierce the left wall of the heart within a few millimeters of the affected area, guiding the catheter via an X-ray, a part of the proce-dure that requires “the ability to think four or fi ve moves ahead,” Rao says.

It was a procedure that O’Hollaren, like most Ventura residents, felt they had to trek to either Los Angeles or Santa Barbara to have done. That was until Rao came to CMH in 2007, the same year the hospital built a $700,000 electrophysiology lab.

O’Hollaren’s procedure was a success.“He went home the next day,” says Rao.

“He came back to see me a month later and it was then that we knew he was cured.”

“It has been a life-altering experience for me,” says O’Hollaren, who called the proce-dure a “miracle” and would go on to recom-mend patients to Rao.

“It’s very nice to get that sort of feedback,” Rao says. “He was confi dent enough that he would send his own patients to see me.”

Nearly a year later it was Rao’s turn to seek medical expertise from his fellow doctor.

“I’ve been very fortunate to receive won-derful care from the other doctors at the hos-

pital in the past and anytime I can return the favor, I’m happy to do it,” O’Hollaren says.

Luckily for Rao, his ankle only needed time to rest.

Rao says he plans to be back on the courts sooner than later.

“I want to play tennis again,” he says. “I’m probably going back to see Bob just one more time to make sure it’s good to go. It’s nice, though, to have that personal relationshipwith him.”

“I’ve been very fortunate to receive wonderful care from the other doctors at the hospital in the past and anytime I can return the favor, I’m happy to do it.” – Dr. Robert O’Hollaren

Dr. Robert O’Hollaren Dr. Ishu Rao


Next, England wore a special brace that pre-vented him from overextending the tendon while it completely healed.

“Nine months later I was back playing soft-ball,” England says proudly, not to mention re-turning to the racquetball court, cross country skiing and hiking. “Tom Golden has been my orthopedic guru ever since.”

The guru was called on again in 2000 when England was experiencing severe back spasms.

“It turned out my hip socket had worn out,” England explains. “That made the leg about an inch shorter so my pelvis was on a tilt, and that was causing the back trouble. I went in and got a metal hip, and the relief was im-mediate. I wished I had done it sooner instead of toughing it out through the pain for so long. I didn’t make that mistake the second time; I didn’t put it off.”

England’s new hip implants are not just “metal” – they are made of precision titanium with state-of-the-art polyethylene lining the socket. Furthermore, glue or cement was not used to secure it. Instead, as Dr. Golden, who has been performing hip replacement surgeries for more than 25 years, explains: “We hone and fit it perfectly. The bone then grafts into micro-pores in the titanium material.”

Not only have the materials and engi-neering of the hip implants improved over the years, so have the surgical techniques that now use smaller incisions and are less invasive. It all adds up to better patient results.

Indeed, England says both his rehabilita-tions from hip replacement surgery were “not bad at all,” though the second time around was “especially easy because I knew what to expect. I had the surgery on December 18 and I came back to work half time after Christmas. And after New Year’s I was back to work full time.”

Dr. Golden says England’s recovery was quicker than for most patients, but his overall successful experience with hip replacement is not at all unusual. “That’s the way it is nowa-days,” he says. “Patients spend three or four days in the hospital and they are recovered in a cou-ple of months. Ted is my attorney and has been my friend for many years. He’s a heck of a guy. It’s good to see him still continue to be active.”

Active indeed. After three orthopedic sur-geries England remains on the softball field part

Continued from page 5

The Man With The Bionic Hips

Ted England spends time with one of his two dogs.

time. “I don’t play as much as I used to, but that’s more because my contemporaries play during the daytime and I’m still working,” he shares. “The players in the night leagues are too young for me.”

Eighteen years ago, Eng-land founded the Tequila All-Stars, an over-50 slo-pitch team comprised of players from Oxnard, Ventura, Santa Paula and Ojai. Two years ago, then competing in the over-55 age division, the team won the national cham-pionship. They now com-pete in the over-60 division, though England no longer travels to tournaments.

“I wouldn’t be much use to them anymore,” Eng-land says, adding with a laugh, “These days I try to play where I can do the least harm.”

Turning more serious, England continues: “I’m just happy to still be playing. I’ve been a competitive athlete for more than 60 years and Tom Golden’s three surgeries have kept me going the last 20 years. I am very grateful to him.”

While the Achilles ten-don operation was the result of traumatic injury, England says he never suffered any in-juries of note playing football and that his hips simply wore out from a lifetime of playing a lot of sports. He’s not wor-ried about his “bionics” suffering a similar fate.

“The hips they put in these days are so good that I expect to have these two new hips for the rest of my life,” England says. “Senior softball is a fertile ground for orthopedic inju-ries and I tell people not to put it off if they need a new hip. I think I’ve provided a boon to

I’ve been a competitive athlete for more than 60 years and Tom Golden’s three surgeries have kept me going the last 20 years.

“

”

Tom’s business because people can see that he fixed me.”

Not only are the Tequila All-Stars thank-ful for that each time Ted England steps to the plate, so are Charlie and Lilo every morning when he steps out the front door with them.

timeline

Cancer CenterAs part of the master plan for the Ventura campus, a new comprehensive Cancer Center will be built that will house radiation therapy and other cancer-related services such as our Cancer Resource Center. The new Cancer Center will allow for the consolidation of program offerings providing a more convenient setting for patients and their families.

projecttimelineprojecttimelineConstruction of the new

Community Memorial Hospital

Construction of the Cancer Center

Emergency Department PACU

2 0 1 02 0 1 02 0 1 02 0 1 0 2 0 1 12 0 0 9


Community Memorial Health System is dedicated to expanding and enhancing healthcare services at both the Ventura and Ojai campus-es. These projects are needed to meet a state seismic man-date, but more importantly, they are needed to update outdated facilities so that our healthcare professionals are able to practice modern medicine in modern facilities that will benefi t the residents of the communities we serve. These projects can only be accomplished as a collab-orative effort with the great

help of the community.

Timeline shows completed and scheduled improvement projects.

CA

RIN

G F

OR

OU

R

FUTU

RE

timeline

Ojai Valley Community Hospital The recently completed Emergency Department is only one aspect of modernization at Ojai Valley Community Hospital. In addition to investments in equipment and upgrades to almost every department that have already been made, plans for future improvements include:

• New Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). • Radiology Department Enhancement. • Exterior Remodeling. • Outpatient Addition. • Continuing Care Improvements. • Infrastructure Repairs/Seismic Retrofi t. • Interior Finishes.

Community Memorial HospitalThe planning process for the new hospital is centered on the guiding principle that the facility will be designed to respect and support patient dignity, as well as create a healing environment that will integrate elements that focus on quality of life, as well as on the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Features include:

• All private rooms. • Larger Emergency Department. • Cutting-edge Operating Suites. • Enhanced Mother-Baby services. • Increased critical care capacity, including additional Heart Catheterization Labs and ICU beds. • Expanded NICU and dedicated Pediatric unit. • “Green” building elements & healing gardens.

Infrastructure and Service Enhancements of Ojai Valley Community Hospital


Construction of the new Community Memorial Hospital

2 0 1 22 0 1 1 2 0 1 32 0 1 22 0 1 1 2 0 1 3

Every month, Community Memorial Health System offers a variety of support and informational meetings. Please verify meeting date and location with the contact person listed. Sometimes meetings may be cancelled or rescheduled. You may also view this listing at www.cmhshealth.org.

Meetings & Support Groups at CMH147 N. Brent St., Ventura

Bariatric Support GroupGeneral: 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., 4th Thurs.Lap Band: 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., 1st Tues.Contact: Nancy Barber (805) 676-9100,[email protected]

Bariatric Surgery Seminar6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Selected MondaysContact: Nancy Barber (805) 676-9100,[email protected]

Better BreathersAmerican Lung Association3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., 2nd Wed.Contact: Juanita Trine, RRT-NPS (805) 652-5346, [email protected]

Caregivers Support Group3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., 2nd Fri.Contact: Carolyn Kopp (805) 492-0601,[email protected]

Diabetes ClassesNutritional management classes.Classes vary, please call for dates & times.Contact: Heather Gilliam, Registered Dietitian (805) 652-5066

Diabetes UpdateDiabetes technology update for patients who take insulin. Class meets at CMHS Training Center, 2809 E. Main St., Suite B, Ventura3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., 4th Tue. Contact: Theresa Grumet (818) 497-8910, [email protected]

Heart-Healthy Nutrition Classes (for HeartAware patients)Class meets at CMHS Training Center, 2809 E. Main St., Suite B, Ventura5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m., 3rd Wed.Facilitator: Heather Gilliam, RDContact: (805) 667-2818, [email protected]

ICD & Bi-Ventricular Device Support GroupPresented by Dr. Ishu Rao, Cardiac Electrophysiologist on staff at CMH.5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Call for class datesContact: Andrea Ricketts, MSN, ACNP (805) 667-2818, [email protected]

Joint Replacement Education ClassA FREE class with guest speakers for patients and their family/caregivers planning to have hip or knee replacement.2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., 2nd Tues.(805) 652-5063

Maternity Orientation English classes: 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., TuesdaysSpanish classes: 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., 4th MondaysCMH, 2nd Floor Maternity ClassroomContact: Sheila Dedrick, RN, CLC (805) 658-BABY (2229)

Mended HeartsFacilitated by the American Heart Association.6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., 1st Tues.Contact: Dick Hiser, President (805) 646-4636

Prevention Strategies for Heart DiseaseTopics vary each month.6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., 3rd Thurs.Contact: Andrea Ricketts, MSN, ACNP (805) 667-2818 [email protected]

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Classes6 weeks, twice a week - Tues. & Thurs.10:00 a.m. OR 1:30 p.m.Contact: Juanita Trine, RT-NPS (805) 652-5346

Restless Leg SyndromeSupport group & relevant seminar topics.1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Quarterly on 3rd Sunday.Contact: Dave Hennerman (805) 766-2035, [email protected]

Stop Smoking Class5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Select ThursdaysContact: Sandra Tovar (805) 652-3376,[email protected]

Walking Fitness ProgramThis is a FREE class. Tuesdays & Thursdays: 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Nov. - Mar.), 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. (Apr. - Oct.), Tuesdays. 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Thursdays.Kimball Park, VenturaContact: Andrea Ricketts, MSN, ACNP (805) 667-2818,[email protected]

Weight Management ClassesClasses vary, please call.Contact: Heather Gilliam, Registered Dietitian,(805) 652-5066

Stroke ScreeningsFree weekly mini Stroke ScreeningLocated at Early Detection Center168 N. Brent, St., Third Floor11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Friday’sContact: Andrea Ricketts, MSN, ACNP(805) 667-2818, [email protected]

Meetings & Support Groups at OVCH1306 Maricopa Hwy., Ojai

Stop Smoking Class & Support GroupsCall for dates & times.Contact: Erika Mendez, (805) 640-2203

Meetings Support Groups at Cancer Resource Center184 N. Brent St., Ventura

Breast Cancer Self Help6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., 1st & 3rd TuesdaysFacilitator: Lynn Arnold Contact: (805) 652-5459, [email protected]

Breast Cancer Support Group Facilitated by The Wellness Community1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., ThursdaysFacilitator: Maryana Palmer, MFT(805) 379-4777 or (805) 652-5459,[email protected]

Cancer Support GroupFacilitated by The Wellness Community6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., WednesdaysFacilitated by: Ruth Lever, Ph.D. Contact: Kathleen Horton, (805) 652-5459,[email protected]

Spanish Speaking Cancer Support Group6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., 3rd MondaysFacilitator: Mario Cepeda, MFTContact: (805) 379-4777 or (805) 652-5459,[email protected]

Guided Meditation and Energy Balancing12 p.m. - 1:15 p.m., 1st MondaysFacilitators: Roger Ford and Kim VincentContact: Kathleen Horton or Patty Robles (805) 652-5459, [email protected]

Head and Neck Cancer Support Group6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., 4th ThursdaysFacilitator: Ronald Brand, Ph.D.Contact: (805) 652-5459, [email protected]

Kid’s CircleFor children who have a loved one with cancer.4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., 2nd & 4th MondaysFacilitator: Ruth Lever, Ph.D. Contact: (805) 652-5459 [email protected]

Look Good, Feel BetterFor women undergoing cancer treatment.Facilitated by The American Cancer Society6:00 p.m., Monday, 12/7/09Contact: (805) 983-7792, ext. 21 or (805) 652-5459

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support GroupFacilitated by The American Cancer Society6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., 2nd ThursdaysFacilitator: Helmut HoenigsbergContact: 805/983-7792, ext. 21 or 805/652-5459,[email protected]

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction8 Week Course. 100% commitment to attendance required. The course also includes a Saturday retreat “Day of Meditation.”6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Call for class dates.Facilitator: Catherine Baum, The Wellness CommunityContact: Kathleen Horton (805) 652-5459,[email protected]

Reiki for Cancer PatientsBy appointment only.Facilitators: Several TherapistsContact: Kathleen Horton or Patty Robles (805) 652-5459, [email protected]

Yoga for Cancer Patients4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., TuesdaysMeets at CMHS Early Detection Center168 N. Brent St., 3rd floor, Ventura Facilitator: Tami Robinson Contact: (805) 652-5459, [email protected]

Meetings at New Parent Resource Center2809 E. Main St., Ventura

Baby and Me (Birth - 8 Months)10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., ThursdaysContact: Sheila Dedrick, RN, CLC(805) 658-BABY (2229)

Babysitting 10112:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Saturdays 2/20/10, or 4/10/10Contact: Sheila Dedrick, RN, CLC (805) 658-BABY (2229)

Breastfeeding Support Group10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Wednesdays(805) 667-2838

Childbirth Refresher Course 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., 1st Thursday of even months: 12/3/09, 2/4/10, 4/1/10, or 6/3/10Contact: Sheila Dedrick, RN, CLC(805) 658-BABY (2229)

Evening Prepared Childbirth 6 week class: 1 night a week6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Tuesdays starting 1/5/10; 2/23/10; 4/13/10; or 6/1/10, or7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., Wednesdays starting 1/6/10; 2/17/10; 3/31/10; or 5/12/10Contact: Sheila Dedrick, RN, CLC (805) 658-BABY (2229)

Infant Pediatric CPR 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., Saturdays 12/12/09, 1/20/10, 3/27/10, or 4/10/10Contact: Sheila Dedrick, RN, CLC(805) 658-BABY (2229)

Natural Childbirth4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., 6 week class: 1 night a week on Sundays: Starting 11/1/09; 1/10/10; 2/21/10; 4/11/10; or 5/30/10 Contact: Sheila Dedrick, RN, CLC(805) 658-BABY (2229)

Prenatal Yoga 10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m., FridaysContact: Sheila Dedrick, RN, CLC(805) 658-BABY (2229)

Weekend Prepared Childbirth2 day class (Saturday & Sunday)9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Saturdays9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Sundays 1/9 & 1/10/10; 2/6 & 2/7/10; 3/6 & 3/7/10; 4/17 & 4/18/10; 5/15 & 5/6/10; or 6/5 & 6/6/10Contact: Sheila Dedrick, RN, CLC(805) 658-BABY (2229)

Sibling Class 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Sundays 12/6/09, 2/7/10, 4/18/10, or 6/6/10Contact: Sheila Dedrick, RN, CLC(805) 658-BABY (2229)


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