spring summer 2016 | thrive | 1 · mark wilberg learned that joint replacement surgery isn’t a...

Spring Summer 2016 | Thrive | 1

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2 | Thrive | Spring Summer 2016

SPRING/SUMMER 2016

A VIRGINIA GAY HOSPITAL PUBLICATION

Thrive is a publication for

Virginia Gay HospitalClinics, Home Health, Nursing & Rehab

502 N 9th Ave., Vinton, IA 52349Phone: 319-472-6200Online: www.myvgh.org

HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR: Mike RiegeHUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR: Kim FrankFOUNDATION DIRECTOR: Mike TimmermansCHIEF OF MEDICAL STAFF: Dr. Brian Meeker, D.O.

Produced by Virginia Gay Hospital in associationwith Monkeytown, Vinton, IA

WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER: Kurt KarrDESIGN: Bobbie HendryxCONSULTING EDITORS: Sherry Crawford & Deb Wilberg

2 Making the DriveKristine Morrow-Pope explains why her primary care provider, Michele Burnes, PA-C, is worth the extra miles.

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ON THE COVER: Mother/daughter team, Heidi & Olivia Primrose head towards the finish line at last year’s Party in Pink 5K. -- Photo by Kurt Karr

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| Can I Do that at VGH

3 Making Better Health Care Decisions TogetherDivorced parents and their children’s health, with Dr. David Sheff, M.D.

12 Tackle Development DelaysIt’s frustrating for kids to start the school year behind yet again. Learn how the VGH Therapy Department can keep your child on path through the summer.

10 Safer Way to a Stronger CoreDo away with the sit-ups and learn the best way to do a plank.

11 The Flavor of Fresh HerbsGardening can be great for your health, both physically and nutritionally. Get some green thumb tips on adding herbs to your menu.

8 Taking a Swing at CancerThe Murphy family has battled cancer multiple times. From their family’s tragedies has come an event that is part fund raiser, part joyous reunion.

4 7 Questions to Ask from Time to TimeA checklist to keep your elder loved ones safe and healthy at home.

5 Virginia Gay & Parkinson’s DiseaseTwo articles, “Staying in Motion” and “A Veteran’s approach to Parkinson’s Disease” on the topic of Parkinson’s Disease and Virginia Gay Hospital’s Parkinson’s support group.

6 To Have and to HoldBev Winkie recounts her experience with Virginia Gay Home Health as she cared for her husband, Wallace (Wink) Winkie.

16 Ready or NotMark Wilberg learned that joint replacement surgery isn’t a decision to rush, but waiting isn’t always the answer either.

18 More Gain, Less PainThe pain clinic at Virginia Gay helps patients with chronic pain gain more control over their lives.

13 Gifts of HopeHow community volunteers power women’s health care.


You may have divorced as a couple but you both still want the best for your children. How can you achieve that goal together now that you’re apart? According to Dr. David Sheff, the most important factor is consistency. “The first step for divorced parents is to pick a doctor both parents trust. Children should not make their own health care decisions; this is a responsibility of a parent or guardian. When the parents are struggling to reach agreement, it’s much, much better for them to turn to the doctor for guidance rather than put their child in the middle of what can be a very complex discussion.” Dr. Sheff says seeing the same doctor for the child, no matter who makes the appoint-ment or goes with the child, assures one set of medical records and consistent advice when the child takes ill. “The worst outcome for everyone,” Dr. Sheff shared, “is frag-mented or incomplete information leading to conflicting advice put in the hands of par-ents who may not be having highly detailed conversations outside the doctor’s office.” The state of Iowa provides classes for divorcing parents on how to maintain consistent rules for the children be-tween households. To learn more visit www.mediateiowa.org

with Dr. David Sheff, MDVinton Family Medical Clinic

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“I was experiencing a lot of health problems and I just didn’t seem to be getting better,” is how Kristine

Morrow-Pope from Belle Plaine explained why her family travels to Urbana to see Michele Burnes, PA-C, at Virginia Gay’s Urbana Family Medical Clinic. “Michele had been our health care provider when she was in Marengo and we lived in Williams-burg. Then when Michele joined Virginia Gay’s Urbana Family Medi-cal Clinic it just seemed like too far to go, that is until I felt like I was at the end of my rope,” says Kristine. In 2009, Kristine was experi-encing some severe health issues and her condition wasn’t improving. “What I wanted was someone who would actually listen to me. I knew that’s what I would get from Michele, so even though it was a long trip, that’s where I went. Now my entire family, my husband and children, rely on Michele for their health care.” Kristine is also working to restore the his-

toric Herring Hotel which her father owned. Phase two of the plan for the Herring Hotel Building Alliance, LTD is working toward involves the creation of a wing that will serve as a meeting place and learning

place for better health. “Our group isn’t interested in creating a fitness center or a health care facility,” according to Kristine, “what we envision is a place where people can learn how to take better care of their health and be supported by others on the same journey.” Historically, there is a link between the old hotel and the group’s present-day vision. A hotel

in the early 1900’s often had traveling sales-men as customers, but also doctors offering their specialty services. Though every town had a town doctor or two, if you needed a special kind of procedure or care it required travel to a city unless your local hotel had a “sample room,” used by traveling sales people to display their wares or by specialists of that era to provide medical services.

Making the DriveKristine Morrow-Pope travels from Belle Plaine to Urbana for primary care

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What should you do if you’re concerned about one or more of these questions? Talk about your concerns, not just once, but over the course of time. Share your concerns with others who care for and are respected by your parents.

Encourage them to make regular medical visits. You might ask to attend their visits, tak-ing notes and encouraging follow-up visits.

Focus attention on eliminating safety hazards. Removing rugs, improving lighting, and putting a reflective strip on bottom and top steps are great ways to help prevent falls. A good way to encourage parents to spend some money moving the laundry or purchasing assistive devices is to compare those expenses with the cost and potential outcome of injuries that could put them in a hospital or nursing home.Consider home care services. There are a wide variety of private companies offering elder care services, and your local Home Health agency is a great resource for information and assistance. A home health aide can assist with laundry, cooking, and personal care.

Learn more about aging. A great book that has opened many peoples’ eyes to the special needs of aging is “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande. Dr. Gawande is a surgeon and a professor at Harvard Medical School. He shares some of the challenges he faced as his father, who had also been an accomplished surgeon, faced declining health as he aged. One important idea Dr. Gawande stresses in his book is that living isn’t only about being safe. To be alive is to accept some risks, and no one wants to be deprived of control over their own choices, especially after a long lifetime of caring for oneself and others. Melissa Smith, Director of Home Health for Virginia Gay, wants everyone to know that Home Health is a great resource for additional information. “Even if the ap-propriate solution isn’t home health care, we can help find the right resources,” says Melissa. “That is a part of our service to the public, and we’re pleased to provide that assistance without charge.” To reach Virginia Gay Home Health call 319-472-6200.

The March 2016 meeting of the Virginia Gay Hospital Parkinson’s support group fea-tured Lyle Gibson, a gifted athlete recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Lyle spoke about how staying in motion, always an im-portant part of Lyle’s life, is more important now that he’s living with Parkinson’s. Stacey Hodges, the director of therapy services at Virginia Gay is committed to help-ing this group and all Parkinson’s sufferers maintain as much function as they can. “Like any health issue where therapy can help, it really is a use-it-or-lose-it situation,” says Sta-cey, “and the key is to keep striving for every skill you have and to adapt when needed to maintain skills as the body changes.” One member of the group shared the experience of having an ambitious goal and meeting it with the help of physical therapists. He wanted to go on an important and, hopefully, memorable trip without the walker he’d become accustomed to. With a firm goal and a specific date in mind he worked very hard toward his objective. He was successful, taking the trip without using the walker after learning some helpful tech-niques and diligent practice. Call the Virginia Gay Therapy Depart-ment at 319-472-6372 to learn more about Parkinson’s support or any of the other therapy services offered by Virginia Gay.

John Pohlmann, known for his good humor and kindness, seems an unlikely volunteer for the Marine Corps during one of America’s most deadly conflicts: the Korean War. More unlikely still, he car-ried the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), a big, heavy machine gun shooting .30-06 ammunition at rates as high as 650 rounds per minute. One of the most lethal weapons carried by an infantryman, the BAR was for those who would likely be on the lead-ing edge of heavy combat. Asked why he volunteered for the Marines, John says with a characteristic twinkle, “Well…., they said they were looking for a few good men.” Today John is afflicted with the most

common neurologic disease, Parkinson’s. John’s enduring sense of humor shows through when he claims, tongue-in-cheek, to know how he got Parkinson’s. “It was after Bertha and I got off a plane in Cedar Rapids after a trip to Hawaii. I’d been watching those dancers on the beach real close, you know….studying how they do that. The shaking started when I got off the plane, and I haven’t stopped.” John and Bertha, both veterans of the armed services, attend the Parkinson’s sup-port group organized by the Therapy Depart-ment at Virginia Gay and they often provide some much appreciated joy and laughter. To read the entire article about John, Bertha, and the Parkinson’s support group see news at www.myvhg.org.

The key is to keep striving for every skill you have and to adapt when needed to maintain skills as the body changes.

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Bev Winkie’s relationship with her late husband “Wink” is still alive. Words can’t describe the depth of love in her voice or her enthusiasm as she talks about their years of marriage, her husband’s indepen-dence until late in life when he needed assistance, or her appreciation for the help she and Wink received from Bonnie Bright, a home health care provider with Virginia Gay Home Health. Wink died at age 96 after 60 years of marriage and raising four children to-gether. Bev wanted a college education so she worked in a telephone office in Charles City for a year after high school. Her siblings, still at home, were involved in sports, band, and many activities. “Our band went to Cattle Congress every fall. We didn’t have school buses available so parents would take kids in their cars,” says Bev. “I wanted to go and was looking for a ride, so I just asked around to see if there was anyone going to Waterloo. Wink and I actually “met” for the first time when I got in the crowded backseat of a car with him on the way to see the band in Waterloo.” About 10 days later Bev got a note.

“I was in Cedar Falls in school, and I got a note from him asking if I would like to go out. You know at that time we didn’t use the telephone, so I wrote back that I would. The food wasn’t so good at school so I was pretty excited about going out to just about any place. He took me to Friedman’s, and I remember that it was a great meal. Of course the girls in the dorm all knew I was going out,” Bev shares, “so when I got back to the dorm we found them all downstairs hiding behind news-papers and books, waiting to get a glance at this guy who drove all the way to Cedar Falls to take me out.” “Wink was 15 years, 10 months and six days older than I was, and that’s what I taught my siblings to say. Our marriage caused quite a little stir in the community in 1953. Wink had been a teacher and coach in my school when I was a stu-dent….you know how it is with people? They would ask my siblings, ‘How much older is he?’ and that’s why I taught them to say….15 years, 10 months, and six days,” Bev said with a smile. “I didn’t plan to marry him, and I’m sure he wasn’t planning to marry me,” Bev

shared. “When he asked me to marry him, I said I couldn’t and he asked why. I told him people will think I just married him for his money. He looked confused and said he didn’t have any money. So I said, ‘OK then, that will work!” Bev and Wink were in a bad car ac-cident in 2001, and there were doubts Wink would recover well enough to return home. But home is where he went, and the couple did well for another 12 years. Then the time came when the couple needed more help. “For Wink to let me take care of him was hard,” remembers Bev, “and to let others help him was hard. Every weekend our daughters would come home from Iowa City to help. Our sons and their families came as often as possible. When any of them came we played cards, watched some of Wink’s favorite TV shows, and so enjoyed our time together. During the week I needed more help, and that’s when Bonnie came to our home.” Bonnie remembers those days as truly one of the best times in her life. “I know that might sound strange under the cir-cumstances,” Bonnie said, “and I don’t want


to make it sound like I didn’t appreciate the seriousness of the challenges Bev and Wink faced, but honestly, caring for Wink felt like a privilege.” “One of the things I’m most proud of is my work caring for veterans, and Wink was in Africa in WWII with the 34th Division, Signal Company,” explains Bonnie. “The remembrances of the veterans are just amazing, and it’s so fun to talk about their part in making history while I’m helping around the house.” “A man I once cared for was dying of cancer,” says Bonnie. “Hospice was there and it was near the end when the family called me and said, ‘Dad would like to see you.’ It’s hard to explain what that feels like, to know you made someone’s life better and that they care so much for you that they and their family want to see you at such a difficult time.” “Being a part of Virginia Gay is like a safety net for me and for the families. I’m well trained and they know that everyone

from Virginia Gay is certified; we’re not going to take advantage of them, and we have their best interests in mind,” accord-ing to Bonnie. “Our only focus is on keep-ing people safe and healthy in their own home.” Bev is now very busy overseeing the Wallace Winkie Foundation dedicated to supporting life-long learners with schol-arships, writing a book about their lives together, and serving on the Iowa Com-mission on Aging. “The Commission works to empower people to make their own decisions and to help them live in their homes longer. We’re working on stopping fraud because there are a lot of criminals preying on elderly people. There are so many goals the Commission has that are good and that I really believe in.” Summing up her experience with Bonnie, Bev says, “The person who was caring for him cared about him, and that made it so much better. No matter what the circumstances, Bonnie was always so kind and patient with Wink. I believe I was able to keep Wink home at least two years longer because of the help we received from Bonnie.” For anyone wanting to know the secret of a long and happy marriage filled with love, Bev says, “I think the first thing you have to do is to really love that person and always respect them. Love God and be kind.” What does Bev think Wink would say to Bonnie? “I so appreciate what you’ve done for me, for my wife, and for my family. I know that is exactly what he would say.” To learn more about home health op-tions, call Virginia Gay Home Health at 319-472-6200.

(ABOVE) The four Winkie children at Christmas around 1969.

(BELOW) Bev and Wink set to leave for a trip to Europe.

Wink’s division, the 34th, was known as the Red Bull Division and was the first American division deployed to Europe in WW II. Wink participated in the North African invasion and some of the most important battles in Italy: the invasion of Salerno, the battle of Monte Cassino, and Anzio among oth-ers. The division was in battle 517 days in front-line combat and members of the division were awarded 11 Medals of Honor and 98 Distinguished Service Crosses.

Remembering the 34th Division

(ABOVE) Wink visiting with a former World War II German 34th Division soldier whose division surrendered to the American 34th Division Wink was in.

(BELOW) Bev Winkie and Virginia Gay Home Health Aide, Bonnie Bright


ur golf tournaments are like very big, very happy family reunions,” says Brooke (Murphy) Fitzgerald, “and so many people come back year after year. The fun and friendship have been going on now for 17 years. One person who has made it to every tournament is Gordon Baxter, who grew up in Vinton but now lives in Minneapolis.”

It’s difficult to believe such strong feelings of love, fun and friendship have bloomed from such a tragic start. For those not familiar with the founding story of the

“O

As the Murphy Memorial Golf Tournament celebrates its 17th year, the Murphy family reflects on how it began and looks forward to a day when no one has to battle cancer anymore.



Murphy Memorial Golf Tournament, Rick Murphy’s words below will provide the details. If you haven’t participated in the past, you might want to this year, whether as a golfer or a donor. To request a team registration form or to consider sponsor-ing this year’s event, email Brooke at [email protected].

In 1991 our mother was diag-nosed with breast cancer. She had sig-nificant lymph node involvement, and the prognosis was not considered “good.” She was a fighter, and she eventually underwent a bone marrow transplant. Her fight for life ended with a doctor telling us there was nothing more to be done. Mom went quietly with Jill, Amy, and I at her side. It was 1992 and she was 53. In 1998 our dad was diagnosed with colon cancer; it was removed but the cancer had broken through the colon wall and had metasta-sized to two-thirds of his liver. No surgery could remove it, and a transplant was out of the question. That was March 7, 1998, the same day that my brother Tom called dad in the hospital to tell him of the birth of Dad’s sixth grand-child. On January 6, 1999 dad died. Our sister Jill,

always the brain of the family, decided to switch careers; she became a cancer researcher work-ing with doctors at Mayo and helping with a joint U.S. and French clinical trial of an oncology drug. She decided that we needed something to remember our folks by, and that a charitable golf tour-nament would be the ticket. She organized the first Murphy Memorial Charity Golf Tournament for August of 2000 in Minneapolis. Plans were underway, and all of her friends in Minneapolis were gearing up for what would be a great day, and, hopefully, a nice check to be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. On March 7, 2000, my brother-in-law called to tell me Jill, now 37, had been diagnosed with the same kind of breast cancer our mother died of. The first tourney was held while Jill was as bald as a newborn baby and very sick from the chemo-therapy. My brother, brother-in-law, and I shaved our heads in gesture of support. It was a tough day for all of us, but it was filled with many laughs and tears. We raised over $7,000 and we were thrilled. At 9:00 on the morning of March 13, 2003, cancer took Jill, too. She was 40. Over the last 17 years our family and

friends have raised more than $300,000 for local hospice and charity care organi-zations. This is some-thing we all believe is a very worthy cause and will continue to support. Our busi-ness partners say it is one of the most fun tournaments they play in every year and wouldn’t miss it. We hope to keep it going for as long as someone has cancer to battle, win or lose. We hope that one day we will defeat it together. And what a party that tourna-ment day will be!

The Virginia Gay Hospital Health Care Foundation extends a sincere thank-you to the Murphy family, and their friends and loved ones, who have donated so generously to so many Virginia Gay campaigns and Gifts of Hope. The Foundation requested raffle gift contributions from a number of sports teams and so far has received two tickets to a U of I football game, two tickets to a UNI football game, two tickets to a St. Louis Cardinals game, four tickets to a K.C. Royals game, a signed color photo of a Minne-sota Vikings player, a signed photo of a Cubs pitcher, and a football signed by all Green Bay Packers players and coaches on the 2015 team.

To learn more about participating in this great event, email Brooke at [email protected] or view a 2016 Tournament brochure online at www.myvgh.org/news

(l-r): Paula, Aaron, Brooke and Rick Murphy


Julie Lessig of Total Balance recently demonstrated the correct technique for the Plank and explained why the sit-ups most adults learned in school should be replaced with crunches and the Plank. See a video of Julie’s demonstration of crunches and the Plank exercises on Virginia Gay’s Facebook page or on the Virginia Gay YouTube channel.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.Starting from your hands and knees, bend your elbows and rest your weight on your elbows, not your hands.

Straighten the legs so the knees are off the ground and your weight is on your toes.

Keep your entire body in a straight line from the shoulders through the hips and down to your ankles.

Breathe easily while using your tummy muscles to pull your midsection toward your spine.

Maintain the position as long as you can comfortably do so without losing good form.

The good old sit-up is…..well old fashioned and has potential to seriously hurt your back. A better, faster way to build core strength is the PLANK.

Sarah Eikenberry, physical therapist at Virginia Gay Hospital, says the therapy department sees many more injuries of high school athletes than they should because girls often lack core strength, and boys often lack flexibility. “Most people don’t know that girls are more prone to concussions because their neck muscles are weaker than males,” Sarah says, “so when a girl falls backward, for example, she often doesn’t have the muscle strength needed to help keep her head from a hard impact with the floor. While the most common girls’ volleyball injuries are ankle sprains, we also see more serious injuries of the lower back, rotator cuff tendinitis caused by muscles that become

fatigued or irritated from serving and spiking, and patellar tendinitis which is inflammation of the tendon connecting the patella to the tibia.” “Many injuries, for boys and girls, could be prevented with more attention to building core strength and flexibility,” explains Sarah, “and we would like to help young athletes better prepare for their sport rather than waiting to provide help after they’ve been injured.” To learn more about physical therapy for recovery from injury and injury prevention in sports, visit with your health care provider, call the Virginia Gay Therapy Department at 319-472-6372, or email questions to [email protected].

Source:www.stopsportsinjuries.org

Sarah EikenberryTherapy DepartmentVirginia Gay Hospital

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Herbs are at their very best, both from a health and taste standpoint, if they are fresh. By using fresh herbs you boost your intake of antioxidants and essential nutrients while you ramp up the flavor of your fa-vorite recipes. If you haven’t tried grow-ing herbs before, this list is good for starters.

BasilPasta sauce, peas, fresh pesto, green salads, tomatoes, zucchini GREEN THUMB TIP: This low mainte-nance plant will grow well inside or out and will only need watering every other day.

ChivesDips, potatoes, tomatoes GREEN THUMB TIP: Chives don’t need much light so they are another option for indoor gar-dening. They will grow to be about 18 inches tall, but don’t need a lot of space to thrive.

Cilantro Mexican, Asian and Caribbean cooking, salsas, tomatoesGREEN THUMB TIP: Cilantro needs deep soil to do well, making it a real challenge for indoor and container gardening. On the bonus side, if the plant does go to seed, save them … that’s how you get coriander.

DillCarrots, cottage cheese, fish, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes GREEN THUMB TIP: This herb must have full sun and does its best in deep soil that’s not too com-pact. If it’s outside it only needs a weekly watering, but if it’s inside it will require a little more atten-tion.

MintCarrots, fruit salads, peas, tabouli, tea GREEN THUMB TIP: Just a caution, this plant will take off quickly and does

need quite a bit of space. If growing outside, it may be best to try a raised bed to keep it con-tained.

ParsleyCurly leaf is the most popular vari-ety but the flat-leaf (or Italian) parsley has a more intense flavor and is often the go-to choice for cooking. This herb complements po-tato salad, tabouli and egg salad sand-wiches. GREEN THUMB TIP: Though it’s slow to grow, parsley is another low main-tenance herb that doesn’t need much sun, but make sure it doesn’t get too dry because once it wilts it rarely recov-ers.

Rosemary Chicken, fish, lamb, pork, roasted pota-toes, soups, stews, tomatoes GREEN THUMB TIP: Rosemary prefers full sun and fre-quent watering.

ThymeEggs, lima beans, potatoes, poultry, summer squash, tomatoes GREEN THUMB TIP: The compact size of thyme makes it perfect for window-sill gardening. Just make sure it gets plenty of sun.

Keep in mind unless your recipe suggests otherwise, it’s best to add fragile herbs like basil, chives, cilantro, dill, parsley, and mint at the very end of the cooking time (a minute or two) or just sprinkle them over the finished recipe right before you take it to the table. More substantial varieties like oregano, rose-mary, and thyme may be tossed in during the final 20 minutes or so of your cooking time.

EQUIVALENTS: 1 tablespoon finely cut fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon crumbled dried herbs = ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground dried herbs.


Jen Hoeger, speech therapist at Vir-ginia Gay, says summer is a great time to tackle developmental prob-lems your child may be having. “Most kids with developmental

delays get excellent help during the year from their school,” says Jen, “but during the summer they may lose all the gains they’ve worked so hard to accomplish. It’s very frustrating for them to start the new school year behind again.” Negative behaviors can be common among children Jen works with. Jen says the first thing she wants to understand is why the child is behaving in a negative way. “Are they frustrated because they are unable to communicate,” asks Jen, “or is it because they won’t communi-cate? I like to look for the source of the problem. Is the underlying problem a sensory deficit? The parents or a thera-pist can work on “S” or “T” sounds all day long, but if a child can’t locate the tongue in their mouth then all the work on sounds isn’t going to help.” Jen has three children, ages 16, 14 and 12. Her experiences as a mom have shaped her practice and she shared some of those experiences when she said, “My oldest has some cognitive delays from treatment for brain cancer

when he was young. So I know what it is like to be the mom with a child who struggles to keep up sometimes. I’m a speech therapist and yet I sent my child to a speech therapist because my role is to be Jack’s mom. I’m not the one best suited to be his therapist. Believe me, I know what it’s like from the parents’ point of view.”

Here are some of Jen’s tips for parents: Wait, listen, and have an expectation that the child will communicate his or her wants and needs. When the child is little, the parents learn to deliver what the child wants without the child com-municating verbally. It can be easy for parents to keep that habit as the child ages, especially if the parents know the child struggles with communication. She suggests parents learn how to use speech cues or language cues rather than making the child do drills. “I’m a mom and I know a child isn’t going to sit still for drills. But if the parents can learn to incorporate techniques throughout the day,” says Jen, “then the kiddo is making progress and no one feels like they’re doing boring, hard work on a beautiful summer day.” To explore whether summer therapy would be a good step for your child, share your concerns with your primary care provider, or for specific questions about developmental delays, contact Virginia Gay’s Therapy Services De-partment at 319-472-6372. For a complete list of developmental checkups visit: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html

is a great time to tackle developmental delays

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Virginia Gay Hospital and Clinics is proud to announce that Dr. Brian Meeker of Vinton was elected for a two-year term as a trustee of the Iowa Osteopathic Medical Association’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Meeker was elected at the group’s annual conference held in Des Moines during the last week of April. Dr. Meeker is a graduate of Des Moines Uni-versity, College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, in Des Moines, Iowa. He completed a rotating internship at Davenport Medical Center and a family medicine residency at St. Luke’s Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is board certified and a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Meeker practices at Virginia Gay’s Vinton Family Medical Clinic. He is a Clinical Adjunct Professor at the University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine. He is also Medical Director for Vir-ginia Gay Hospital and Clinics, and Director of all emergency medicine services in Benton County. “Brian Meeker has been an invaluable member of our medical staff,” says Mike Riege, Virginia Gay’s Administrator. “Not only has he practiced as a primary care provider, but Brian has also taken on many duties outside his practice. He is the medical director for all the emergency medical services, which means he is ultimately responsible for assuring their staff has received proper training. Brian is the county coroner, not because he wanted the role, but because without a local medical doctor as coroner, it could be many hours before a coroner might arrive from another county. His activities range from volunteering to be on the sidelines for football games to pioneer-ing endoscopy as a primary care procedure. Dr. Meeker has earned the respect of his colleagues in the profession, and our sincere thanks.”

Dr. Meeker elected trustee of the Iowa Osteopathic Medical Assocation

Jen reacts as her patient appears to say, “I AM SO DONE.”


Many people have followed their hearts over the last

six years and have made Virginia Gay Hospital’s

Gifts of Hope program possible.

Gifts of Hope had its beginning in the winter of 2010. The

Vinton-Shellsburg girls’ basketball team organized their first

“pink night” basketball game to raise money and awareness in

the fight against breast cancer. Their idea, and the generosity of

many people and organizations, has evolved to become a source

of financial assistance for women and families in need.

The survivors who came together for that first basketball game

have continued to meet and have organized a group called the

‘Survivors of Benton County’. They meet monthly to encour-

age and support one another, and they welcome those who have

been diagnosed with breast cancer and would like to join them.

Three years ago the survivors group organized the Party in

Pink 5K to raise money to support Gifts of Hope. The money

they raised has been combined with donations from the Mur-

phy family that are generated by the Murphy Memorial Golf

Tournament. These funds, along with gifts from many other

teams, individuals, businesses, and organizations are the source

of funds for Gifts of Hope.

This June will mark the 17th Murphy Memorial Golf Tourna-

ment and the 4th Party in Pink. We hope to you see you at one

event or both!

NO APPLICATION NECESSARY

This program pays for:

* Your Appointment* Testing

* UP TO $2,500 for treatment

Contact your Virginia Gay Family Clinic provider to confidentially request assistance or receive

more information on this program.


-A-Jerry AhrensteinRoger & Dorothy AlbertJessica AlbertsenMert & Claudette AlpersAmerican Legion Auxiliary 57John & Dottie AndersonKaty AnnisAnonymous (6)Kirk & Carilyn Appleby

-B-Orville & Lynette BackenhusJennifer BahrNancy BaldwinColette BarkdollPhil & Linda BarkdollThe Barron FamilyBrad & Brenda BartzRobert BaughmanLarry & Elaine BearbowerPeggy BearbowerGarth & Pat BeattyDr. David & Gail BeecherRebecca J. BergesonBerry FamilyBethlehem Lutheran ChurchJerome & Shirley BickelNorma BivonaNancy BlankKarl & Mary Ann BlumerBethany BoisenRosemary BoisenPhil BorleskeJanice S. BrayDick BridgeToby BrownTerry & Terri BuelowBrooks & Jennifer Burkhart

-C-Lee CampbellBret & Lesa CaspersHarold & Barb Cassens Patricia CaytonCedar Valley Bank & TrustDeb & Larry ChristiansonClickstopClingman PharmacyJon & Julie Clingman Milo Cobb FamilyCoots Materials CompanyBrenda CorkeryRebecca CovingtonJames & Virginia Cram

-D-Dick & Phyllis DavisFrieda DavisWayne & Sheila DemmelBarry & Tracy DietschDonald DillRon & Kay DowdLarry & Linda DruschelBonnie Duetsch

Joyce M. DufresneLeona Dulin

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-W-Angela WachaYvonne L. WeidemanGladys WernerDarlene WerningGlenn & Marg WerningDave & Kathy WesslingReta WestercampRuth A. WieditzWayne WieditzTiffany WigfallMark & Deb WilbergRoss & Shirley WileyDean & Lori WilliamsRichard & Janet WilliamsBernice WilsonDoug & Kim WilsonLinus & Doris WinterMarvin WittAlan & Janet WoodhouseWoodhouse Family

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Ready or not.

Mark Wilberg’s knee was ready for surgery before he was, but after careful consideration and discussions with Virginia Gay Hospital’s Dr. Meeker, and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Fehrle, he chose a procedure to give him back mobility.

CAN I DO THAT AT VIRGINIA GAY HOSPITAL?


Mark really enjoys playing golf and bowling. Being active is a big part of what he looks forward to every day. Mark and his wife Deb enjoy taking walks

together. Mark is active in Lions Club and contributes time to various service projects for the community. That was until his knee started holding him back. “My knee has been abused for over 60 years in part because of the prosthetic I wear on my “bad” leg as a result of a congenital birth defect,” explained Mark. “Because of all the extra work my “good” leg does, the knee on that side just deteriorated. I play a lot of golf, and I wasn’t able to walk the golf course anymore so I had to ride in a cart all the time. Because I wasn’t able to walk as much, my left leg was getting weak too, so both legs were getting weaker.” “One of the last times I had a cortisone shot, Dr. Meeker told me he could barely get the needle in,” Mark said. “Dr. Meeker explained that while he couldn’t make a de-cision for me, he thought I would be a good candidate for knee replacement surgery if I was interested in looking into it.” Mark shared his experience the first time he met with Dr. Fehrle, Virginia Gay’s orthope-dic surgeon, and someone Dr. Meeker said he had confidence in. “It was about a year before my surgery when I first met with her, and I was very impressed. During the first meeting we talked generally about my knee and about what knee replacement surgery entails. One of the things I found most impressive,” Mark says, “was when she told me she knew the knee was ready for the operation but that she didn’t think I seemed ready. Anyone concerned that Dr. Fehrle is going to rush them off to surgery can relax because that isn’t going to happen.” “I went through the summer playing golf and the knee was hurting more and more. By the end of the summer I’d had enough. That’s when I told her I knew it was time,” shared Mark. “I asked if we could do the surgery in November because it was after golf season and I would be able to recuperate during the winter. The only activity I would miss would be a little bowling,” Mark says. “So we scheduled the surgery for November 17th. I had the surgery right at Virginia Gay.” “Oh, but I forgot, there was the pre-surgi-cal appointment when she almost talked me out of it,” Mark said with a laugh. Dr. Fehrle asked Mark if he was really

ready. “What she told me was that I could keep going with the knee as it was, but I would continue experiencing pain and loss of mobility,” according to Mark. “She told me it was a choice only I could make and that there was nothing wrong with choosing not to have the surgery.” “So with all that I went back to Dr. Meeker to talk it over with him.” Mark adds, “I still think it’s funny that he asked if I would feel better with a second opinion. I told him, “that’s what I’m here for, I want your opinion.” “Dr. Meeker explained that patients have much better outcomes when they are realis-tic in their expectations. Those expectations need to include the pain of surgery, the time and effort of therapy after surgery, as well as the potential risks with any surgery,” says Mark. “I did choose surgery and I am very

pleased. I came out of the operation around 11:30 and by 1:00 they were in there bend-ing my knee for me. I had a walker and by 2:00 I was walking to the bathroom on my own…well, with a nurse hovering nearby, but I was walking.” “You know,” says Mark, “the hospital stay is a bit foggy in my mind because the nurses helped me stay ahead of the pain and that makes my memory a bit fuzzy. But I re-member that I had excellent nurses. I wish I remembered all of them, but I do remember Julia Laughridge, Brittany Usher and Deb Schemmel. Brittany is my daughter’s age so I knew her from when she was in school in Vinton. Deb Schemmel is someone I know from church and other community activities.” Mark says, “I liked knowing the people who were caring for me. They were all excel-lent, and I am still appreciative of the care I received from everyone before and after sur-gery. It really is nice to feel like the people

caring for you also care about you.” “Therapy has been an excellent experi-ence. What I like,” Mark shared, “is that it’s a happy place. You hear patients and staff talk-ing about home, about whatever comes up, like friends do. The whole group works great as a team. I worked with Wendy, Brenda and Maria but I spent most of my time work-ing with Kim and Ryan. Some people might want to work with just one therapist but I felt I gained a lot from their different per-spectives and strengths. I’m very apprecia-tive of all they’ve done for me.” Mark says he even goes to the therapy facility on days off from regular therapy appointments. “I go through the regular routine of stretching my leg, pedaling for 10 minutes, and then using the elliptical for about five minutes.” Mark lifts weights for a few minutes too, which he says is “just for fun.” “Therapy hurts and it can hurt a lot sometimes. For me I think that’s because I waited so long and I had lost so much range of motion before I had the opera-tion,” according to Mark. “My muscles had been stretching less and less during the past two years, and now I’m trying to stretch them past where they’re comfortable. You know, even though people are hurting as they work through therapy, it’s a place with a lot of positive energy.” What would Mark tell others with joint pain considering surgery? Mark’s reply? “I would tell them that if you haven’t lost your range of motion and you aren’t in too much pain, then maybe waiting is OK. But if you’re starting to lose your range of motion and you’re not able to do what you want to without a lot of pain, then it might be time. I know it’s different for everybody, but I should’ve had the sur-gery a year earlier.” Symptoms indicating that knee replace-ment surgery may be a good option to ex-plore include stiffness or swelling that makes bending or straighten the knee difficult. Pain and swelling are often worse in the morning or after any period of inactiv-ity. Pain may also increase after activities such as walking, stair climbing or kneeling. Another common indication is difficulty sleeping or getting comfortable in bed due to pain. If you’re experiencing these symptoms be sure to mention them to your primary care provider.


“The purpose of the pain clinic at Virginia Gay is to alleviate pain and suffering in the community,”says Keith Barnhill, a nurse anesthetist with a Ph.D. who has years of experience in nursing and pain management. The long line of professional designations after Keith’s name indicates his degrees and educational attainments. ARNP stands for an advanced registered nurse practioner, some-one who has graduate-level education and is board certified in anesthesia. CRNA means he’s a certified registered nurse anesthetist. Keith has also successfully completed additional academic work under the American Academy of Pain Management, DAAPM. The pain clinic is one of the many medical specialties offered by Virginia Gay in Vinton. The other specialties include cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, pulmonology, psychiatry, podia-try, ear nose and throat, and nephrology. The complete schedule of Virginia Gay’s specialty clinics can be accessed by clicking “calendar” at the top of the page of the Virginia Gay Website

(myvgh.org). Chronic pain afflicts more Americans than any other condition, and mistreating pain can lead to pain medication dependence addic-tion. Virginia Gay Hospital and Clinics is striving to expand access to advanced pain care for everyone in Benton County. Plans for the new clinic building in Vinton include facilities for a pain psychologist or other behavioral health specialist. The pain clinic’s emphasis on the whole per-son often surprises first-time patients according to Keith. “As a medical community, Virginia Gay wants to provide the best pain care possible,” Keith says, “and the entire staff has been very supportive of our effort to provide pain relief using the best possible techniques, even when we venture outside the traditional medical mindset of focusing primarily on the body.” “I like what I do here because I’m an educator at heart, and I have opportunities to educate other pain specialists as well as my patients,” Keith explains. “We have seven clinical sites in Iowa. I really enjoy the people here in Iowa because the pace is a bit more laid back than

morelesspain

gainCAN I DO THAT AT VIRGINIA GAY HOSPITAL?

Keith Barnhill andRegina Malaska fromOutpatient Scheduling


the metro areas I’ve worked in, and the people have a strong work ethic. I really appreciate their work ethic because it’s easier to achieve our goals in pain management when patients want to get back to work and function produc-tively in society. I’ve worked with people who have been on disability for years and are now trying hard to get back to work. They’re eager to learn a new vocation and they’re changing their lives for the better.” Chronic pain affects 100 million people in the U.S. according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. This compares to 25 million people with diabetes, 16 million with coronary disease, 12 million with cancer, and 7 million stroke victims. Chronic pain is estimated to cost the U.S. between $560 billion and $635 billion each year, and alleviating chronic pain has inadvertently accelerated a growing prob-lem with drug abuse. Keith explained how some of the most popular pain medications actually work against alleviation of chronic pain. “When people think of treating pain they of-ten think of opioids like OxyContin or Hydroco-done,” says Keith. “The problem with short-act-ing opioids like those is that they last three to four hours and your body can quickly develop a tolerance for them; then you take more and more to get the same sense of relief. Instead of helping, they can lead to hyperalgesia.” Long term use of opioids can cause a person to lose endorphins, the body’s natural pain relievers, which are secreted during the “run-ner’s high” and when you are “happy.” When a person has hyperalgesia, pain is amplified. A person with hyperalgesia feels much more pain than the typical person would with the same stimuli. “The way we got into this mess with opioid dependence and addiction is that hydroco-done (schedule II-addictive) and oxycodone (schedule III-even more addictive) were drugs marketed as being less addictive than similarly powerful but older pain drugs like morphine,” explains Keith. “With assurances that these drugs weren’t addictive, they became the first

line of treatment for a lot of pain conditions. As a result, many people became dependent, despite the original claims of the drug makers.” Many people may think of the pain clinic as the place to go for pain-killing drugs, but for Keith the mission is much larger. “If you use tobacco we’re going to spend time on your habit,” Keith promises, “because smoking increases pain. We’re going to talk about all the negative effects, of course, but we’re also going to work hard on strategies to stop. My goal is to emphasize how important it is to stop smoking … to teach, not deliver a lec-ture. Patients often find the motivation to quit when they understand tobacco’s impact on microcirculation. Blood vessels and nerves have their own circulation, and when you smoke, the nicotine in your body cuts off that circulation and prevents or delays healing. If you really want to feel better, you will drop that habit.” “If you’re overweight we’re going to work to-gether on weight loss and exercise,” says Keith. “I think you should engage in physical activity in some form at least three times a day because a person with chronic pain has to work hard to clear the mind along with attending to the body. Exercise helps reset both body and mind. Without physical activity in your schedule, pain can become like straw loaded on the back of the proverbial camel; the mind keeps adding little pieces of straw until eventually the pain breaks you down.” Keith’s biggest concern about the practice of pain management is the lack of psychological outpatient support. “What I hear every day, at least once or twice, are the stories of patients in situations where they have been divorced, maybe their child is pregnant for a second time, or they’re taking care of their children’s children. It goes on and on. On top of all that, they have no money and the pleasure from a pill is about the only thing that seems positive in their lives,” Keith says, “and when this is what the patient’s lives are like, I know it’s going to be a challenge to get them off that opioid medication.” “What these patients need is access to some

psychological, or even just basic, counseling. They need somebody to talk to, to share their emotions and to sort through their problems,” says Keith. “A lot of these individuals have stress: high stress, involved in their relation-ships with their children and/or with their spouse. They have major issues and no one to talk to. Are we really surprised when they resort to pleasure-seeking diversions? It’s all the same for the brain….gambling, alcohol, drugs. The brain says ‘I want to get away from this terrible thing’ and eventually those feelings, if strong enough, can lead to the development of addic-tive behavior.” Virginia Gay not only supports better access to mental health services but is taking steps to im-prove access in Benton County. “What our pro-viders see every day,” Virginia Gay Administrator Mike Riege recently said, “are the effects of de-pression, prescription and non-prescription drug abuse, other addictions, and deep emotional conflict. Our goal is to tackle these problems by having a person on staff dedicated to helping patients suffering from mental and behavioral illnesses. Adding services in mental health is at the forefront of our goal for the new clinic we will be constructing. We’re also working with our members of Congress, asking them to help fund a national demonstration project bringing mental health services into rural, primary care.” The wide variety of Keith’s life experiences sheds light on why Keith is so attentive to the needs of the whole person. “I grew up in south-east Los Angeles,” shared Keith. “I went into the U.S. Army at age 17 and was on active duty until I was 37. I was in the reserves until 2003. I cared for and learned from an incredibly wide variety of people, patients and colleagues alike.” How did a boy from Los Angeles find his way to Vinton? “I married an army nurse. We were both army nurses, and she was from Omaha. She wanted to be closer to family and that’s what brought us to the Midwest. I provided pain education courses for continuing educa-tion in Manchester, Iowa, and next thing I knew, I’m an Iowan living in Hiawatha and working in Vinton at Virginia Gay and other locations throughout the area.”

Count. Lock-Up. Dispose. Benton County Sheriff Randy Forsyth re-ported that opioids make up the vast majority of the 450 lbs. of drugs collected at the secure drug disposal units. Safe disposal of all drugs is important to protect young children from accidental ingestion, the environment and to help prevent break-ins by those who want to steal opioids. A free, 24-hour drop box is located in the foyer of the Benton County Sheriff’s building at 113 E. 3rd Street for the safe disposal of prescription and over-the-counter medications including those in liquid form. This box is part of county wide program implemented by the

Above the Influence Coalition (www.bcati.com). Additional tips to preventingprescription drug abuse include:

COUNT: Pay close attention to the amount of pills you have remaining.

LOCK-UP: Have a secure location or lock box to store all medications.

DISPOSE: Take your unused or expiredprescription drugs to the county drop box.

spring summer 2016 | thrive | 1 · mark wilberg learned that joint replacement surgery isn’t a...

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