The mission of Parkview Regional Hospital is to provide the highest quality, cost effective healthcare through superior customer service. For over 40 years, the community-owned hospital located in Mexia has strived to do just that. 

Over the years, there have been a number of different managing healthcare companies, including Harris Methodist Health System, Brim Hospitals, Province Healthcare and now, Lifepoint Hospitals. But the goal of delivering quality care for the residents of the community close to home has been steady throughout. 

Parkview’s association with a top-notch medical staff is key to its delivery of high quality care. The core of the current medical staff includes seven family medicine physicians, two internal medicine doctors, one obstetrician/gynecologist, one urologist, two otolaryngologists (ENT) and one podiatrist. In addition, several specialists hold regular office hours in the medical clinic located adjacent to the hospital offering cardiology, oncology and pain management. To further meet the medical needs of the community, Parkview also affiliates with three certified family nurse practitioners and a physician assistant.

Joining the medical staff in the past year were Dr. Robert Stockburger, a board-certified OB/GYN who brought with him a wealth of experience dealing with high-risk pregnancies and births, and Dr. Jerry Simmons, a family practice physician with over 30 years’ experience. 

A new general surgeon is expected to join the medical staff in May of this year.

In order to meet the needs of the physicians, Parkview has invested a good deal of capital into the hospital itself over the course of the past year. As part of a $1.5 million project, April saw the opening of a completely renovated labor and delivery department which features two spacious birthing suites and a well-equipped treatment room. The new department features spacious and comfortable rooms where baby can be welcomed, as well as the most up-to-date equipment available for the birthing process. Additionally, with the concept of safety and security being paramount, the department is a limited access area to the general public. To date, 100 babies have been born at Parkview since April.

A major remodel and relocation of the Mary Gibbs Jones Rehabilitation Center occurred in May 2007 in order to accommodate a new inpatient senior services unit, which will be opening April 1. The Mary Gibbs Jones Rehabilitation Center provides an inpatient setting for those recovering from serious injury, illness, trauma or surgery needing specialized treatment in order to return to their optimal level of functionality. In addition to nursing and physician care, the health care team in MGJ includes physical, speech and occupational therapists. 

The Imaging Department at Parkview has seen a stunning array of hi-tech improvements over the past year. One addition was the LOGIQâ 7, a premier ultrasound system capable of 3D and 4D views, designed to provide an improved patient experience, including reduced exam times and less chance that a patient will have to return for a re-scan.  Very recently added was an advanced Computed Tomography Scanner. The BrightSpeed offers the latest in “multi-slice” CT technology, including 3D renderings of internal organs,  along with clinical applications that will allow physicians to quickly and accurately perform multiple diagnostic exams.  These exams help diagnose disease or life-threatening illness such as chest pain, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Vital to the level of quality provided by Parkview’s Imaging Department is an affiliation with physicians from Waco’s Hillcrest Radiology, who offer both on-site and tele-radiology expertise.

A long-anticipated new service is set to open at Parkview in April 2008: inpatient senior care services. This specialized unit offers two levels of care one for inpatient clinical therapy and one for inpatient dementia treatment. Services of this unit include medical care and nutritional counseling; individual, family and group counseling; physical, occupational and speech therapy; alternative therapy; continued care planning; psychological testing; and screening for depression, anxiety and confusion. This new unit is the only one of its kind in the area and it offers a perfect alternative for families not wishing to travel outside the area for such specialized care. 

In addition to investing millions in equipment, construction and resources, Parkview also invests in the community in others ways. Last year, almost $8 million in uncompensated care was provided for those lacking sufficient financial resources. Over $18,000 in sponsorship dollars and support to various local programs, events and causes was also donated in 2007, and over $10 million was paid to over 250 dedicated employees.

As always, Parkview Regional Hospital remains dedicated to providing the highest quality care for residents of the area. We continue to strive to offer services, physicians and the very latest hi-tech equipment that ensures that residents need not leave the area for quality care. 

Parkview Regional Hospital announced today that it has acquired a new, advanced Computed Tomography Scanner from GE Healthcare. The BrightSpeed offers the latest in “multi-slice” CT technology along with clinical applications that will allow physicians to quickly and accurately perform multiple diagnostic exams.  These exams help diagnose disease or life-threatening illness such as chest pain, stroke and cardiovascular disease.

With the exceptional image quality, productivity, and reliability found in GE’s CT products, local physicians are able to offer quality care close to home so patients don’t need to travel far for their imaging exams.  The system installation was complete in mid-March.

  “Our acquisition of the BrightSpeed raises the level of care that our physicians can provide for a multitude of injuries or illnesses which may lessen the need to transfer critically ill patients to other hospitals away from their family and friends,” said Radiology Medical Director Dr. Jose Watson of Hillcrest Radiology Physicians. “This system is patient friendly and its speed of producing accurate scans will help our physicians to begin treating patients by helping them to provide the diagnosis or cause of illness in a shorter period of time than previously possible at Parkview.”

The high resolution imaging capabilities of BrightSpeed lets physicians optimize dose to the patient while at the same time gathering required diagnostic information that may reduce the need for additional, and sometimes uncomfortable, procedures. With advanced data processing features, patient information can be quickly shared with referring physicians, including three-dimensional (3-D) renderings of internal organs such as the heart and coronary arteries.

 “As the first hospital in our service area to offer this technology, Parkview Regional Hospital is on the leading edge of providing excellent patient care that benefits both patients and physicians,” said Jimmy Stuart, Parkview CEO. “We are proud to once again raise the level of excellence in the healthcare services offered to the residents of Central Texas.”

Parkview Regional Hospital partners with Hillcrest Radiology Physicians to provide the highest quality imaging exams for patients. For more information about the broad range of imaging services available, please contact the Imaging Department at (254)562-5332, extension 1243. 

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Dr. Kenneth Russell is an internal medicine doctor who sees patients in the Rural Health Clinic located in the Parkview Medical Building in Mexia. He has performed over 10,000 endoscopic procedures in his career. The month of March is set aside to build awareness for colorectal screening. Part of an ongoing series devoted to promoting better health, this article focuses on the benefits of screening for colorectal cancer. 

 When her doctor suggested that she have a colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer, Pam said she wanted time to think about it. Pam has heard all the anecdotes; she’s uncomfortable even at the thought of having a camera exploring the inside of her bowels. On the other hand, she has a cousin who was treated successfully for colon cancer and credits colonoscopy as saving his life. 

Colonoscopy uses a thin, flexible tube with a light and camera attached to examine the lining of the large intestine. The procedure can be used to help diagnose abnormalities such as ulcers polyps, tumors and areas of inflammation or bleeding as well as screening for cancer. 

Not all abnormalities in the colon are cancerous, but all cancers start as adenomatous polyps. If detected early enough, these polyps can be removed before they become cancerous. Generally recognized as the best way of detecting polyps, colonoscopy is one of three widely used and recommended screening tests for colon and rectal cancer. 

As opposed to fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) – a simple take-home test that requires collecting stool samples and sending them in for laboratory testing – colonoscopy is more invasive but capable of detecting actual polyps as opposed to hidden bleeding in the bowels that might or might not be caused by a polyp. Compared to sigmoidoscopy, which examines just the rectum and the lower third of the colon, colonoscopy gives a doctor a chance to observe the lining of the entire large intestine. 

For persons over age 50, the American Cancer Society recommends either:

·        A yearly FOBT plus sigmoidoscopy once every five years

·        Colonoscopy once every 10 years

·        Or a barium enema once every five years.

Persons with a moderate to high risk of colon or rectal cancer are advised to have more frequent screening. Most at risk are persons who have already had a precancerous polyp removed or who have a close relative diagnosed with colorectal cancer. 

To prepare for colonoscopy, it’s necessary to clear the bowels. Pam’s friends told her about not being able to eat solid foods for a day or two followed by use of laxatives and enemas. In most cases, the preparation has been considerably simplified since that time. 

One method involves drinking a gallon of very salty solution within one or two hours. This does a good job of flushing the colon without adding or subtracting any fluids from the body. Some individuals find it difficult to drink that much fluid, however. 

Alternatives include taking four prescription laxative tablets every 15 minutes – for a total of 20 – the night before the colonoscopy plus additional tables the next morning about three hours before the procedure or a combination of laxative tablets followed by half a gallon of the salty solution. 

The colonoscopy itself takes about half an hour and is performed under intravenous sedation. Even though you’re conscious, you’re likely to be groggy and not remember much of the procedure. 

As with bowel preparation, Pam could expect significantly less discomfort than her friends remembered. The trend is toward deeper sedation and, with improving technology, the test can be performed quickly with fewer complications. 

Becoming available only recently is an alternative known as virtual colonoscopy. This method uses X-ray, CT and MRI technology to construct two- and three dimensional images. Virtual colonoscopy is not widely available and results have not been found as consistently reliable. In addition, this procedure requires the same bowel cleaning preparation plus insertion of air into the colon – which can cause discomfort.

One major advantage of colonoscopy is that when a cancerous or precancerous polyp is detected, it can be removed on the spot.

Colonoscopy carries a slight risk of puncturing or damaging the wall of the colon, and it’s more expensive than sigmoidoscopy or barium enema. But the procedure is unquestionably the most reliable screening test for colon and rectal cancer. 

Moreover, if results are normal, it can be performed less frequently. Polyps generally take about five years to develop, and another five years to become cancerous. Therefore, normal results from a colonoscopy offer the patient a pretty clean bill of health for the colon for about 10 years. 

Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurers pay for a colonoscopy once every 10 years for persons who qualify. 

Parkview Regional Hospital proudly partners with local physicians in promoting good health in our community. If you have a topic you’d like to see addressed by a doctor, please let us know. Call (254) 562-0408, extension 1110.  

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Dr. Yong Chin is an internal medicine doctor who sees patients in the Rural Health Clinic located in the Parkview Medical Building in Mexia. The month of March is set aside to build awareness for colorectal screening. Part of an ongoing series devoted to promoting better health, this article focuses on the importance of this screening.

As a colon cancer survivor, Andrew tells nearly everyone he knows about the importance of screening. He fears that most of them do not really listen.

Colorectal cancer kills more Americans than any other cancer except lung cancer; but when detected early, as it was in Andrew’s case, 90 percent of patients are cured. To allow early detection, several effective methods are available, yet studies show that only about 45 percent of Americans follow screening recommendations.

Cancer nearly always begins with the growth of polyps in the lining of colon or rectum. Not all of these polyps are malignant, and those that are may take many years to become cancerous. Effective screening involves detecting premalignant polyps and removing them. There are several methods for doing this.

FECAL OCCULT BLOOD TESTING (FOBT) takes an indirect approach by looking for bleeding related to polyps. This bleeding is likely to be ‘occult” or hidden from view and must be detected through a laboratory test.

FOBT is a simple take-home test involving the collection of stool samples that are then sent to a laboratory for testing. In one study, subjects who performed FOBT annually for 18 years had a colorectal cancer death rate 33 percent lower than control subjects.

Not all polyps bleed, however, and some bleed intermittently. False positives are also common, particularly if the patient does not follow instructions about avoiding red meat, certain vegetables such as radishes, vitamin C, aspirin and other medications prior to testing.

COLONOSCOPY offers the most thorough examination of the colon, but it’s also the most invasive screening method.

It involves threading a thin lighted tube through the colon to examine the lining. If polyps are found, they may be removed during the same procedure.

Colonoscopy requires general anesthesia, and the bowels must be thoroughly emptied with enemas and laxatives. Compared to other screening methods, it’s expensive and carries a small risk of bleeding or perforation of the bowel.

FLEXIBLE SIGMOIDOSCOPY uses a scope to examine only the lower half of the colon. It can be performed in a physician’s office without anesthesia, but the bowels must be prepared with enemas and laxatives.

For the person of average risk, sigmoidoscopy can be an effective screening tool, since about 80 percent of patients with cancerous polyps will have abnormalities in this part of the colon. Positive findings will trigger examination of the entire colon.

DOUBLE CONTRAST BARIUM ENEMA involves the use of a contrast material to allow x-rays of the rectum and colon. This test gives a doctor the ability to examine the entire colon almost as effectively as with colonoscopy, although polyps cannot be removed immediately.

Which screening tests are used depends on patient preference, resources available and individual risk factors.

Age is the biggest risk factor, and most doctors and medical groups recommend that screening begin at age 50 for persons of average risk. For such individuals, the American Cancer Society recommends either: 1) fecal occult blood testing once a year, 2) sigmoidoscopy once every 5 years, 3) both FOBT and sigmoidoscopy, 4) colonoscopy once every 10 years or 5) double contrast barium enema once every 5 years.

About 10 to 15 percent of cases occur in persons with a family history of colorectal cancer or the tendency to develop numerous intestinal polyps. These individuals may need earlier and more frequent screening, usually with colonoscopy.

The biggest problem is the reluctance patients have to use screening tests. Two newer methods now being tested are designed to address this reluctance.

Virtual colonoscopy uses CT technology for a non-invasive scan of the intestines. This test can be performed in 10 to 15 minutes without general anesthesia, and it eliminates the risks of bleeding and perforation. It requires, however, an even more thorough preparation of the bowels than colonoscopy.

Fecal DNA testing looks for mutations of specific genes known to play a role in the development of colorectal cancer. This test requires only one stool sample using a simple collection method and requires no food or medication restrictions or preparation of the bowels.

If some or all of the available screening tests seem disagreeable to you, then you may want to talk to a cancer survivor. As Andrew put it: “If I could go back 10 years in time and start complying with screening tests, I’d do it with no complaints.”

Parkview Regional Hospital proudly partners with local physicians in promoting good health in our community. If you have a topic you’d like to see addressed by a doctor, please let us know. Call (254) 562-0408, extension 1110. 

Dr. Chester is the medical director of the Parkview Regional Hospital Emergency Department. Part of an ongoing series devoted to promoting better health, this article offers information on improving health to help curb heart attack risk.

Some say it’s like an elephant walking on your chest. Others report shortness of breath, extreme fatigue or symptoms similar to heartburn. In some cases, a heart attack comes on with no symptoms.

Most Americans carry in their minds an image of what a heart attack - their heart attack – might be like. Heart disease remains the number one killer of both men and women, and despite advances in treatment, 38 percent of heart attack victims die, many on their way to the emergency room.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to predict a heart attack. As a health-conscious person, the best you can do is know your risks so you can make the lifestyle changes necessary to control them.

AGE and GENDER are major risk factors over which you have no control. An elevated risk for men starts by age 45 while women are offered some protection by virtue of hormones until about age 55.

A healthy 68-year old male with normal blood pressure and cholesterol and no additional risk factors has an 11 to 13 percent risk of having a heart attack within the next 10 years. A female the same age with a similar health profile has only a 5 percent risk, and the woman’s risk doesn’t catch up until about age 75.

BLOOD PRESSURE, CHOLESTEROL, HDL: These three risk factors are usually linked, and all can be controlled by lifestyle.

High blood pressure may develop during middle age, or even sooner, in otherwise healthy persons who are salt sensitive, basically an inherited condition. It can also develop because of high blood cholesterol, kidney problems, excess weight or other disorders.

When high blood pressure is undetected or uncontrolled, it can quickly lead to other problems such as atherosclerosis, kidney damage and a weakened heart muscle. When BP is kept under control, it generally causes little harm – although treatment must usually continue throughout life.

Systolic blood pressure, or the first number, is considered most important in terms of heart disease. Normal systolic pressure is under 120, with readings between 120 and 130 considered pre-hypertension.

To prevent high blood pressure, get regular exercise, control your weight and limit your intake of sodium and saturated and trans fats. If your blood pressure starts to creep into the pre-hypertension range, see a doctor and follow carefully all treatment recommendations.

Like high blood pressure, high cholesterol comes on silently. Most Americans today know their cholesterol numbers. It’s equally important to do something about them should they become too high.

Of the numbers in a total cholesterol profile, the HDL, or good cholesterol, is probably the most important. While total cholesterol under 200 mg/dL is considered normal, it may not be low enough if your HDL is less than 40. On the other hand, an HDL over 60 will cancel out high total cholesterol or another risk factor.

Diet, exercise and weight control – as well as heredity – influence cholesterol. HDL is particularly sensitive to exercise.

Probably the ideal eating plan for HDL is the Mediterranean diet, stressing moderate use of monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and nuts along with fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

SMOKING: As important as all the other risk factors are, smoking usually ranks at or near the top of any list. The 68-year old female with normal cholesterol and blood pressure will nearly double her risk simply by smoking. But, of course, smokers rarely have normal cholesterol or blood pressure so the problems multiply.

Even persons exposed to second hand smoke exhibit damage to arteries and an increased vulnerability to blood clotting with just 30 minutes of exposure. If you smoke, quit –for the sake of yourself and everyone around you.

DIABETES is another major risk factor. Type 1 diabetes can’t be prevented, but you can minimize your cardiovascular risks by keeping your blood sugar under tight control.

Type 2 diabetes often occurs in individuals who are overweight and/or physically inactive. Exercise and weight loss are considered the best ways to prevent or delay the onset of disease and keep blood sugar under control in the early stages.

While there’s no way to prevent a heart attack, there is much you can do to improve your odds. In one way or another, these strategies all involve healthy eating, regular exercise and careful monitoring of chronic conditions.

Parkview Regional Hospital proudly partners with local healthcare providers in promoting good health in our community. If you have a topic you’d like to see addressed, please let us know. Call (254) 562-0408, extension 1110. 

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Parkview Regional Hospital will be tobacco free beginning January 1, 2008. As of that date, no tobacco use of any kind will be permitted inside or outside on hospital property.

The decision to be tobacco free has been a long time coming, according to Parkview CEO Jimmy Stuart. “We have been evaluating the tobacco free initiative for more than a year,” he stated. “We discussed our plans with the Governing Board, the Medical Staff and with the employees of Parkview and these groups all support this direction for the hospital.”

While all of the buildings are currently smoke-free, the anticipated change effective January 1 will make the entire campus tobacco free, both inside and out. This initiative includes the elimination of all designated areas outside of Parkview Regional Hospital where employees, patients and visitors currently use tobacco products.

Parkview Regional Hospital has joined national and state efforts to reduce the negative health effects of tobacco use on the community. More than 26,000 Texans die in illnesses related to tobacco use each year. Tobacco use in and around hospitals poses health and safety risks for patients, employees and visitors.

Although many major markets across the nation have already taken this step and the Joint Commission (a national healthcare accreditation agency) is also considering this as a requirement for accreditation in the near future, Stuart emphasized that this decision is also the “right thing to do” for the local hospital.

Stuart stressed that Parkview Regional Hospital’s decision to go tobacco free is not an attempt to “force” anyone to quit using tobacco products. Rather, Stuart noted that the tobacco free initiative is a concrete way to demonstrate Parkview’s ongoing commitment to healthy living.

Stuart further added that, since the hospital building is already smoke free, this new policy will likely not have an impact on the vast majority of hospitalized patients. Those who have smoked or used tobacco products in the courtyard, outside the doors or on the parking lot will not be able to continue doing so. Nor will smoking be permitted in cars parked on hospital property. This includes the Medical Building and its grounds.

Parkview employees who would like to stop smoking also have hospital support. Since the decision to go tobacco free was announced internally earlier this year, employees have benefited from assistance with smoking cessation therapies.

“We are asking for community support in Parkview Regional Hospital’s tobacco free initiative as we move toward a healthier hospital environment on January 1, 2008,” concluded Stuart.

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