Chris Serino, an Albuquerque Fire Department fire fighter, was boarding a flight home from Washington, D.C. in the spring of 2014, when he noticed a rash on his arms and legs. “I had taken an Aleve and it looked like I was having an allergic reaction,” he recalls. When he got home that evening, Chris took a Benadryl, hoping to relieve the symptoms. That next morning, however, they only got worse. “The rash had spread and I was really swollen.” Chris went to several doctors to try to figure out what was wrong and tried medications to relieve the swelling, which appeared to finally be working.

“I started getting chest pains, so my wife, Reina, took me to the Emergency Department,” he says. Everything turned out to be OK and he was discharged to go home around midnight.

Early that next morning Reina was already up when she heard Chris. “I guess I made a noise,” he says. “That’s when I had my heart attack.”

Reina called 911.

“I had coded,” the husband and father of two says of reliving the day - April 5, 2014 - that changed his life. He was only 43 years old.

Frantically listening to the 911 operator go through the steps from the other end of the phone, Reina began CPR on her husband. It had been years since she had taken CPR training, but she knew Chris depended on her in this moment. “She was terrified,” he says.

Paramedics arrived minutes later and continued CPR. “I was down about 10 minutes,” Chris says. “They finally got me back.”

Chris was rushed to the Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center. He had suffered a heart attack and was in cardiac arrest when he arrived. A team of doctors and nurses worked quickly to prepare Chris for a heart catheterization, where doctors were able to open the blockages in his heart – one 80 percent and another nearly 100 percent.

After a week of recovering in the Heart Hospital, Chris was transferred to Lovelace Rehabilitation Hospital. “That’s the first thing I remember,” he says. “I woke up in the van on my way to the rehab hospital.”

Chris began the grueling journey to gain back what his heart attack and cardiac arrest had taken away. “At first I couldn’t walk or talk,” he remembers. “I couldn’t do anything really.” From morning group therapy sessions, to one-on-one training in the gym, swimming in the pool and speech therapy, Chris worked day in and day out. He says it really made a difference having a team, especially his trainer Ronnie, by his side every step of the way. “Ronnie was awesome,” he adds. “He did a lot for me.”

Chris furthered his therapy at Mentis hospital in El Paso, TX focusing on neuro-rehabilitation and speech therapy. After nearly two months, he returned home to his wife and two children, Paolo, 12, and Sophia, 7. “My wife and kids,” he explains, “are the ones who inspire me to continue to get better.”

Two weeks later, he was ready to get back to work at the Albuquerque Fire Department. “I was cleared to go to work, but I couldn’t go back to my previous job,” he shares of not retuning as a driver behind the wheel of the fire truck. “There was a new cadet class coming in and I was able to work with the cadets. It was great, because I could run with them and help them make it through cadet training.” The 18-week cadet training program was also rehabilitation for Chris as he continued to get stronger and more coordinated. “Although I was there to help the cadets, it was helping me also.”

Nearly two years after that fateful day in April of 2014, Chris has returned to the field and is back to his normal duties driving the fire truck. He continues to go to speech therapy and says that is the only deficit he faces from his near-fatal heart attack.

“I’m happy to be alive and be with my wife and kids,” he says. “The people I work with are a great group of people. I really wanted to get back to my job. My cardiologist, Dr. Charles Kim, has been key in helping me.”

Heart disease was not on Chris’ radar when he suffered a major heart attack. He was athletic and stayed in shape for his job and his hobbies – soccer and running. Chris was not what heart disease “looks” like. He discovered however, that heart disease doesn’t always come with a warning sign and that it is important to know you risk factors, including family history. “Going way back, I have a relative who died in his thirties from a heart attack,” he says. Unknowingly, the blockages had been building in his arteries at a young age as well. “When I took that Aleve and had the allergic reaction, I took medication for the swelling, but Dr. Kim says the plaque that had been building up broke off, as a result of the medication, and blocked the arteries.”

Help reduce your risk of heart disease by talking about your risk factors with your health care provider. If you do not have a provider, please call Care Concierge at 505-727-2727 to find a provider near you.

Establishing a habit of health and wellness begins at an early age. In fact, as early as four weeks old, babies are introduced to the movement of yoga through Mommy & Me Yoga classes offered by Labor of Love, a free program for expectant mothers. It is a unique opportunity for both mothers and their babies. “Mommy & Me Yoga is a safe space where moms can begin to explore gentle movement at least four weeks postpartum or six weeks for those recovering from a Cesarean section,” explains yoga instructor Zhenya Novgorodskaya. “They can begin to strengthen their bodies and safely explore the changes that have occurred with yoga postures specifically geared for postpartum.”

From infants to babies already crawling and exploring, Mommy & Me Yoga introduces babies to movement that sets the stage for physical fitness, cognitive and social development, relaxation and improved digestion. “Moms can learn gentle loving infant massage also,” adds Zhenya. “Infant massage can be an excellent opportunity for bonding and can help babies when they have upset stomach or other discomforts. Babies also get to hear, see and interact with other babies helping them begin to develop socially.”

Speaking of social development, these classes offer the opportunity to find support and engagement for mothers. “It is a great place to meet other moms to build community and perhaps on-going friendships,” says Zhenya. “These classes create a supportive space for moms to nurse and tend to their babies’ needs without having to leave to room.”

Most of all, Mommy & Me Yoga deepens the bond that is already developing. “Babies get the benefit of staying with mom while she takes time for herself,” shares Zhenya. “It’s great to have a place to go where babies are welcome and mom can exercise.”

Before beginning any postpartum exercise, consult with your health care provider. Babies from four weeks up until they are walking are welcome. Visit lovelace.com/events to view class schedule and register.

Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at Lovelace Health System

Heyoung McBride, M.D. is a board-certified radiation oncologist with special interests in gynecologic malignancies, breast cancer, brain tumors, prostate cancer, lung, gastrointestinal tumors and pediatric malignancies.  In addition to brachytherapy, Dr McBride has expertise in various forms of stereotactic radiosurgery such as Gammaknife SRS and SBRT.

Dr. McBride earned her master’s degree in radiation biophysics and medical degree from the University of Kansas. Dr. McBride completed radiation oncology residency and ASTRO research fellowship at the University of Arizona.  Dr. McBride is a member of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) where she serves on the clinical practice guidelines committee, American Brachytherapy Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology and Society of Gynecologic Oncology and is a published author and frequently invited speaker.  As a member of multiple national clinical trial groups, Dr. McBride has been active in clinical research. She moved to Albuquerque from Phoenix where she has been a clinical associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and Barrow Neurological Institute. Dr. McBride serves on the board of the International Gammaknife Research Consortium.

Office Locations: Lovelace Cancer Center 4650 Jefferson Ln NE, Albuquerque NM 87109

                             Lovelace Medical Center 601 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Ave NE, Albuquerque NM 87102

                             Tel: 505.727.7900

Amanda Story, M.D. is a board-certified radiation oncologist with special interests in breast cancer treatment, gynecologic cancer and High Dose Rate implants.

She received her medical degree from the University of South Dakota and completed a residency at Indiana University. Dr. Story is a member of the American College of Radiology, the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and the Greater Albuquerque Medical Association. She has been in practice for over 30 years.

Dr. Story is a part of a comprehensive program including medical oncology, radiation oncology and surgical oncology services featuring cutting edge technology and board-certified community physicians who are dedicated to quality, compassionate care.

Office Location: Lovelace Cancer Center 4650 Jefferson Ln NE, Albuquerque NM 87109

 Tel: 505-727-7900

Atia Hashim, M.D., is a board-certified Gastroenterologist. She has been practicing medicine for over 15 years. Dr. Hashim earned her medical degree from Dow Medical College in Pakistan and completed her fellowship of Gastroenterology at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington D.C.  She is certified with The American Board of Gastroenterology.  She is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology.

Dr. Hashim practices at the Lovelace Specialty Care Clinic at 311 W. Country Club Rd., Ste 1, Roswell, NM 88201. To schedule an appointment, please call 575.625.3400.

Linda Blunt, M.D.

Linda Blunt, M.D., is a physician with over 15 years of experience. Prior to joining Lovelace, Dr. Blunt served as the family practice physician in Oklahoma and Texas.

Dr. Blunt earned her medical degree from the University of Oklahoma. She completed her residency at the McLennan County Family Practice in Waco, TX. Dr. Blunt is a member of several professional organizations including the American Academy of Family Physicians. She is interested in providing care to the Roswell community.  

Award demonstrates Lovelace Medical Center’s commitment to quality care for stroke patients

February 22, 2016 – Albuquerque – Lovelace Medical Center was once again recognized for its commitment to and success in ensuring that stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

The hospital received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines^®-Stroke Gold Plus Achievement Award with Target: Stroke^SM Honor Roll Elite Plus.

This is the third year in a row that Lovelace Medical Center has received the award. The hospital has also received other awards for quality stroke care, including the DNV Gold Seal of Approval for certification as a Primary Stroke Center.

To receive the Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, hospitals must achieve 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month periods and achieve 75 percent or higher compliance with five of eight Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality measures.

To qualify for the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke. If given intravenously in the first three hours after the start of stroke symptoms, tPA has been shown to significantly reduce the effects of stroke and lessen the chance of permanent disability. Lovelace Medical Center earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period.

These quality measures are designed to help hospital teams provide the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.

“With a stroke, time lost is brain lost, and this award demonstrates our commitment to ensuring patients receive care based on nationally-respected clinical guidelines,” said Yolanda Alcantar, nursing director of neuroscience unit for Lovelace Medical Center. “Lovelace Medical Center is dedicated to improving the quality of stroke care and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke helps us achieve that goal.”

Lovelace Medical Center has also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the Emergency Department.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the number five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

###

Contact:
Katherine Cox, Lovelace Health System             
katherine.cox@lovelace.com
Mobile: 505-903-0367    

Lovelace Health System consists of Lovelace Medical Center, Lovelace Rehabilitation Hospital, Lovelace Women’s Hospital, Lovelace Westside Hospital, Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center, Lovelace Regional Hospital-Roswell and Lovelace Medical Group.

About Get With The Guidelines^®

Get With The Guidelines^® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 5 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org/quality or heart.org/QualityMap. 

By: Shelly Ribando, Anchor

Published On: Feb 23 2016 09:20:54 PM MST Updated On: Feb 24 2016 08:05:08 AM MST

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - We've all received them, and often, they're not so easy to understand. But when you get a medical bill you can't pay, there are simple steps you can take to make it more affordable.

At a time when medical costs keep rising -- higher deductibles, steep out of pocket costs -- paying those bills has never been so difficult. And understanding them -- well, not even health care professionals can always decipher their meaning.

“I don’t understand my own sometimes,” said Reuben Murray, Lovelace’s chief financial officer. “There’s stuff on there I don’t know what it is.”

Your best ally in these cases is you.

First, keep everything, every bill, and write down who you talked to and when. It worked for Zack, a Rio Rancho father who's been on a long road to financial recovery after his son suffered a ruptured appendix.

“Kids in general are really good at racking up medical bills, they're young they play a lot, broken wrists, arms, things like that,” he said.

Zack has family health coverage through his wife's employer, but it wasn't enough.

"Even though insurance will cover a large percentage of it, sometimes the 20 or 30 percent they don't cover is enough to put your family in a situation that can be very intimidating,” Zack said.

Murray suggests doing your homework.

“It can’t hurt to shop around, and it can’t hurt to negotiate,” Murray said. “I think the thing people need to realize is, they have the right to have it explained to them, if they would like to know, ‘What is this test,’ or ‘What was this drug’ or ‘What was that for,’ we absolutely agree that you should understand your bill."

And hospitals and doctors often allow you to divide the payments into smaller monthly installments over a longer period of time. It's working for Zack.

“The key though is to stick to that payment plan, don't default on what you promised to do,” Zack said.

Murray said to ask for help -- you might be surprised.

“You might be surprised at the number of approaches we can take, to make the out of pocket affordable or at least a burden that you can bear,” Murray said.

Another tip is to make sure you're paying a fair amount. You can compare prices for what a particular procedure costs across the nation for free on Clear Health Costs, Health Care Blue Book or Fair Health.

See the original story here. 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The latest project from a developer capitalizing on the Albuquerque medical office building market will not only transform an empty lot at Jefferson and Osuna into a clinic for a major health care provider, but it will also bring new tenants and some roadwork on the adjacent street, the owner and president of Argus Investment Realty said.

“We are going to start moving dirt in the next two weeks,” said Scott Throckmorton of Argus, referring to plans to build a two-story, 43,000-square-foot clinic near Jefferson and Osuna for client Lovelace Medical Group/Southwest Medical Associates.

Initially, Lovelace will be the sole tenant within a larger project called Independence Square that the developer said could cost $25 to $30 million at total buildout.

After getting the office building rolling for Lovelace, landlord Throckmorton hopes to line up tenants for an 8,000-square-foot strip center fronting Jefferson.

“A restaurant would be the primary inker on that,” said Throckmorton of the ground lease he hopes to announce soon.

He said the number of visitors to the clinic each day, not to mention employees and vendors, is a strong attraction for a retail tenant.

“There will be 100 exam rooms, so you might have 1,000 patients a day,” Throckmorton said.

Throckmorton said plans call for widening Jefferson between San Antonio and Osuna as well as installation of a center-turn lane.

The medical industry is driving development for many players, said Throckmorton, who added that another Argus project came to fruition last year in record time. He was referring to the 10,000-square-foot clinic built in 2015 for New Mexico Orthopaedics  across from Presbyterian Rust Medical Center.

“We signed the lease on New Year’s Eve (2014),” he said.  “They opened on June 1. That one went fast.”

Lovelace said 30 to 40 physicians will move their practices into the building along with more than 100 staff members.

Bank of Albuquerque is providing financing for the medical office building, which was designed by architects Dekker/Perich/Sabatini.

Throckmorton said Argus is eyeing other build-to-suit medical projects in Albuquerque. And that activity is getting a serious boost from a health care environment that is expanding insurance to many new patients in New Mexico.

The Wall Street Journal last year reported that an estimated 8.8 million square feet of medical office space would have been developed across the United States by the end of 2015.  In 2014, 7.1 million square feet was developed across the country.

View the original story here. 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Lorina Justus was technically just 6 years old when she gave birth to her son David. That's because she's a leap year baby, and so is David.

"He's 11 years old today!" joked Justus. "He's not legal yet and neither am I!"

Doctors told Lorina the odds of a mother born on Feb. 29 and having her child on Feb. 29 are astronomical: 2 million to one.

They now share a birthday with little Sandra Corrine Guereque, one of Albuquerque's newest leap year babies, who was born Monday morning at Lovelace Hospital.

"She held in there until today! It's very exciting!" said her mother, Sarah Richardson. "She wants to make a grand entrance."

And speaking of grand, how about a leap day wedding? A Nob Hill chapel says a handful of people said their "I do's" on leap day. Alan and Sheryl Howell from Artesia decided to do just that.

Sheryl Howell says they picked today on a whim, but then realized their choice was brilliant.

"We only have to celebrate once every four years and I can have a bigger gift once every four years," she said.

Leap years can also mean a bigger bill for the city of Albuquerque. When Feb. 29 translates into an extra work day, it can cost the city an extra $250,000 in added payroll and other expenses.

"That's a city senior center, that's a police, that's a fire," said Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Gilbert Montano.

All this, thanks again to that quirk in the calendar.

See the original story here. 

There’s a list of reasons many of us give as to why we don’t need a colonoscopy. I can’t take time off work. I heard the preparation is terrible. I don’t have any symptoms. That sounds embarrassing. Yet, the list of reasons why we do need one make all of those excuses seem trivial. Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men and women in the United States. Colon cancer may not present with any symptoms. Yet, colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers when polyps are discovered and removed through colonoscopy screening. Convincing, right? Yet there are 24 million Americans today who should schedule a colonoscopy, but have not.  

Colon cancer screening is recommended for anyone 50 and older and earlier for those with a family history or symptoms. Colonoscopy is the most accurate screening test for cancers of the colon and rectum. When a possible pre-cancerous polyp, a precursor of colon cancer, is discovered through colonoscopy screening, the physician is able to remove the polyp before cancer develops. Polyps are found in as many as 15 percent of women and 25 percent of men 50 and older when a colonoscopy screening is performed. Research has found removing polyps can cut the death rate from colorectal cancer by 53 percent, according to a 2012 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Other obstacles to scheduling a colonoscopy screening are getting easier to overcome as well. Whereas patients used to drink a gallon of solution to clear their bowels, today there are half-gallon and split dose options. Patients can take one dose at night and one the next morning to help reduce the discomfort of preparing for the screening. Also, most patients are under gentle sedation during the colonoscopy, so they remain comfortable the entire time. Many patients, in fact, have no recollection of the procedure. 

The truth remains that we are all at risk for colon cancer. One in eighteen American men and women will get colon cancer in their lifetime. Despite the evidence, too many Americans are putting off having a colonoscopy. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Once again, we are raising awareness to encourage New Mexicans who need to schedule a colonoscopy screening to go ahead and do so. We know it is not the most loved cancer screening, but colonoscopy is a powerful tool to preventing cancer. It could save your life! Through our month-long campaign, Now that’s Embarrassing!Colon Cancer Screening Isn’t, we encourage you to learn more about colon cancer screening and prevention.

We are pleased to offer the option of Open Access Colon Cancer Screening. Open Access allows the patient or referring physician to schedule a screening colonoscopy without a prior full gastrointestinal specialty consultation with one of our providers. Open Access is appropriate for healthy patients who need a routine screening colonoscopy and who have no serious medical conditions. Patients with medical issues are advised to meet with one of our providers for a consultation and detailed history to ensure that it is safe for the patient to have a colonoscopy.

Open Access is recommended for:

• Asymptomatic healthy individuals over 50 years old
• Individuals with a family history of colon cancer over 40 years old
• Any individual with a personal history of colon cancer or colon polyps

Care Concierge is available to answer questions and help schedule a screening appointment or consultation. Please call 505-727-2727 in Albuquerque or 575-625-3222 in Roswell or click here. 

Brain Injury: Journey through the lifespan

• Moving through a lifespan with a brain injury from infants to seniors
•  What causes a brain injury and what changes could take place
• Prevention and treatment

WHEN: Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Space is limited, to register call 898.3030

March is National Nutrition Month and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages us all to consider how we nourish ourselves and our families through food choices, not only this month, but as a lifelong endeavor for better nutrition and health. It is an opportunity to embrace food as nutrition and fuel for our everyday lives. Lovelace dietitian and nutritionist, Teresa Anderson, RDN, LD CDE, explains the focus of this year’s campaign. “Food is an important part of our traditions and social experiences,” she says. “The theme for National Nutrition Month is ‘Savor the Flavor of Eating Right’. This theme encourages us to enjoy food and appreciate the pleasures and great flavors food can add to our lives.”

Teresa enjoys the opportunity of working with patients on exploring new options for truly savoring nutritious foods, while building diets that support better health. That perspective on nutrition is the message this campaign would like the public to embrace. “The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ wholesome eating messages highlight balancing food and beverages within an individual's energy needs, rather than focusing on any one specific food, nutrient or meal,” Teresa explains. “To this end, it is the Academy's position that improving overall health and wellbeing necessitates a lifetime promise to healthful everyday behaviors.”

However, with fast-paced lives, our everyday behaviors don’t often support taking the time to experience food. Rather, “convenience” provides ill opportune meals on the go for one out of every four Americans who chose fast food today. And 20 percent of meals eaten today are not around the table, but in a vehicle. America’s eating habits are admittedly in need of a makeover.

“It is possible to enjoy the taste and flavor of food while maintaining a healthy diet,” shares Teresa. “Do take the time to enjoy food traditions, and find creative, healthful and nutritious ways to experience food, rather than eating mindlessly out of convenience.”

An eating pattern based on the recently released 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate recommendations can accommodate the food preferences, cultural tradition and customs of many diverse groups.  “Be mindful while eating and make sure to enjoy the sights, sounds, memories and interactions associated with eating,” Teresa adds. If you need guidance, Teresa says resources are available in your community. “A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) can provide sound, easy-to-follow personalized nutrition advice to meet your lifestyle, preferences and health-related needs.”

Savoring healthful foods is the starting point, Teresa says. “It is essential we make knowledgeable food choices and develop sound, sustainable eating and physical activity habits,” she says. “Other key messages for National Nutrition Month that I look forward to covering in our next blog include:

o   How, when, why and where we eat are just as important as what we eat

o   Experiment with herbs and spices

o   Reduce sugars, sodium and saturated fats

o   Include physical activity in your daily plans

o   Make sensible snacks part of your healthy eating plans

o   Make informed food choices

Dietitian appointments will require a referral from your primary care provider. If you would like to find a Lovelace provider near you, please call Care Concierge at 505-727-2727. 

Did you know there is a long lasting treatment for erectile dysfunction and bladder leakage? Attend a FREE men's health seminar with Dr. Wayne Kuang on Thursday, April 7 to learn more.

• Date: Thursday, April 7, 2016
• Time: 6 p.m. (registration starts at 5:30 pm)
• Location: Celestia Hall | Lovelace Westside Hospital (10501 Golf Course Rd. NW)

Partners and guests welcome. LIght refreshments will be served.

RSVP to 898.3030 today!

ALBUQUERQUE (March 15, 2016) – Lovelace Health System has received a 2016 International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) Award of Excellence for Outstanding Human Performance Intervention for its customer experience project.

The award is the result of months of data collection, analysis, measurement and planning by a Lovelace quality initiative team as leaders and staff worked to improve the consistency, quality and general service level of both the customer service coordinator (CSC) and Care Concierge programs. To help with the project, Lovelace called in Ildiko Oravecz of High Performance Consulting, who provided consultation on best practices and submitted the project for consideration to ISPI. Ildiko and her team, including interns from the University of New Mexico’s Organization, Information and Learning Sciences (OILS) program, were integral to the project’s success.

The ISPI Awards of Excellence program is designed to showcase the people, products, innovations and organizations that represent excellence in the field of Human Performance Technology. ISPI and its members use evidence-based performance improvement research and practices to effect sustainable, measurable results and add value to stakeholders in the private, public, and social sectors. Founded in 1962, ISPI is the leading international association dedicated to improving productivity and competence in the workplace.

The quality initiative team at Lovelace identified five areas where employees in the customer service programs could improve: service consistency, time to employee competence from date of hire, customer phone call abandonment rate, staff turnover and average speed to answer phone calls. The team then outlined new targets for each of these areas: four core processes for service consistency; four weeks from hire for employee time to competence; an abandonment rate of less than five percent; staff turnover of less than 15 percent and an average speed to answer phone calls of less than 30 seconds.

Once the team had identified these new targets, they set out to put processes and procedures in place to ensure teams would hit the mark. The performance improvement program included 12 steps, including specific goals such as developing a formal training curriculum, creating a buddy system for new hires, developing standard scripting for phone calls and creating an online resource center where employees can find documents and training materials. In addition, the team created quality audit goals to measure success.

While the quality team still has several steps outlined for future improvement, the ISPI Award of Excellence serves as recognition of how far the program has already come. The steps taken to improve the front-line, customer service programs improve care for patients overall.

“Our customer service coordinators and Care Concierge team are often the first voice our patients hear,” said Donna Basden, COO of Lovelace Medical Group who was the executive sponsor for the project. “Whether by phone or in-person in the office setting, we demonstrated that a caring and compassionate tone can make a difference in the way a patient perceives our medical group. Our purpose is to serve our communities with compassion and respect as we promote their health and well-being. It starts with compassionate communication. It starts with each of us.”

Mark Bryniarski, M.D., is a board-certified neurosurgeon with professional interests in brain and pituitary tumors, facial pain and spasm, head and spinal trauma, brain aneurysms, awake brain surgery with brain mapping, brain endoscopy.

Dr. Bryniarski earned his medical degree at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland. Dr.Bryniarski completed a neurology residency at the University of New Mexico, and a neurosurgery residency at the University of Kansas. He went on to complete a fellowship in skull base and vascular neurosurgery at the Indianapolis Neurosurgical Group (now: Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine).

Dr. Bryniarski is a member of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, The Facial Pain Association, and is a published author and renowned speaker.

ALBUQUERQUE (March 18, 2016) – Lovelace Medical Group (LMG) will be expanding with the addition of ABQ Health Partners Women’s Health providers through a recent transaction by LMG effective May 1. The addition of the ABQ Health Partners Women’s Health will extend LMG’s women’s services including Vicky Peng, M.D.; Paul Shelburne, M.D.; Joel Teicher, M.D.; Dorothy Beach, CNM; Tambra Bensch, CNM; Melynda Lopez , CNM; and Dympna Ryan, CNM. ABQ Health Partners will continue to offer Gynecological (GYN) services.

The providers will be moving their practices to Lovelace Medical Group’s women’s clinics located at 4705 Montgomery Blvd NE, Suite 301 and the newest Westside location 10511 Golf Course Rd. NW Ste. 201. Women will have the opportunity to deliver at either birthing center located at Lovelace Women’s Hospital or Lovelace Westside Hospital.

New and existing patients can call 727-2727 to make an appointment with these providers as well as any other Lovelace Medical Group providers. Current ABQ Health Partners Women’s Health patients affected will receive communication pertaining to this change. Both ABQ Health Partners and LMG are committed to ensuring a smooth transition.

“Lovelace Medical Group welcomes ABQ Health Partners Women’s Health providers,” said Dr. John Cruickshank, Lovelace Medical Group CEO. “These providers have a strong commitment for providing exceptional care for women in the greater Albuquerque area. This partnership with ABQ Health Partners will increase the synergy between our companies, allowing us to provide better care for our patients overall.”

Lovelace Medical Group has been focused recently on expanding health care options for women in Albuquerque, including hiring new providers, expanding the reach of those providers and opening larger clinical spaces with new technology. This most recent news follows a ribbon cutting at Lovelace Medical Group’s new women’s health care clinic at the Lovelace Westside Medical Pavilion on Golf Course Rd. NW. The new clinic is an expansion of a previous clinic and includes updated medical technology and a larger staff, and will include providers from the ABQ Health Partners acquisition as well.

Other partnership initiatives between Lovelace Medical Group and ABQ Health Partners includes physician orthopedic coverage at Lovelace Westside and Women’s Hospitals as well as physician emergency room coverage at all Lovelace hospitals in Albuquerque. 

Erica Zucco, KOB Eyewitness News 4
Updated: 03/18/2016 5:48 PM
Created: 03/18/2016 5:02 PM

The new digital "heart gallery" at Lovelace Medical Center is one of now nearly 40 displays around the state. It shows photos of smiling kids who have hopes, dreams and hobbies, but need homes.

"I think it’s important for us not just to see the images, but to see the families that have made that commitment and to really ask yourself and your family if it's something you can take on," Lovelace Medical Center CEO Troy Greer said.

Greer says thousands of people travel through the high traffic waiting rooms where the center has heart galleries set up. The Children, Youth and Families Department hopes it will remind families that adopting could be for them.

"The kids you will see the heart gallery are kids who are older in age and sibling groups, because generally those tend to be the groups that are a little harder to get adopted. But when you see the heart gallery with their beautiful faces and smiles, it just really opens people up to take a different look at these kids and say, 'I'd really like to take a look at that child,'" CYFD spokesperson Henry Varela said.

CYFD is looking for more local agencies and business willing to put up galleries in their buildings. Greer says for Lovelace, it’s been an eye opener and he hopes it will be moving for both visitors and employees.

"They see where they can become more involved in the rest of the community beyond the walls of the hospital," Greer said.

You can see kids that need to be adopted on the CYFD heart gallery website. Just click here.

You can view the original story and video clip here.