Chelsea Beights, Author at Peterson Health

Peterson Health Achieves Medicare’s Five-Star Quality Recognition

Kerrville, TX – Peterson Health achieved a five-star rating in the latest Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Quality Star Rating report, released in July. This cycle 3,076 hospitals received a rating from CMS with only 16% receiving the coveted five-star rating. “The primary objective of the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating project is to summarize information from existing quality measures reported on Care Compare in a way that is useful and easy to interpret for patients and consumers through the development of a statistically sound methodology,” states CMS in their report of July 2023 rankings.

The Quality Star Rating evaluates hospitals on a series of quality metrics including mortality, safety of care, readmissions, patient experience, and timeliness and effectiveness of care. “Our team has worked very hard to ensure our community receives the best and safest possible care, and we are thrilled to have our efforts recognized by CMS,” said Elaine Ivey, Peterson’s Director of Quality Services. “It doesn’t happen by accident, everything we do is with purpose.”

“These types of achievements are not possible unless the entire team is on board. I’m so proud of their hard work and dedication. They truly care about each and every person that walks through our doors, and they take quality and safety very seriously. We know people want and need a healing environment, and the last thing they want to worry about is the quality of their hospital. This recognition affirms that Peterson Health is providing exceptional, world-class care,” said Cory Edmondson, President and CEO of Peterson Health.

The CMS Five-Star rating is the most recent accolade attained by Peterson Health. You can see a comprehensive list of awards and recognition here: Awards and Accolades. For more information about the CMS Hospital Quality Star Rating, visit www.medicare.gov/care.

Physical Therapy Pool to Close Permanently

Kerrville, TX – The Peterson Health Pevehouse Ambulatory Care Center therapy pool will officially close effective July 28. Jim LeRoux, Assistant Director of Outpatient Rehab, said they will no longer offer aquatic therapy, citing aging infrastructure. “The pool area of our Ambulatory Care Center needs significant updates to meet our standards. We have determined that given the cost of renovation relative to the amount of patient care it provides, it is just not financially feasible to keep it open. Patient use of the pool has dwindled over time as other therapy treatment methods have proven more effective,” said LeRoux.

“This will impact a very small percentage of patients that currently benefit from aquatic therapy,” LeRoux said. “We feel the future of our services are heading toward sports therapy so repurposing the pool space for those types of programs will give us more opportunities for future growth.”

Recognizing the need for an alternative, LeRoux cited the option for patients to utilize the AlterG anti-gravity treadmill at Peterson Health Rehab Services as it can simulate an anti-gravity pool environment.

The AlterG treadmill provides patients with a painless, controlled, low-weight bearing form of exercise through a unique unweighting process utilizing a differential air pressure technique developed by NASA. The air pressure comfortably lifts the user and allows the ability to walk or run at a fraction of the body weight. The anti-gravity of the treadmill provides a boost for athletes and rehabilitation patients to shorten recovery time, reduce injury risk, and enhance athletic performance.

“Just one of the many benefits of the the AlterG treadmill includes the ability for patients to rehabilitate from injuries with less pain and impact,” LeRoux said.

Peterson Health is planning major renovations to the Pevehouse Ambulatory Care Center once the new Amanda and J. David Williams Surgery Center opens in Spring of 2024. The plans include significant expansion of therapy and imaging services.

Learn more about Peterson Health’s Rehab Services.

Volunteer Spotlight: Lynda Demasco

Peterson Health and Auxiliary would like to congratulate Lynda Demasco in her new role as President of the Texas Association of Healthcare Volunteers (TAHV). Lynda has been a member of the Peterson Auxiliary for many years, having served as President, Vice President, 2nd Vice President, and a dedicated volunteer in many areas. She was instrumental in the creation of the Auxiliary Scholarship Committee.

Recently, eight members of the Peterson Auxiliary, along with Jennie Bond (Volunteer Coordinator), attended the 79th Annual Texas Association of Healthcare Volunteers (TAHV) Conference in San Marcos, Texas where Lynda was installed as President.

TAHV supports volunteer organizations in Texas by providing resources and educational opportunities in addition to exploration of nontraditional volunteer opportunities outside hospital walls, in outpatient facilities, community outreach programs, and rural health clinics.

The Peterson Auxiliary invites you to explore volunteer positions using your time and talent. Becoming a volunteer with the Peterson Auxiliary offers a wonderful opportunity to help the community, raise money for scholarships for the advancement of Peterson employees, and assists in bringing services and need equipment to our hospital.

Interested? Contact the Auxiliary Volunteer Coordinator at 830.258.7625 or visit PetersonHealth.com/Volunteer.

Saving Lives with Whole Blood

Peterson Health has expanded its Whole Blood program to bring the life-saving resource directly to the patient bedside in the Emergency Department. To accomplish this, the Peterson Health Board of Directors approved the purchase of a Blood Fridge that meets State and National requirements for safe blood storage. This new fridge now resides in one of the Trauma Bay’s within the Emergency Department, where Whole Blood is most often used within the hospital.

Peterson participates in the STRAC Whole Blood Program that was founded in 2017 as a research study at the Level 1 Trauma Centers in San Antonio. By bringing this life-saving resource to the Hill Country, Peterson Health is able to give Whole Blood to patients that qualify and are having life-threatening medical or traumatic hemorrhage, thus increasing chances of survival and best outcomes.

So what exactly is “Whole Blood”? In essence, it’s the Blood that comes directly out of our veins when we donate at blood drives. Typically, after we donate blood, the Blood centers will take our freshly donated blood and place it in a machine that separates the Blood into the components that make up our Blood (platelets, plasma, and red blood cells). Not all patients need Whole Blood so by doing this, it helps in that population. However, in the event of life-threatening hemorrhage, Whole Blood has proven to be best practice to save lives.

If you would like to learn more about the Whole Blood program, visit www.strac.org/blood.

To learn more about being a donor, please visit www.biobridgeglobal.org/donors/blood-donation/heroes-in-arms.

Rehab Services in Comfort Expand with Neurological, Stroke Therapy

Kerrville, TX – Peterson Rehabilitation in Comfort recently began offering a new therapy program for local Stroke and Parkinson’s Disease patients, easing access to needed services for patients in the area, much closer to home. The Comfort clinic has offered physical and orthopedic therapy since opening in June 2019, and is excited to welcome a Neurology and Stroke Rehab Specialist to the team. Residents of Comfort no longer have to travel to Kerrville or San Antonio for therapy services and treatment.

Karina Lara, doctor of physical therapy at Comfort’s Outpatient Rehabilitation clinic, offers a complete range of therapy services to include balance, hand, manual, and sports therapy, as well as orthopedic care, pelvic health, pain management, activities of daily living skills, and more.

Lara received her doctorate in physical therapy from Azusa Pacific University and brings more than 15 years of experience in physical therapy to the Comfort location. “Peterson Health is continuously on the grow,” Lara said. “We are excited about expanding our therapy services and meeting the growing needs of the surrounding communities, including here in Comfort.”

Nathan Storb, doctor of physical therapy at Outpatient Rehabilitation for Peterson Health, brings seven years of expertise in Stroke and Neurology Therapy to the Comfort location. “My patient philosophy is to do everything in my power to make sure patients are working toward and meeting their own therapy goals,” Storb said.

Storb received his doctorate in physical therapy from Ithica College in New York in 2015. He is a LSVT BIG certified stroke rehabilitation specialist (CSRS) with focuses in neurology, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, spinal cord injury, as well as vestibular therapy and balance training.

Peterson Outpatient Rehabilitation is located at The Towers of Comfort, 203 US Hwy 87, near Comfort High School. For more information, contact the clinic at 830.258.7713 or visit PetersonHealth.com/Rehabilitation.

Signs of Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke

With summer quickly approaching, the Texas sun has started to make its presence known. And as the temperatures rise, the chance of heat exhaustion and stroke increase! Knowing the warning signs and reacting quickly can make the difference between two.

The signs of Heat exhaustion include:

Fast heart rate
Heavy sweating
Cool clammy skin
Muscle cramps
Lightheadedness
Feeling of faintness
Nausea and vomiting

Treatment should be initiated quickly. Getting the victim away from the sun, into a cooler or shaded area will help. The victim should be encouraged to drink cool fluids such as water to reduce temperature. Excess clothing should be removed and cool wet towels may be used to help draw off excess heat.

So when do I need to seek help? In the previous stage, if you are unable to tolerate water, the symptoms continue for greater than 1 hour after removal from the sun, or symptoms worsen you should seek medical attention for further evaluation.

If you start to notice the following symptoms, seek medical care immediately for further evaluation. The previous steps should be started to aid the patient.

These signs indicate a worsening of the patient’s condition and can signal the onset of a heat stroke:

Confusion
Continuous vomiting and the inability to hold down fluids
Loss of Consciousness
Chest pain
Temperature of 104ºF or greater

What can you do to protect yourself?

Wear lose fitting clothing
Protect yourself from long exposures to the sun
Drink plenty of cool fluids such as water or Gatorade while outdoors
Condition yourself to the heat by starting in small increments before increasing to longer.

Following these guidelines will help reduce the risk of heat related illnesses, and encourage a fun and healthy summer!

References:

The Centers for Disease Control. 2017. Warning signs and symptoms of heat-related illness. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/warning.html

Sparks, D. 2019. Tips to avoid heatstroke, exhaustion this summer. Retrieved from https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tips-to-avoid-heatstroke-exhaustion-this-summer/

How can we help you?

I want to...

Search by keyword

Peterson Health Achieves Medicare’s Five-Star Quality Recognition

What patients say about Peterson Health