Southeast Missouri Hospital offers variety of medical services

Special to the Southeast Missourian

Southeast Missouri Hospital's rich tradition of providing health care services to the region began in 1928 when a group of future-focused community leaders founded what today is a 269-bed medical complex built around five regionally-recognized centers of excellence.

In addition to these five centers of excellence -- the Regional Heart Center, Regional Cancer Center, Regional Brain and Spine Center, Emergency Services and the Center for Women's and Children's Services -- Southeast offers a full continuum of medical and wellness services designed to meet the region's health-care needs.

As the hospital celebrates its diamond anniversary this year, Southeast also continues to honor its founders through a commitment to excellence in health care, said administrator James W. Wente.

"Although Southeast now serves residents in more than 20 counties in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, meeting patients' special needs and concerns in a personalized, caring way has not, and will not, change," Wente said.

Making the latest in technological and facilities advances available to those the hospital serves also is in keeping with the mission set forth by Southeast's founders.

"The past year has been a productive one for Southeast, and we continue to plan for the future, guided by a strong sense of community," Wente said.

Bed modernization project

Visible progress continues on the hospital's 13th major building addition. The $16 million project includes construction of two new medical/surgical floors atop the hospital's Harrison Annex, along with a sweeping renovation of five existing nursing units. In 2005, when construction and renovation projects are completed, 42 percent of Southeast's licensed beds will be private.

The first step of the bed modernization project was completed in January, when Southeast opened its newly-redesigned Orthopedics Unit. The five private and three semi-private rooms are the prototype of the new patient rooms now under construction. Rooms feature soft desert colors, built-in wood cabinetry and individual climate control. Private rooms have 27-inch television sets, DVD players, baths with showers and hairdryers.

OB/GYN Center redesign

The $4.3 million total redesign of Southeast's Dennis B. Elrod, M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology Center opened to rave reviews in May.

Southeast has continuously served the region's obstetrics needs since 1928, and has welcomed more than 62,000 babies into the world. Last year, more than 1,350 infants were born at Southeast.

The Elrod OB/GYN Center now has 15 private birthing suites. While the suites resemble hotel accommodations, the rooms transform into a medical setting in seconds, complete with hidden surgical lighting and medical equipment. The new area also includes two nurseries, one of which is aNeonatal Special Care area.

Neonatal Special Care

But while facilities are important, so is experience, said Madonna Sanders, MSN, RN, CNA, Southeast's director of Maternal Child Services. Combined, Southeast's 90-plus Obstetrics staff has more than 900 years of experience.

Sanders added that at Southeast, the birth experience is family-centered.

"It begins with classes for moms and dads, brothers and sisters and even grandparents. It peaks with the baby's arrival and continues with a home visit by an experienced OB nurse just a few days after birth."

19 years of Heart Center

As a pioneer in cardiac services since 1977, Southeast's Regional Heart Center has brought dozens of new technologies in cardiac and vascular care to the region. This October, Southeast will mark its 19th year of providing open heart surgery services to the region. More than 5,500 open heart surgeries have been performed at the center.

The Regional Heart Center has recorded a number of "firsts," including the introduction of off-pump or "beating heart" cardiac bypass surgery and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Last year, Southeast became one of a handful of heart centers nationwide to offer saphenous vein grafting, a new technique which allows the connection of saphenous vein grafts to the aorta without sutures.

New diagnostic tools

Southeast brought cancer care in the region to a new level in 2002 with the implementation of Positron Emission Tomography (PET). The equipment is among the most technologically advanced in the nation. PET scanning is a particularly valuable tool when it comes to diagnosing and staging various forms of cancer. At the heart of Southeast's PET unit is a bismuth germanium oxide crystal, the gold standard for PET scans. Southeast's PET scanner also has a wide range of capabilities in cardiology and neurology.

For more than 30 years, Southeast has provided radiation therapy services, first in the hospital and since 1981 at the hospital's Regional Cancer Center. Later this spring, a powerful new linear accelerator will go on line at the center, replacing one of its two linear accelerators.

The accelerator will feature Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), a new form of radiation therapy that uses computer-generated images to plan and deliver more tightly focused radiation beams to cancerous tumors than is possible with conventional radiation therapy. Using a computerized tool called a Multileaf Collimator, the radiation beam is virtually "painted" on the contours of an irregularly shaped tumor.

Not all patients are candidates for IMRT, but for those who are, it will offer the most precise form of radiation therapy available today.

Inpatient Rehab Unit

The hospital's new Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, opened last winter, meets the special needs of individuals recovering from strokes, neurological disorders, orthopedic conditions and traumatic brain injury. The unit is accredited by the Missouri Department of Health and Medicare, and includes 17 private rooms, a solarium for activities and meal service and an activities of daily living area.

In 2002, Neal Frauwirth, M.D., joined Southeast's medical staff as full-time medical director of the rehab unit. As a physiatrist, Frauwirth is specially trained in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Only about 1 percent of the nation's physicians are physiatrists.

New in Radiology: Digital Imaging

Rather than processing and carrying around hard copies of radiological studies such as x-rays, physicians at Southeast soon will be able to view test results on high-resolution computer screens within minutes. Electronically-transmitted images will be available on line or may be extracted from a CD Rom.

Southeast has teamed with Emageon, a digital imaging technology company, to implement new enterprise technology that will allow physicians to view studies and reports securely, whenever and wherever they have access\ to a computer -- hospital, office or home. This capability allows on-line consultation with multiple physicians and the radiologist at the same time, with all reviewing the same image. Images can also be printed to use for patient education.

The new system will allow for faster diagnosis and more efficient patient care. It also eliminates the disadvantages of conventional film such as damaged or lost films.

Southeast on the World Wide Web

The hospital is in the process of redesigning its Web site and adding a number of interactive components, including virtual tours of Southeast, an on-line gift shop, e-mail patient cards, on-line patient pre-registration and on-line class registration.

The redesign will allow for easier navigation, said hospital Webmaster Joni Adams. She noted that January 2003 set a new record for traffic on the Web site with nearly 65,000 visitors.

A Firm Foundation

Though Southeast has changed physically many times over, one thing remains constant, Wente said. "Our foundation was built on a strong set of values which continues to guide us today. Those who work and practice at Southeast -- our more than 1500 employees, 200 physicians and over 400 volunteers -- work together to deliver the quality of service that has been Southeast's hallmark since 1928."