WKU nursing program looking at expansion

by Robyn Minor, The Daily News, originally published on 5/13/2012

Western Kentucky University’s School of Nursing is about to get a big boost with a proposed expansion of Commonwealth Health Corp.’s campus.

Commonwealth Health is proposing to construct a 77,163-square-foot building adjacent to The Medical Center complex that would be used mostly for WKU’s School of Nursing. The project is in the Tax Increment Financing district, an area that starts at WKU’s main campus, extends downtown to the new Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center and over to U.S. 31-W By-Pass, and includes the large Medical Center campus.

“This takes quite a commitment both on the part of The Medical Center because it will own the building and on the part of WKU because we will have a long-term lease of the space,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “Western will have access to a new academic building, and we will be able to double the number of nursing students, which is huge for health all across Kentucky.”

Ransdell expects that graduates of the program will find employment not only at both of Bowling Green’s hospitals but in Glasgow, Caverna, Owensboro, Elizabethtown, Hopkinsville and elsewhere.

WKU would lease 80 percent of the building and move all of its nursing program and the new doctors of physical therapy and practical nursing programs to the building. The space also would contain faculty offices and the necessary lab space, Ransdell said.

It’s not clear what CHC or The Medical Center would do with the remainder of the building. CHC staff members familiar with the project were out of town and could not be reached for comment.

Ransdell said details of how many new faculty members would be required for the enlarged program are still being worked out.

WKU’s first classes in the new building are expected to begin in fall 2013, so bids for the project are expected to be sought soon.

The design of the project will be up for review Thursday by the TIF Design Review Committee, and then later that evening the City-County Planning Commission of Warren County will consider the detailed development plan for the nearly four acres needed for the project. A variance of the required property line setback for construction will also be sought.

Planning staff approved both a preliminary drainage and landscape plan and determined that a traffic impact study is not required for the project. The new building would have 189 parking spaces, while just 111 are required.

The project, which has been two years in the planning stage, is ready to move forward because it is apparent that the TIF district will meet its $150 million investment requirement, Ransdell said. That means new tax revenues in the district can be used to pay for the infrastructure development of projects.

Sixty percent of the new tax revenue generated by The Medical Center and as a result of Western’s move to the area between U.S. 31-W By-Pass, Chestnut, Park and High streets and First Avenue will be used to help pay for this particular project, Ransdell said.

Western will pay an annual lease on the space – an amount that won’t be determined until construction bids are made – using the anticipated increase in tuition the university will receive, Ransdell said. That money in turn also will be used to pay off construction debt.

The move will allow Western to grow the number of baccalaureate-seeking nurses from 80 to 160, Ransdell said.

“We are (constantly) turning away qualified applicants because we just don’t have the room now,” said Robbin Taylor, WKU vice president for public affairs.

When the program is moved out of the Academic Complex, Taylor said there will be other programs eager to take over the space on the crowded main campus.

Doug Gorman, chairman of the Warren County Downtown Economic Development Authority, is pleased the project is coming to fruition.

“It is a culmination of the benefits and the hard work that has gone into the TIF that are making it possible,” Gorman said.

Gorman said it’s great for the community because the project involves the partnership of two of its largest employers – CHC and WKU.

“And it’s very exciting for the future of health care in our area,” he said.

Copyright 2012 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

The Medical Center to honor nurses, mothers

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 5/5/2012

The Medical Center will celebrate nurses and mothers May 12 with the first Nurse Walk and the annual Mother-Daughter Tea.

The Nurse Walk will begin at 9 a.m. on The Medical Center Emergency Department lawn.

“The walk will be a mile and a half. We’re walking around the building,” said Jodi Hanna, a registered nurse and surgical services educator at the hospital. “There is not a registration fee. Our nurse of the year (who has not been revealed) will say a few words.”

The event is in celebration of National Nurses Week, which is Sunday through May 12, Hanna said.

“We wanted to promote wellness in the community and get the community involved,” she said. “Everybody’s lives have been changed or impacted by a nurse at one time or another. We wanted to bring attention to what we do.”

The walk will be casual, Hanna said. “We’re hoping to do it as an annual event and would love people to come out and join us,” she said.

The Mother-Daughter Tea will be at 3 p.m. at The Medical Center Auditorium. Cost is $8 per person. Preregistration is required.

“We have got 15 to 20 spaces left,” said Linda Rush, director of community wellness for the hospital. “The Medical Center has had this event for more than 20 years. We do it the Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend.”

The Mother-Daughter Tea isn’t just for mothers and daughters, Rush said.

“It’s for women and girls of all ages. You can come with your mother or daughter, neighbor or aunt,” she said. “We just encourage women to come and enjoy that afternoon together.”

Hart County author Virginia Davis and illustrator Jane Ward Kehrt of Glasgow will talk about their children’s book, “The Irises’ Secret,” during the tea. The book tells the story of a girl who hides a tea set in an iris patch and the little girl who finds it some time later.

“They will have copies of the book and do a signing,” Rush said.

Girls will have the opportunity to have cupcakes decorated especially for them by 11-year-old St. Joseph School students Madison Feria and Kate Lawless, who operate Sweet Treats Bakery.

— For more information about the Nurse Walk, call 796-3380. For more information or to preregister for the Mother-Daughter Tea, call 745-1010 or 800-624-2318.

Copyright 2012 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Women in the Arts: Medical Center's exhibit showcases female artists from Kentucky

by Billy Hicks, The Daily News, originally published on 4/12/2012

The Medical Center will host the 22nd annual Women in the Arts exhibition this weekend at the hospital’s auditorium.

The exhibit will showcase female artists from Kentucky ages 18 and older and hosts a Special Purchase award, which gives the winner, determined by the exhibition committee and a juror, a cash prize, essentially to purchase the painting for display at the center.

The Medical Center’s director of community wellness, Linda Rush, said the exhibit is a good way to add atmosphere to the building.

“It started as a way to give visitors something nice to enjoy while they visited,” she said. “Then we found that it was also enjoyed by the employees and patients and was very therapeutic for them.”

Defending Special Purchase award winner Nell Peperis knows the joy of having patients look at her artwork. She said she has had about nine paintings purchased by the center to display, in addition to last year’s award-winning still-life painting of pears.

“Sometimes it’s work that motivates me, but sometimes I get requests to paint, sometimes I get the feeling I want to paint something,” Peperis said. “But there’s also the enjoyment of having someone appreciate the work you do that appeals to me, like when a patient who is sick forgets their illness for a bit while looking at my work.”

Misha Ambrosia, an artist enrolled in the last six exhibitions, recalled her first time winning the Special Purchase award and why she enjoys the event.

“There’s a lot of really talented women artists here, and it’s really nice to share an art show with them, share and talk, meet their significant others,” she said. “It’s always nice to have your artwork represented in the hospital. The year I won the Special Purchase award, my painting featured a patient there and she wanted to be wheeled down so she could see herself, and that made her really happy. How many artists can say that?”

The public exhibit runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Copyright 2012 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Baby steps: Gaumard ‘Newborn HAL’ simulator helps Medical Center staff train for emergencies

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 4/7/2012

With the click of a mouse, Debbie Smith could make the baby have a seizure, have trouble breathing or turn blue.

Smith, nursery and neonatal intensive care unit charge nurse at The Medical Center, was demonstrating the hospital’s new Gaumard “Newborn HAL” simulator.

“It’s like a baby doll that has a computer programmed inside it. We can program scenarios,” she said. “We can make the heart beat faster or slower. It has the ability to turn blue, and that signals to the staff to treat it as if the baby’s color is blue. We can practice positive pressure breathing. If it’s done too vigorously it can pop a hole in the lungs.”

The simulator, which helps staff learn how to handle high-risk clinical emergencies in a risk-free environment, also “breathes,” kicks and cries. It can be a boy or a girl. Employees can practice routine skills, such as starting IVs and catherization. The Medical Center is nearly finished training various staff, including labor and delivery and NICU nurses and respiratory therapists, according to obstetrics clinical manager Amber Herman.

“Ten percent of babies born here will need a little assistance. This gives the staff the ability to approach the baby. Not everything is cut and dry,” she said. “It can help work out some of the kinks in their training and react appropriately. There has been a lot of positive feedback. This shows the value we all hold in their professional growth.”

Smith agreed. The staff who have trained seemed to respond to the simulator as they would in a real-life situation.

“In the past, we had a baby doll to do those skills, but we have to tell them (the scenarios),” she said. “It didn’t seem that real.”

There are also trainings with the emergency room staff at the other facilities of Commonwealth Health Corp., the parent company of The Medical Center, Herman said.

“They may end up delivering in those ERs,” she said. “They can practice on the simulator.”

The simulator is used with initial employee orientation in the NICU, ongoing competency assessment and continuing education for medical personnel. Doctors have shown an interest in it. Paramedics may also train with the simulator and have it tailored to situations they may face in their environment, Smith said.

“We can customize it to individuals. With paramedics, their work is in the field whereas we have this equipment (at the hospital), so we practice with the equipment,” Smith said. “It fosters a community between the disciplines.”

The newborn simulator was purchased in part by a $14,500 grant from WHAS Crusade for Children. The total cost was $22,500. The Crusade for Children website at www.whascrusade.org says the grants are made to nonprofit agencies, schools and hospitals that help children with special needs up to age 18. The term “special needs” is defined as physical, mental, emotional and medical needs.

“We’re very grateful for Crusade for Children,” Smith said.

The “Newborn HAL” will help the hospital give better service to southcentral Kentucky, Smith said.

“Our community will see the benefits of it over time,” she said. “I think it’ll get better and better.”

Copyright 2012 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Ribbon cut on wellness center

by Billy Hicks, The Daily News, originally published on 1/26/2012

The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce cut the ribbon Wednesday at The Medical Center's new Health & Wellness Center location in Chandler Park.

The Health & Wellness Center moved in December to its new facility on Tucker Way from nearby Greenwood Mall, where it had been housed for 13 years.

"Our lease with Greenwood Mall expired in December and they wanted to have a restaurant near the front of the mall," said Linda Rush, director of community wellness at the center. "We started looking in October and this area was available and in the same general area."

Rush said the building has not only allowed staff to continue to provide services such as exercise classes, blood pressure checks, health screenings and education, but new services have been added, as well.

"We've added a celiac support group, a brain and spinal tumor support group and a support group for those who have recently lost loved ones," she said.

Gaines Penn, chairman of the board of directors for the chamber, said The Medical Center is an important component in the Bowling Green community.

"The chamber appreciates all the center does for the community," Penn said. "They help bring economic benefits, such as jobs, to the community. They've turned Bowling Green into a main hub for health care."

Penn also thinks the new facility will be a boost for the Health & Wellness Center.

"(The move) gives them new exposure in a growing area and the opportunity to better serve the community," he said.

Rush agreed, citing positive public reaction to the Tucker Way facility.

"We've been really pleased with the response, especially with the improvement of parking with our new location," she said.

The center is staffed by registered nurses, dietitians and health educators, with a focus on disease prevention and wellness.

Its hours are from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday.

Copyright 2012 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Support system: Medical Center’s Healthy Weight/Healthy Life class starts Tuesday

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 1/21/2012

Charles Phillips is so interested in getting healthier, he’s willing to drive to Bowling Green from Russellville to get the tools he needs.

“I met with a dietitian before Christmas,” the Russellville man said. “We talked about goals, how to make smarter choices in the food that I eat and an exercise program.”

Phillips will be participating in the Healthy Weight/Healthy Life class, which starts Tuesday.

“I’m interested in losing weight,” Phillips said. “I want to learn to eat better instead of crash dieting.”

The six-week class will meet from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. each Tuesday through Feb. 28 at The Medical Center’s Health and Wellness Center at Chandler Park. The cost is $50, and preregistration is required. For more information or to register, call 745-0942, 877-800-3824 or visit www.themedicalcenter.org.

“We usually do this twice a year. With the new year, we’re trying to reinforce wellness,” Community Wellness Manager Andrea Norris said. “It’s something to teach individuals to make a lifestyle change, something they can keep up and use for the rest of their lives.”

The class focuses each week on something different, Norris said.

“We’ll talk about portion control, food labels, healthy eating when dining out, grocery shopping tips, cooking tips, recipe substitutions, healthy ways to stock their pantry,” she said.

The class also provides support, Norris said. “With a class, you have more people so it’s a support system as well,” she said. “They’re able to encourage each other.”

Phillips has already incorporated some of the strategies in his life. He hopes to alleviate his high blood pressure and sleep apnea through a healthy diet and exercise.

“It’s about staying alive and staying healthy,” he said.

Phillips has managed to make health a lifestyle. He works out at least six days a week at the Carpenter Center in Russellville.

“When I don’t do it, I miss it,” he said. “You have to commit to it.”

He walks on a treadmill for one hour at a brisk pace. He also likes to use an elliptical machine.

“I’m 54 years old, so I can’t go out and jog,” he said, laughing. “It’s easier on my joints.”

Phillips plans to add weightlifting to his routine very soon.

“It’s an important component to losing weight,” he said.

Phillips said he eats at home more than at restaurants. When eating out, he uses an application on his phone called “My Fitness Pro” that tells him how many calories a food contains. He and his wife often split an entree to lessen the calories.

“She does not need to lose weight,” he said. “She’s very supportive of me. I guess she wants to keep me around longer.”

Phillips said he’s trying to burn 500 to 600 calories a day and to eat 300 calories less than his body needs to fuel itself.

“I’ve lost 15 pounds so far,” he said. “I’ve got another 100 pounds to lose, so I’ve got a ways to go.”

Phillips said he has told several people at the Carpenter Center about the classes.

“It’s very affordable. It’s a good way to learn all the little things that you need to do to lose weight,” he said. “You’re never too old to lose weight. If I can do it, anybody can.”

Copyright 2012 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Yoga, CPR demonstrations highlights of health expo

by Laurel Wilson, The Daily News, originally published on 1/15/2012

Hundreds of people gathered at the Sloan Convention Center on Saturday morning to learn about health and wellness.

The annual Health and Wellness Expo aimed to educate the public and included health screenings, vendors, demonstrations and performances.

Ashley White, an instructor at Hot Yoga Bowling Green, was at a booth for the studio giving demonstrations of yoga poses and promoting classes.

“I love whenever you’re there, you’re in the moment,” she said.

The room used for hot yoga is warm, which allows muscles to stretch more and regulate the body better, White said.

She said the expo allows the community to see what hot yoga is like and meet the instructors.

Sherry Suggs, a registered nurse and staff development educator for The Medical Center, taught people how to perform CPR using dummies.

“The most important thing is when they figure out somebody’s collapsed, they call 911,” Suggs said.

That way, they know help is on the way while they perform CPR, she said.

A group from The Medical Center was demonstrating hands-only CPR, which involves pushing down hard and fast in the center of the chest with both hands on top of each other, Suggs said.

“A lot of people in the community would never start CPR if they thought they had to breathe into someone’s mouth,” she said.

Through education and media reports, people have learned that isn’t the only way to perform CPR, she said.

“I think there’s a lot more awareness about how important it is,” Suggs said.

Amy Bratton, a registered nurse at The Medical Center, handed out cards about the risk factors and signs of a stroke, which include slurred speech, facial droop and arm numbness.

“A lot of times people don’t really know that they’re doing that, so you need to educate the people around them too,” Bratton said.

She said events like the expo are important.

“It educates people because they gather so much information,” Bratton said.

Copyright 2012 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)