Diabetes education program set for June 29 at CMMC

Lewiston, Maine - “Taking Control” is the subject of a diabetes education program set for June 29 at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

 

The presentation is part of an A1C Champions series presented regularly at CMMC. The event is sponsored by pharmaceutical company Sanofi, and is part of an educational initiative featuring speakers who have learned to successfully manage their own diabetes and share information, advice, and motivation with others, says Jamie Pepin, a clinical dietitian and diabetes educator who is organizing the series. Pepin is a member of the professional staff at the Central Maine Endocrinology and Diabetes Center in Lewiston.

 

Pepin encourages those who are interested in learning better strategies for managing their diabetes to attend this free event, which will be presented on June 29 beginning at 6 p.m. in Conference Room H, located on the lower level of the 12 High Street Medical Office Building on the CMMC campus.

 

Those interested in attending the presentation are asked to register in advance by calling 795-7520 and leaving a message that includes their name and phone number.

Back pain is subject of two April presentations‏

“Dealing with Back Pain” is the topic of a special presentation set for two dates in April at Central Maine Medical Center.

Lewiston, Maine - Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Matt M. McLaughlin, M.D., will discuss the surgical and non-surgical treatment of back pain.

McLaughlin is a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio. He completed residency training at The Ohio State University Hospitals, also in Columbus, Ohio.

He is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and holds subspecialty certification in pain medicine. He is also certified by the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine.

The first presentation will be held on April 8 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Conference Room I, located on the lower level of the 12 High Street Medical Office Building on the Central Maine Medical Center campus in Lewiston. The program will be offered again on April 14 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the same location.

Anyone wishing to register for the session or seeking more information about the program is urged to call 795-8448 or email prevention@cmhc.org

CMMC physician earns national honor‏

Lewiston, Maine - A Central Maine Medical Center physician who has been instrumental in developing a comprehensive palliative care service at CMMC has been recognized nationally for his work on behalf of those with serious illnesses in rural Maine.

Bruce E. Condit, M.D., medical director of palliative care and an attending physician at CMMC, is one of just five recipients of the 2015 Hastings Center Cunniff-Dixon Physician Awards.

The awards are cosponsored by The Hastings Center, a bioethics research institute that has done groundbreaking work on end-of-life decision-making, and the Cunniff-Dixon Foundation, which strives to enrich the doctor-patient relationship near the end of life. Duke University Divinity School’s Program in Medicine, Theology, and Culture oversees the selection process.

The awards were made in three categories: a senior award, a mid-career award and three early-career awards. An award recipient must demonstrate exemplary performance in one or more of four areas: medical practice, teaching, research, and community.

The selection committee recommended Condit for the Mid-Career Physician Award for “creating

“Healthy Eating on a Budget” is the topic of a program set for March 26 at Central Maine Medical Center.

Lewiston, Maine - Erin Cotton, a clinical dietitian at Central Maine Bariatric Surgery, will take on the myth that healthy eating is necessarily costly, complicated and time-consuming. Her presentation will provide smart shopping habits and tips for navigating the grocery store. She will also discuss kitchen timesavers that can be used to prepare convenient, affordable, and nutritious meals.

Cotton earned a bachelor’s degree in food science and human nutrition from the University of Maine. She is also a graduate of the Adagio Health dietetic internship program in Pittsburgh. Throughout her internship, she worked in a variety of settings, including hospitals, long-term care and rehabilitation facilities, home health, grocery stores, schools, and public health programs. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Maine Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

In her role at Central Maine Bariatric Surgery, she assists patients in losing weight, taking control of their health, and improving their quality of life. She provides patients with information that better prepares them for surgery, and helps them achieve long-term weight loss success after surgery.

Previously, she worked as a registered dietitian for the Western Maine Community Action WIC program, providing nutrition and breastfeeding counseling and education to families throughout Androscoggin, Oxford, and Franklin counties.

“Healthy Eating on a Budget” will be offered beginning at 6 p.m. on March 26 in Chairmen’s Rooms A and B, 12 High Street (lower level), Lewiston.

There is no charge for participation.

For more information or to register for the program, call 795-8448 or email prevention@cmhc.org

Pam Rietschel takes full-time role at breast care center‏

Lewiston, Maine - Pamela R. Rietschel, M.D., has joined the Sam and Jennie Bennett Breast Care Center professional staff. She has been co-medical director of the center since it was established, and recently accepted the role of the center’s full-time breast surgeon.

Rietschel has a diverse surgical practice background. She was most recently a member of the Central Maine Vascular Surgery practice surgical staff. In the 25 years she has worked in the Lewiston-Auburn area, she has practiced both general surgery, including breast surgery, and vascular surgery. She is now specializing in breast surgery at the Bennett Center.

“It is a pleasure to have Dr. Rietschel at the Breast Center as it will allow us to expand our services and continue to offer men and women with breast disease, including cancer, timely, efficient and compassionate care, extending from physical examination and treatment to follow-up care and survivorship,” nurse practitioner Kathi Varney.

Varney, an experienced breast care provider, will continue to see patients and work closely with the

Hepatitis program set for March 23 at CMMC‏

Lewiston, Maine - “Living with Viral Hepatitis” is the subject of a special program set for March 23 at Central Maine Medical Center.

Lindsay Ventura, community outreach and education manager for the New England division of the American Liver Foundation, will discuss the liver and its functions, as well as provide a clear comparison of hepatitis A, B, and C. The discussion will be geared for those who either have the hepatitis C virus or are at risk for contracting the virus. The program will cover information regarding risks, treatment options, and living with hepatitis C.

Ventura holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and education from Northeastern University in Boston. She previously worked as a research assistant in the Division of Preventive Medicine at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Ventura has extensive personal experiences with liver disease, so her presentation is informed by her life as a patient and caregiver.

The program will be offered free of charge at 1:30 p.m. on March 23 in Conference Room I, 12 High Street (lower level), Lewiston.

For more information or to reserve a seat, call 795-8448 or email prevention@cmhc.org

Interpreter service is available upon advance request.

Pediatrician joins CMMC Family Medicine Residency‏

Lewiston, Maine - Kristen M. Schwindt-Brown, M.D. has joined the staff and faculty at the Central Maine Medical Center Family Medicine Residency in Lewiston.

“Dr. Brown has a gift and great enthusiasm for providing care to young people. She is also focused on connecting with our community to help all kids maintain good health,” says Raj Woolever, M.D., the residency’s program director.

“Teaching the next generation of physicians to care for children is both a privilege and passion for me. It is essential for the health of our community that its youngest members get the care, advocacy, and support they deserve,” Brown says.

Originally from North Dakota, Brown completed her undergraduate studies at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., in 1997 and earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee in 2002. She served an internship and residency in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Brown has held numerous clinical positions, working at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the

Perlman returns to CMMC Neonatal Care Unit

Lewiston, Maine - Marc B. Perlman, M.D., a neonatologist and pediatrics hospitalist, has been appointed to the Central Maine Medical Center Staff. He will serve as medical director of the CMMC Neonatal Intermediate Care Unit, a service dedicated to the inpatient care of babies with special medical needs.

CMMC's Neonatal Intermediate Care Unit (NICU) specializes in caring for premature babies and infants with developmental problems or medical complications, including infections, breathing disorders, traumatic injuries, and metabolic and neurologic disorders. The CMMC NICU also evaluates and stabilizes babies for the treatment of cardiac and surgical problems at other medical facilities.

Perlman practiced medicine previously at CMMC from 1997 to 2008. He was the medical director of the NICU from 1999 to 2008, and the unit’s associate medical director from 1997 to 1999. He served as director of CMMC’s pediatric hospitalist program from 2004 to 2007.

Before returning to CMMC, Perlman worked as a pediatrics emergency and urgent care hospitalist at

Osteoporosis is topic of November 6 program at CMMC‏

“Osteoporosis: Prevention and Treatment” is the subject of a special presentation set for November 6 at Central Maine Medical Center.
Lewiston, Maine - Orthopaedic surgeon Lauren Adey, M.D., of Central Maine Orthopaedics and the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Maine, will discuss how to take charge of bone health by preventing and treating osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis can lead to bone fractures. Fractures, particularly in the spine or hip, are the most serious complication of osteoporosis. Hip fractures often result from a fall and can result in disability and even death from postoperative complications, especially in older adults.

Adey is a fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon who practices with Central Maine Orthopaedics (CMO) in Auburn. Her practice focus is surgery of the hand, wrist and elbow.

Before joining CMO, Adey completed the nationally recognized Massachusetts General Hospital

Retired physician to hold book signing at CMMC‏

Lewiston, Maine - Retired physician Mary T. Dycio, M.D., of Lewiston will host a book signing in the lobby at Central Maine Medical Center on October 7 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

“My Life’s Journey from Ukraine to Maine” is a memoir of her experiences as told to Martha Stevens-David. As Dycio states in the book’s foreword: “I still speak English with a slight Ukrainian accent, and the flavor of my accent and choice of words here in my memoir will show this. I hope you like my story.”

The book was published by PR Gott Publishing of Norway.

Dycio, 92, was born in Ukraine and survived the brutal occupation the country endured under the regimes of Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union and Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Despite the hardships and disruptions she experienced, including time in a Nazi labor camp, Dycio managed to complete her medical education in post-war Germany and then emigrated to the United States with her husband, the late George Dycio, M.D., who also practiced medicine in the Lewiston-Auburn area.

CMMC Ball Drop set for June 17 at Martindale‏

Lewiston, Maine - Central Maine Medical Center will present its 4th Annual Arbor House Helicopter Ball Drop on June 16 at 5 p.m. at Martindale Country Club in Auburn.

This unique fundraiser, hosted by the CMMC Associates Volunteer Program, will benefit the CMMC Arbor House.

Numbered golf balls will be dropped onto a target from a helicopter. The individual who has purchased the raffle ticket corresponding with the ball that lands closest to the target will win a cash prize. Participants do not have to be present to win.  

Ticket levels are: $100 for one chance in 50 to win $2,000; $50 for one chance in 100 to win $1,500; $20 for one chance in 400 to win $1,000; and $10 for one chance in 700 to win $500. Up to 1,250 golf balls will be dropped.

An art show and sale, hosted by the CMMC Woman’s Hospital Association, will feature local artists: Claudia Diller, Irene Duplissis, Bruce Habowski, Neiley Harris, Oana Lauric, Melanie Ness, Patricia Ritzo,

Asthma inhalers topic of June 2 session at CMMC‏

Lewiston, Maine - “Making Sense of Asthma Inhalers” is the subject of a Central Maine Medical Center Accenting Your Health presentation set for June 2.

A registered pharmacist and two registered respiratory therapists will discuss the various types of inhalers used to manage asthma. Their presentation will focus on both therapeutic medication inhalers and rescue inhalers and their proper use. They will also demonstrate how peak flow meters can help individuals better control their asthma.

The presenters will be registered pharmacist Kristin Maguire and registered respiratory therapists Jeffery Eckert and Tara Inman.

The program will be offered from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and again from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on June 2  in the Chairmen’s Rooms, located on the lower lever of the 12 High Street Medical Office Building in Lewiston.

There is no cost for the presentation.

Those interested in attending the program are urged to register in advance by calling 795-8448, emailing prevention@cmhc.org, or registering online at www.cmmc.org

Interpreter services are available upon advance request.

Rachael Lewis named DAISY Award winner

Registered nurse Rachael Lewis, left, and CMMC Vice President for Nursing Sharron Sieleman. See accompanying story for details.

Lewiston, Maine - Registered nurse Rachael Lewis has been recognized as a Central Maine Medical Center’s DAISY Award recipient.

The DAISY Award is sponsored by the DAISY Foundation and recognizes nurses who consistently demonstrate in their work the following attributes: compassion; critical thinking skills; passion about life; patient- and family-focused care; patient advocacy; support of all healthcare team members; and nursing profession role model.

Lewis works on the fourth floor Memorial Wing (M4) Pediatrics/Adult Medical-Surgical Nursing Unit, recently relocated from the third-floor Thompson Wing (T3).

M4 Nurse Manager Alison Dehetre nominated Lewis for the award after a family noted the exceptional care she provided for a family experiencing the passing of a loved-one.

Shortly before Christmas, Danny Libby brought his wife Marjorie to CMMC with symptoms of confusion, weakness and shortness of breath. “I stopped what I was doing and walked with Danny to Marjorie’s room, a short trip I would take every day until January 16 at 11:13 a.m., when Marjorie passed away,” recalls M4 Nurse Manager Alison Dehetre.

“It was easy to see from all of her visitors that she was loved by many, but none loved her more than Danny. Understandably, his grief was severe as he watched his partner of 42 years slip away from him. Rachael Lewis would come in on her days off to visit, and both Marjorie and Danny loved to see her. They spoke of Rachael constantly,” Dehetre says.

After Marjorie passed away, her family said the nursing care they witnessed at CMMC was outstanding. They mentioned several nurses and highlighted particular acts of kindness, and Danny said he found it difficult to identify a single nurse for special recognition. “He chose Rachael because she demonstrated her passion for nursing in the caring approach that she should care not only for the patient but for the family,” Dehetre says.

Lewis began work at CMMC in July 2012 after graduating from nursing school. She is presently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in nursing. She is very active in her church.

“We are very fortunate to have the level of nursing expertise that Rachael, and many other nurses at CMMC, have to offer our patients and their families.  The compassion and dedication of our nurses is very evident in all they do each shift. Having worked at CMMC for just under two years, Rachael compassion and holistic approach to patient care have already been an example for all that have worked with her, especially on the night shift that Rachael works.  Patient care is 24/7 in a hospital setting and during the night is a time when some patients and their families may feel their most vulnerable.  Rachael instills safety, calm and confidence in her approach to caring for others.  We have so much to look forward to from Rachael in her future years here at CMMC,” said CMMC Vice President for Nursing Sharron Sieleman

The DAISY Award was established in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at 33 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. DAISY is an acronym for “diseases attacking the immune system”. The foundation is headquartered in Glen Ellen, Calif.

The DAISY Award was created to show gratitude to the nursing profession, because the Barnes family believed that nurses are truly “unsung heroes”. The DAISY Foundation says the program “honors the super human work nurses do at the bedside each and every day.” The foundation also funds research for the J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects.

Patients, visitors, physicians, and co-workers can nominate nurses who they feel deserve to be recognized with the DAISY Award.

Knee problems topic of May 1 presentation‏

Lewiston, Maine - “Surgical Treatment of Knee Problems” is the subject of a special presentation set for May 1 at Central Maine Medical Center.

Orthopaedic surgeon Paul Cain, M.D., will discuss options for the surgical repair of knee disorders and injuries.

A long-time member of the central and western Maine medical-surgical community, Cain practices in various specialty areas, including sports medicine, arthroscopic and open surgery of the shoulder and knee, knee ligament reconstruction, and cartilage restoration.

He is certified in orthopaedic surgery and orthopaedic sports medicine by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

He practices with Central Maine Orthopaedics (CMO) at 690 Minot Avenue, Suite 1, in Auburn. Since the inception of CMO’s sports medicine program in 1987, Cain has expanded the service into a comprehensive program that includes prevention, community education, game coverage, and involvement with local teams at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels.

“Surgical Treatment of Knee Problems” will be offered on May 1 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Chairmen’s Rooms on the lower level of the 12 High Street medical office building in Lewiston.

The presentation is being sponsored by the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Maine, a partnership of Central Maine Medical Center and Central Maine Orthopaedics.

He is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

There is no cost for attending the presentation.

To register or for more information, call 783-1328. Registrations can also be made via email at RSVP@cmogroup.org

CMMC Gala raises $95,000 for CMHVI‏

Central Maine Medical Center recent annual dinner-dance event raised $95,000, according to Chuck Gill, vice president for public affairs at Central Maine Healthcare.

CMMC’s 18th Annual Spring Gala, presented this year with the theme “The Heart of the City”, was held at the Kora Shrine Center in Lewiston. Funds raised through the event will support the Central Maine Heart & Vascular Institute’s 10th Anniversary Capital Campaign Fund.

“CMMC is honored to again recognize and thank Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare as the presenting sponsor and CareTech Solutions as the Gala’s event sponsor. Joining us as our Heart of the City Sponsor was Center Street Dental. The generosity of these sponsors, as well as the support of 15 other major sponsors, including many from businesses in the greater Lewiston-Auburn area, made the event a complete success and supported the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute’s mission,” said Gill.

The Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute offers advanced cardiac and vascular diagnostic and treatment services. CMHVI’s cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons and other skilled professionals provide specialty care to inpatients and outpatients at CMHVI and from offices at a number of locations in central, western, and mid-coast Maine.

For more information about CMMC fundraising events and activities, call the CMMC Development Office at 795-2950 or email giving@cmhc.org. A summary of CMMC’s Spring Gala sponsors and photos of the event are available at www.cmmcgiving.org

GALA SPONSOR – Rose Sheline, D.D.S., from Center Street Dental, speaks to attendees at Central Maine Medical Center’s 18th Annual Spring Gala. Center Street Dental was one of the event’s sponsors. The event raised nearly $100,000 for the Central Maine Heart & Vascular Institute’s 10th Anniversary Capital Campaign Fund.

Hepatitis C is subject of April 10 CMMC program‏

Lewiston, Maine - “Hepatitis C Virus Infection” is the subject of a Central Maine Medical Center Accenting Your Health presentation set for April 10.

Imad H. Durra, M.D., an infectious diseases specialist who practices with Central Maine Medical Center Infectious Diseases Associates in Lewiston, will provide an introduction to the basics of hepatitis C transmission and prevention, the disease’s effect on the liver and other organs, and how it is treated.

Prior to relocating to the Lewiston-Auburn area several years ago, Durra practiced for nine years at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where he provided inpatient consultation services and managed outpatient care for patients living with HIV, hepatitis C, and other infectious diseases. He also directed a hepatitis C clinic sponsored by Acadia Hospital in Bangor

He earned his medical degree from the American University of Beirut Medical School in Beirut, Lebanon. He completed an internal medicine residency at State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Brooklyn, N.Y., where he served as chief resident. He completed an infectious diseases fellowship at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, N.J.

He is certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is a member of the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

The program will be offered from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on April 10 in the Chairmen’s Rooms, located on
the lower lever of the 12 High Street Medical Office Building in Lewiston.

There is no cost for the presentation.

Those interested in attending the program are urged to register in advance by calling 795-8448, emailing prevention@cmhc.org, or registering online at www.cmmc.org

Interpreter services are available upon advance request.

Migraine headaches is topic of March 20

Lewiston, Maine - “Oh, My Aching Head . . .  What Is a Migraine Headache?” is the subject of a Central Maine Medical Center Accenting Your Health presentation set for March 20.

Katarina Latkovich, M.D., of Central Maine Internal Medicine, will discuss migraine headaches. Her presentation will cover what triggers the sometimes severe headaches, what might prevent them, and what can be done to make them subside.

Latkovich earned her medical degree at the University of Belgrade in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and completed residency training at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Mass. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

The program will be offered from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on March 20 in the Chairmen’s Rooms, located on the lower level of the 12 High Street Medical Office Building in Lewiston.

There is no cost for the presentation.

Those interested in attending the program are urged to register in advance by calling 795-8448, emailing prevention@cmhc.org, or registering online at www.cmmc.org

Interpreter services are available upon advance request.

Carpal tunnel program set for February 6

Lewiston, Maine - “Carpal Tunnel and Other Common Treatable Problems of the Hand” is the subject of a special presentation set for February 6 at Central Maine Medical Center.

Orthopaedic surgeon Lauren Adey, M.D., will discuss the symptoms of carpal tunnel and what can be done to prevent and treat this common problem affecting the hand. She will also discuss some of the causes of thumb pain, including tendonitis and arthritis.

Adey is a fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon who practices with Central Maine Orthopaedics (CMO) in Auburn. Her practice focus is surgery of the hand, wrist and elbow.

Before joining CMO, Adey completed the nationally recognized Massachusetts General Hospital Hand Surgery Fellowship and the Harvard University Orthopaedic Residency Program, both in Boston. She also completed a six-month sports medicine fellowship at Children's Hospital/Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.

Adey graduated cum laude from Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., and from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia.

She is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of the New England Hand Society, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

“Carpal Tunnel and Other Common Fixable Problems of the Hand” will be offered on February 6 beginning at 6 p.m. in the Chairmen’s Rooms on the lower level of the 12 High Street medical office building in Lewiston.

The presentation is being sponsored by the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Maine, a partnership of Central Maine Medical Center and Central Maine Orthopaedics.

To register or for more information, call 783-1328. Registrations can also be made via email at RSVP@cmogroup.org

January 6th Yoga Workshop‏

Lewiston, Maine - Certified yoga instructor Marcy Covey will lead a 90-minute yoga workshop on January 6 at Central Maine Medical Center.

"As people move into the new year, they should stop, breathe, relax, and restore,” says Covey. “This workshop will offer participants a way of opening their heart, relaxing their body, and calming their mind, as the begin a new year.”

Covey is owner of Dragonfly Healing Touch, a Thai Yoga Bodywork studio in Poland.

In the early 1990s she created the first wellness programs at CMMC, helping to design the CMMC Wellness Center, which she managed from 1995 through 2002. She presently facilitates educational support programs at the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing in Lewiston.

The yoga program will be offered from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on January 6 in the CMMC Health and Fitness Center, located on the lower level of the 12 High Street medical office building in Lewiston.

There will be a small fee for participation.

Those interested in attending the program must register in advance by calling 795-2473.

January 9 motivational workshop‏

Lewiston, Maine - “Staying on Track: Realistic Resolutions” will be the subject of two Central Maine Medical Center Accenting Your Health presentations set for January 9.

Marcy Covey, a wellness educator at CMMC, will host motivational workshops exploring how someone can more effectively honor any commitments they make for the new year, a.k.a., a “New Year’s Resolution”. She will offer specific steps people can follow to help them stay on track in working towards their goals.

Covey is owner of Dragonfly Healing Touch, a Thai Yoga Bodywork studio in Poland.

In the early 1990s she created the first wellness programs at CMMC, helping to design the CMMC Wellness Center, which she managed from 1995 through 2002. She presently facilitates educational support programs at the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing in Lewiston.

The Accenting Your Health program will be offered at 1 p.m. and again at 6 p.m. on January 9 in Conference Room H, located on the lower level of the 12 High Street medical office building in Lewiston.

There is no cost for attending either workshop.

Those interested in attending either of the programs are urged to register in advance by calling 795-8448, emailing prevention@cmhc.org, or registering online at www.cmmc.org

Interpreter services are available upon advance request.