Mrs. Stahl’s class delivered a set of original, handmade gifts to Bertrand Chaffee Hospital in April. Braving snowy sidewalks, the class made a visit to the Emergency Department with a supply of coloring books to give to the hospital’s youngest patients and visitors.
Thank you, students!
Mary Lou Wright has a quote above her computer that states, “Live What You Love.” For all but a few months of her entire professional career, Wright has been part of the fabric of Bertrand Chaffee Hospital and its Physical Therapy Department, doing exactly that: living what she loves. That career includes a time period that has extended for more than half the hospital’s history.
Starting in June 1975, Wright applied her bachelor of science degree in physical therapy from the University at Buffalo to part-time roles at Fiddler’s Green Manor and Bertrand Chaffee Hospital. “Within a year, BCH asked me to come here full time,” said Wright. Three years later her supervisor relocated to Florida, and she was offered the director of rehab position.
In her first years at BCH, most patients were seen on an outpatient basis. “Back then, therapists were not allowed to evaluate patients,” Wright offered. “We would get a prescription from the physician basically telling us what to do.”
She continued, “As the profession grew, physical therapists became recognized as an integral part of the patient care team. We now perform in-depth evaluations to determine a diagnosis, individual plan of care, and prognosis.”
When asked about how physical therapy has changed across five decades, Wright explained, “So much of the basics of PT have always been the same – heat and cold, massage, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, exercise – those things have not changed.”
She offered this explanation, “But now, the field has expanded to a more hands-on approach, such as manual techniques, and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization. There are new advances in aquatic therapy, vestibular rehab, orthotic and prosthetic devices, and even robotic technology…Patients can also have direct access to PT without a prescription, but with some limitations attached.”
It is the responsibility of the physical therapist to determine the best plan of care for each individual. “In a way, we’re like mechanics,” said Wright. “We help with the fine tuning and getting patients to run – or walk and function – better. It’s all about quality of life.”
Wright initially wanted to be a teacher, but when she was entering college in the 1970s, the market for educators was flooded. But for the past 43 years, she has served as a teacher in a different way, working with thousands of patients on their road to recovery from injuries, surgeries and chronic conditions.
“I have always felt I became what I was meant to be, and have loved what I do,” Wright remarked. “I can only hope that I have had some positive impact on the lives of those we call our patients, many of whom I am now lucky to call friends. It is the lives we touch and the relationships we develop that make healthcare such a unique field. I will miss that the most.”
Annual BCH Foundation Event to Honor William King and the Cordelian Club
The Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Foundation’s annual Garden Party is planned for Thursday, May 31 at the Springville Country Club. The foundation’s board is pleased to announce that the event will celebrate William King and the Cordelian Club for their many contributions to the hospital and nursing home. King is the BCH Foundation board president and a longtime board volunteer for the hospital and foundation. The Cordelian Club has supported the hospital through fundraising efforts for more than 70 years.
The foundation board will direct this year’s proceeds towards the renovation of the second floor nurses’ station.
The Garden Party starts at 5 p.m. and concludes by 8 p.m. The Springville Jazz Orchestra and Nick Kody & Lydia Herren will provide the musical entertainment.
Tickets are $50 each or $80 per couple and are available at the BCH reception desk. For information and sponsorship opportunities, call the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Foundation at (716) 592-2871 ext. 1485 or email Kara Kane at kkane@bch-jbr.org.
Patient and Family Services Manager Renna Thaine is part of the 2018 Buffalo Business First Healthcare Champions list.
Friends and supporters came to Bertrand Chaffee Hospital as staff, providers, board members and elected officials helped to cut the ribbon for the nuclear medicine camera. This piece of equipment was replaced with an upgraded model in March thanks to funding from the New York State Department of Health and a grant from the Springville-Griffith Community Education Foundation.
This was received through our Direct Line to the CEO in March about our Primary Care Center:
“I want to say that Lauralee Sprague is a professional, caring person with whom I am most comfortable having my mother in her care. I am impressed with her and feel that she deserves an accolade. I wish to thank her for being who she is.” – T.
#teamchaffee
From HealthyInteractions.com…One in three American adults is at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, a serious disease that can lead to complications like kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, blindness, and amputations. But type 2 diabetes doesn’t have to be permanent—it can be prevented or delayed with healthy lifestyle modifications. The first step is learning your risk.
That’s why this year Healthy Interactions is participating in American Diabetes Association Alert Day®. On March 27, we encourage you to take and or share a simple and anonymous one-minute test to find out if you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. You’ll answer questions such as, “Do you have a family history of diabetes?” and “Are you physically active?” to learn your diabetes risk in 60 seconds. It’s that simple.
The Cordelian Club coordinated another incredible dance on March 17 to benefit Bertrand Chaffee Hospital.
This group turned the Springville Volunteer Fire Hall into a dance floor and party space awash in green lights and St. Patrick’s Day-themed decorations for a fun-filled night.
Food and snacks were catered in part by the Apple Dumplin’ Restaurant. Music by Tailor Made DJ and a photo booth by Smile and Share It added to the fun. Whether it was the Dropkick Murphys or Young MC on the sound system, guests were dancing and singing along to the music all night. A basket raffle with premier items also got heavy attention throughout the evening.
[If you have a raffle ticket stub that ends in 0-2-7, please contact Kara at (716) 592-2871 ext. 1485.]
It’s Wednesday – auction day – in Springville, but Jane W.* has other plans. Starting at 10 a.m., Jane pulls up to the front entrance and uses the valet service to park her car for the day. Jane has used a cane to get around for a few years, and the convenience of the valet is one reason she doesn’t mind her regular visits to Bertrand Chaffee Hospital.
After visiting the registration department to sign in for lab work and imaging tests, Jane heads down the hall to the lab for a series of blood tests recommended by her oncologist. She’ll be seeing her primary care provider later in the day, and the results will be sent to both physicians.
Jane ventures further down the hall towards the Imaging Department. Her oncologist also recommended a chest x-ray, and she will spend the next half-hour with that procedure. Though her specialist is located in the Amherst, Jane has been able to do a surprising amount of the tests, surgical preparation and follow-up at her local hospital. The long trips north have been limited to the cancer surgery itself and in-office consultations with the specialist team.
It’s lunchtime now, and Jane gives her daughter – who works at BCH – a quick call to see if she can take a break. She can, and they eat sandwiches and soup from the coffee shop at the comfortable tables in the lobby.
But Jane is barely halfway through her day at BCH. With some time to spare before her afternoon appointment for a mammogram with the hospital’s new state-of-the-art 3D mammography service, Jane makes her way over to the Jennie B. Her own mother, Gloria, has been a resident at JBR for several years following an injury that required major surgery. Both have lived in Springville all their lives, and for Gloria to remain in her home community for nursing care has been a blessing for her family.
A few minutes before her mammogram, Jane walks back across the campus back to the Imaging Department. After an uneventful mammogram, Jane grabs a cup of coffee at the coffee shop to take her through the rest of the afternoon, placing it in her walker for the ride up the elevator to primary care.
Her appointment at the Primary Care Center with Dr. Heidelberger is one of the last of the afternoon. He reviews the results of her lab work from the morning, before having a discussion about her health conditions and talking through her continuing treatment plan with her oncologist. He makes recommendations for what to do before her next visit in three months.
If ever there were an example of keeping healthcare local, Jane has made it. She has been able to use the hospital’s robust outpatient services and Primary Care Center, and also take comfort that her elderly mother is well cared for at the Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home.
This is based on an experience of a patient at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital. Names and some details are changed, and this story is used with permission.
Bertrand Chaffee Hospital has upgraded its nuclear medicine camera equipment as of March with support from the New York State Department of Health and its Statewide Healthcare Facility Transformation Program.
“This state-of-the-art camera has the ability to perform diagnostic and heart/cardiac studies,” said Lisa Smith, Imaging Department Manager. “This machine has a faster scan time and higher resolution than our previous camera.”
She continued, “This equipment is up and running after an intensive three-month effort, and we thank the community for its patience as we transitioned to this new system.”
“The imaging projects within our grant are a key part of our strategy to offer local health services that are vital to our rural population,” said Nils Gunnersen, CEO. “We appreciate that the Springville-Griffith Community Education Foundation provided funding towards this project as well.”
Studies available with this nuclear medicine camera include: scans of bone, lung, spleen, thyroid, liver, brain, and breast; scans for GI bleeding and gastric emptying; a white blood cell extremity scan; and, cardiac stress and cardiac non-stress scans.
Nuclear medicine exams will be available weekdays from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Please call the BCH Heart Center for appointments at (716) 592-9644.