Mary Telfair Women's Hospital at St. Joseph's/Candler

11/22/2024

Meet Gretchen Pearce Chamberlain, Foundations coordinator for St. Joseph’s/Candler. Gretchen has worked here for five and a half years. She is responsible for communicating with the community, especially those involved with major fundraising events such as SmartWomen, Candler Clays and Paint The Town Pink. She informs businesses and interested individuals about fundraising opportunities and all the amazing ways donations are used in the community, such as mammograms for uninsured and underinsured women and gas cards for cancer patients who have difficulty traveling to their appointments. Gretchen also is the point person for the co-worker giving club, Give Smart. She speaks at orientation every Monday and is always surprised and delighted at the number of people who choose to give at orientation before ever having a full first day of work.

In fact, since 2013, more than $2 million has been raised solely through Give Smart, co-worker payroll deduction.

“Two million dollars is a lot of money and a huge impact for our patients. Our co-workers are giving $5 a pay check, $3 a pay check, and it goes to show just how impactful a small amount can have over time with consistency. That is something I get to see that I don’t think people realize, just the impact our co-workers have made. I really enjoy the opportunity to talk about Foundations and all it supports, not just to new co-workers at orientation, but also long-time co-workers. I think one of the most important things that stands out to me is we are a very service-oriented group of people. Not just the Foundations, but in general, the number of co-workers you encounter that are happy to volunteer for an event or volunteer with Mission Services, I think it really speaks to our culture.”

“In the same way, I get to go out into the community and talk to sponsors of SmartWomen or Candler Clays. Maybe they were a sponsor a year earlier, and now I get to share with them the impact their contribution made for women who need mammograms or a patient that made their cancer appointment because they were able to receive a gas card. It really does make a difference to be able to bring to life what the Foundations does as my role as the coordinator to talk to so many different people.”

Meet other featured co-workers on our website: https://www.sjchs.org/home/about-us/our-coworkers

11/22/2024

The tree is lit! Our unofficial start to the holiday season is the lighting of the Breast Cancer Awareness Holiday Tree. Breast cancer survivor Nicki Johnson did the honors, after sharing the brave and touching story of her diagnosis, treatment, and now in survivorship, her commitment to helping others on that same journey.

The reception also gave us chance to publicly thank some of the people and organizations that raised money for the Telfair Mammography Fund during our Paint the Town Pink campaign in October. Your help provides a light in the darkness for uninsured and underinsured women who would otherwise not be able to afford a potentially life-saving mammogram.

11/21/2024

Most people associate ultrasound screenings with pregnancy. However, ultrasounds can be used in a number of ways that can help if you are experiencing pain, swelling or other symptoms that require a view from the inside of your body.

An ultrasound scan, also known as sonography, uses high-frequency sound waves to produce high-resolution images, explains Ashley DeWitt, diagnostic medical sonographer with St. Joseph’s/Candler Imaging Center – Pooler. It is a non-invasive, painless procedure that does not use radiation, she adds.

Sonographers and physicians can use these images to see organs, soft tissues, veins and arteries inside the body to look for anything abnormal. An ultrasound can show plaque in the arteries or blood clots in veins, for example. Your doctor may order an ultrasound to look at your thyroid nodules, gallbladder or kidneys.

“We also do breast ultrasounds,” DeWitt adds. “Gallstones show up really well on ultrasound. Ultrasound is often the first step in imaging, especially with kids.”

More at https://www.sjchs.org/living-smart-blog/blog-details/blog/2024/11/20/what-to-expect-during-an-ultrasound

11/20/2024

Got questions about diabetes and pre-diabetes? What are some symptoms? What are the newest ways to make diabetes management less stressful?

St. Joseph's/Candler Endocrinologist Dr. Priti Nath answers as part of National Diabetes Month:

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – November is National Diabetes Month. To discuss the disease that affects millions nationwide, Dr. Priti Nath, an endocrinologist specialist with St. Joseph’s/Candler& #8…

11/20/2024

Who might need home health care?

"People who need nursing services or other skilled services such as PT or OT following an illness or a procedure—but who are homebound without the help of a family member or assistive device—are eligible.," says Kelly Wingate RN, Regional Coordinator Specialist Manager for St. Joseph’s/Candler Home Health Care.

"They could have been in the hospital for any number of reasons: knee replacement, neck surgery, a diagnosis that includes a new medication regimen, a severe wound. Even some COVID-19 patients who are doing well enough to go home may need to use a pulse oximeter and oxygen concentrator to help us monitor their recovery."

More at https://www.sjchs.org/smart-living-home/fall-2021/ask-a-magnet-nurse

11/19/2024

That's a wrap on another annual Paint the Town Pink campaign. We're feeling grateful for all those who helped raise an astonishing amount that will help women in need get mammograms and breast health services. The total from all the businesses, organizations and schools that hosted fundraisers was more than $68,000, all going to the Telfair Mammography Fund.

11/17/2024

OB/GYN Dr. Aariel Dees understands that some women may be afraid to talk about their depression, or they may believe these are symptoms to discuss only with a psychiatrist or neurologist. But in some cases, your OB/GYN can help, too.

“Don’t be ashamed,” Dr. Dees says. “We see people every day that feel the exact same way you do. We can talk about it. If we find that your symptoms are due to hormone levels, we can develop a treatment plan that is right for you.”

Many patients find relief with hormone replacement therapy or other medications, which can regulate a hormonal imbalance.

“Patients going through menopause, for example, can be in a hypoestrogenic state,” Dr. Dees says. “Their body has lower levels of estrogen than normal. It’s a state that your body was not previously used to, and that can affect your mental health.”

More at https://www.sjchs.org/smart-living-home/november-december-2024/hormones-and-mental-health

11/15/2024

Meet Melanie Nutting, Cardiology PACS administrator with The Heart Hospital at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Melanie has worked for the health system for 30 years, starting at Candler Hospital as an X-ray tech. She was part of the PACS implementation process in 2005 and has been the Cardiology PACS administrator since its inception in 2008. PACS stands for Picture Archival and Communications System. PACS is where all images are stored since we no longer use film. Melanie is responsible for the system that holds cardiology images. She ensures all studies in the system are in proper order and ready for the physicians to read each day. Melanie also works with physicians and staff to address any questions or issues they have regarding PACS. She also makes sure reports are imported properly into Meditech and works closely with IS on orders and new builds. Melanie also is the coordinator for the Chest Pain Center accreditation, which is currently in the process of being renewed.

“I love helping people. I feel like God designed me to be a helper, and I really enjoy that. It’s changed over the years in my career from helping patients hands-on to now I help those that help the patients hands-on. I love it.”

“For me, it’s so important that St. Joseph’s/Candler is faith-based. There’s not a lot of jobs out there where you can and are encouraged to pray before every meeting and that’s important to me. I have also worked with a lot of different people throughout the organization and met a lot of people and that’s been great too. I love it and don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.”

Meet other featured co-workers on our website: https://www.sjchs.org/home/about-us/our-coworkers

11/15/2024

Please join us as we wrap up our annual Paint the Town Pink campaign. We’re so grateful for all those who helped raise an astonishing amount that will help women in need get mammograms and breast health services.

11/15/2024

If you suspect or know you have a hernia, don't wait to see your doctor. It's not going to go away.

“Over time, they become larger. It could be relatively quick growth, or it could be a slow process,” says Dr. Anthony Foley, general surgeon and co-director of the St. Joseph’s/Candler Hernia Center of Excellence. “As long as you’re active, as long as you are putting extra stress on the abdominal wall, that pressure just continues to make that hernia a bit larger over time.”

From there, things could get worse, explains Dr. Jeffrey Mandel, general surgeon and co-director of the St. Joseph’s/Candler Hernia Center of Excellence.

"If the intestine goes through a weak spot, then it can cut off the blood supply to that piece of intestine, and your intestine could potentially become gangrenous and rupture. If we catch it early, we can push it back in and the intestine can reperfuse without suffering any long-term damage.”

At St. Joseph’s/Candler, the majority of hernia surgeries are performed robotically on the da Vinci Surgical System. St. Joseph’s/Candler has offered minimally-invasive robotic surgery for more than 17 years and is an accredited Hernia Center of Excellence by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC).

What does this mean for you? Learn more at https://www.sjchs.org/living-smart-blog/blog-details/blog/2024/11/14/minimally-invasive-treatment-option-for-hernia-repair-means-quicker-recovery-for-patients

11/14/2024

"The CNAs and PCTs make a big difference! We can tell because when a busy floor gets a new CNA, the nurses get so excited. They are like, “Yes!” Because that means the nurses can focus fully on the clinical pieces of patient care. Otherwise, the nurses would be spending much of their time doing those other tasks. So the support they receive has a ripple effect. Nurses can focus on what they do best and the patients know they are being well taken care of by an effective, collaborative team of people.

PCTs can help with basic wound care, do EKGs and more. That’s a big deal when it’s 4 a.m. and you have five or six patients under your care! So our nurses have really been grateful for our apprenticeship programs."

Learn more about the CNA and PCT Apprenticeship Programs and apply online at www.sjchs.org/careers/cna-pct

11/13/2024

Did you know that hernias in adults never go away without surgery?

Thanks to minimally-invasive surgical options, you can have a quicker, less painful recovery for hernia repair.

“One of the common misconceptions is people think that you’re going to have a hernia removed just because they see a bulge as something that needs to be taken out or removed,” says Dr. Anthony Foley, general surgeon and co-director of the St. Joseph’s/Candler Hernia Center of Excellence. “Ultimately, what typically happens is that the hernia contents get pulled back inside the abdomen where they belong, and then the defect in the abdominal wall is repaired.”

Generally speaking, “a hernia is a defect in the muscle wall, basically a weak point in the body,” explains Dr. Jeffrey Mandel, general surgeon and co-director of the St. Joseph’s/Candler Hernia Center of Excellence.

Learn more at https://www.sjchs.org/living-smart-blog/blog-details/blog/2024/11/13/understanding-types-causes-and-preventing-hernias

11/12/2024

The 2024 SmartWomen Luncheon & Expo was record breaking! Thank you to everyone who supported us and helped raise more than $248,000 for uninsured and underinsured women who need life-saving breast health service!

Read more about it here: https://www.sjchs.org/news-list/2024/11/12/the-22nd-st.-joseph-s-candler-smartwomen-luncheon-expo-raises-record-amount

11/12/2024

Every day is a little different for Melissa Crenshaw, MD, a board-certified OB hospitalist. And that’s just the way she likes it.

“We have treated every OB emergency that you can think of,” she says. “The variety is one of the reasons I love working in a hospital setting.”

Dr. Crenshaw is the site director for the Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG). St. Joseph’s/Candler began a partnership with OBHG this year to provide a unique service for expectant mothers in the region. The Telfair BirthPlace at Candler Hospital now has OB hospitalists on staff 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“No matter what time you or your unborn baby need care, we’re here,” Dr. Crenshaw says.

More at https://www.sjchs.org/smart-living-home/november-december-2024/in-person-24-7

11/11/2024

As a rookie linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, Nolan Smith quickly racked up some memorable moments. He saw action in all 17 games of his first season, recording 13 tackles with five pressures. He got his first NFL sack against the Miami Dolphins last October. Before that, he was a two-time College Football National Champion at the University of Georgia.

But for Smith, some of the best memories happened many years ago on Savannah grass.

“Daffin Park is where I had some of my biggest plays and biggest hits,” he says. “I love Daffin. Someday, when I can barely walk, I want to go watch a game at Daffin and see how the boys are still out there doing their thing, working to become Savannah’s next great player.”

More at https://www.sjchs.org/smart-living-home/november-december-2024/from-bulldog-to-eagle

11/08/2024

Meet Shelia Fraser, medical inpatient coder at Candler Hospital. Shelia has worked at Candler Hospital for 40 years. She was a transcriber for a few years but has been a medical coder since 1990. When a patient is discharged, Shelia is responsible for making sure the proper discharge code is on record. That’s because many patients will come in for a different reason than they were actually treated for or discharged with. Shelia also works with doctors when necessary to help determine the best discharge code. And let’s just say, Candler discharges a lot of patients.

“I enjoy my job because it’s thought provoking. It keeps me using my brain, and I like that as I get closer to retirement. I always want to be using my brain. I also still find this job challenging – all the time – because there’s always something different. New stuff comes up the stream all the time. It’s definitely changed over the years. When I first started, we were coding from this big book. It has changed drastically.”

“I also enjoy working at Candler Hospital. I have always liked working at one place and not just hip-hopping around. I have wonderful co-workers, and it’s a good place to work. I love it.”

Meet other featured co-workers on our website: https://www.sjchs.org/home/about-us/our-coworkers

11/08/2024

Did you know that women can experience different heart attack symptoms than men? Or also that the number of pregnancies you had and post-menopause can put a strain on our hearts?

Taking care of women and their heart health is just one of the reasons Dr. Lisa D**e went into cardiology. Dr. D**e is an interventional cardiologist with St. Joseph’s/Candler Physician Network – Cardiology Associates of Savannah.

“I knew I wanted to be a doctor since I was 7,” Dr. D**e recalls. “Then my mom bought me this toy called a pumping heart. Basically you have these two little plunger things that pumps blood through the toy heart. I was enamored by it. So since I was 7 or 8, I have loved the heart.”

More at https://www.sjchs.org/living-smart-blog/blog-details/blog/2024/11/07/as-a-woman-should-i-see-a-cardiologist

11/07/2024

Due to flooding, the SJ/C Endocrinology practice on Paulsen Street has closed Thursday. It will re-open Friday.