Clear Images...Fast Exams...Comfortable Experience

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology in western Yavapai County will take a major leap forward when Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) introduces its new broadband digital system this spring.

The MRI’s digital technology – located in a newly constructed MRI suite at YRMC West – will deliver:

• Exceptional image clarity – This next generation of technology produces outstanding images, providing YRMC’s radiologists with more information and increased diagnostic confidence.
• Faster exams – YRMC’s new MRI will perform most exams in half the time of older MRIs. This is particularly important to people who feel anxious about these exams.
• Superior comfort – YRMC’s recently constructed MRI suite incorporates the Ambient Experience, developed by Philips, a leading healthcare technology company. The MRI suite includes soothing lights, image projection, calming sounds and an elevated ceiling. Combined, these features create a serene imaging experience for patients. YRMC’s MRI also has a “wide bore,” or opening, which helps people feel less confined.

“From the selection of the MRI technology and the development of our new MRI suite, we’ve focused on enhancing the patient’s experience every step of the way,” said Mary Sterling, Director, Imaging Services at YRMC.

The Ambient Experience gives patients the opportunity to actively participate in the imaging process. They can personalize their experience by selecting from a variety of themes using a touchscreen tablet. This immediately transforms the MRI suite with soothing lights, captivating visuals – dolphins, beaches, mountains and more – and calming music.

The patient waiting area of YRMC’s new MRI suite also embraces this soothing environment by featuring a window that overlooks a healing garden.

 “For people who feel even the slightest anxiety about an MRI exam, YRMC West should be the place to go,” said Sterling. “The Ambient Experience, combined with our outstanding Imaging Services team, the shorter scan times and superior image quality will benefit all patients.”

Find YRMC online at www.yrmc.org and connect with us on our Facebook and YouTube communities.

• Yavapai Regional Medical Center www.facebook.com/YavapaiRegionalMedicalCenter
• YRMC PhysicianCare www.facebook.com/yrmcphysiciancare
• Ponderosa Pediatrics www.facebook.com/PonderosaPediatrics
• YouTube www.youtube.com/channel/UCZGC2lYqCa4FaM8EWhuK9_g

How does Computer-Assisted Navigation work? An infrared camera, wireless instruments and a computer combine to work like the global positioning systems (GPS) used in cars.

“The computer helps us make intraoperative adjustments that help us to align the knee correctly,” said Richard Bassett, DO, YRMC Orthopedic Surgeon.

The infrared camera calculates and then monitors the location of markers and instruments the orthopedic surgeon places within the patient’s joint. The wireless instruments transfer the data to a computer in the YRMC operating room. This information is displayed on the computer monitor as a “blueprint” of the patient’s anatomy that the orthopedic surgeon uses to accurately align the hip or knee implant.

“This information ensures the stability and range of motion needed for a successful joint replacement,” Dr. Bassett said.

That’s good news for many people of western Yavapai County, who are eligible for this procedure.

“Computer-Assisted Navigation is an excellent tool,” said Dr. Davis. “I combine it with other strategies – such as muscle-sparing techniques and encouraging people to adopt healthy lifestyle changes – to ensure the best outcomes for patients.”

To learn more about orthopedic surgeons at YRMC, visit www.yrmc.org/find-a-doctor and then go to “Medical Staff.”

Pink is the color typically associated with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, not with cowboys and rodeos. But that’s changing for The BreastCare Center at YRMC, thanks to Prescott Frontier Days®, Inc. – host of the World’s Oldest Rodeo® – and its partnership with Wrangler’s Tough Enough to Wear Pink initiative. Together, the organizations recently presented The BreastCare Center at YRMC with a $2,500 donation.

“We’re extremely pleased by this generous contribution from Prescott Frontier Days and Wrangler,” said John Amos, President and Chief Executive Officer, YRMC. “This gift will help women throughout our communities receive essential mammography services at YRMC’s BreastCare Center.”

Founded in 2004, Tough Enough to Wear Pink supports rodeos – like Prescott’s World’s Oldest Rodeo – as they raise funds for community organizations dedicated to preventing, detecting and treating breast cancer, such as The BreastCare Center at YRMC.

“Prescott Frontier Days was recognized by Wrangler,” said Mary Ann Suttles, Director, Prescott Frontier Days. “We wanted to do something lasting with the Wrangler funds so we donated it to YRMC’s BreastCare Center for free mammography services.”

Additionally, Prescott Frontier Days sponsored a Tough Enough to Wear Pink booth where people could buy t-shirts, bracelets, bags, hats and other items during the Rodeo to support the cause.

On May 16, Prescott Frontier Days sponsored a dinner and a silent auction at the Freeman Building on the Prescott Rodeo Grounds. Proceeds from the event – combined with sales of Tough Enough to Wear Pink items – went to purchase grocery store gift cards for patients in need at The BreastCare Center at YRMC.

“We work with YRMC’s BreastCare Center to identify people in our community who have breast cancer and need some extra help,” Suttles said. “They can use the gift cards for prescriptions, food, gas and other essential items they need.”

According to Suttles, plans are underway for next year’s Tough Enough to Wear Pink fundraising dinner and silent auction. For more information, including the date and time, contact the Prescott Frontier Days office at (928) 445-3103.

CACs from both organizations are scheduling appointments for application assistance:

YRMC West – Prescott
By appointment:
Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-4:00 pm
(928) 771-5108
1003 Willow Creek Road
Prescott, AZ

YRMC East – Prescott Valley
By appointment:
Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-4:00 pm
(928) 442-8187 or (928) 759-5960
7700 E. Florentine Road
Prescott Valley, AZ

YCCHS – Prescott
By appointment:
Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-5:00 pm
(928) 442-5208
1090 Commerce Drive
Prescott, AZ

YCCHS – Prescott Valley
By appointment:
Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-5:00 pm
(928) 442-5208
3212 Windsong Drive
Prescott Valley, AZ

Additionally, YCCHS will host a free Health Insurance Enrollment Event on:

Friday, November 13, 2:00-7:00 pm
YCCHS Insurance Enrollment Event
3212 N. Windsong Drive
Prescott Valley, AZ
Schedule an appointment: (928) 442-5208

“With all of these opportunities, we’re hoping that people will avoid the new, higher penalties for not enrolling in coverage,” said David McAtee, YCCHS Public Information Officer. “We also want folks to take advantage of the important preventive healthcare services available through Health Insurance Marketplace plans.”

People who don’t enroll for health insurance coverage by January 31, 2016, could receive a penalty when they pay their 2016 taxes. The penalty has increased to $695 for every adult in the family and $347.50 for every child or 2.5 percent of their annual income, whichever is most significant. The penalty does not apply to people who receive healthcare services through AHCCCS.

Patients May Need to Update Medical Orders

On October 1, the nation’s healthcare system converted to a new clinical coding system. The change from ICD-9 to ICD-10 is a requirement for healthcare providers and payers.

“There has been extensive nationwide coordination among all segments of healthcare, including physicians, hospitals, payers and others for the change to ICD-10,” said Dee Betts, Director, Health Information Management at Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC).

U.S. healthcare providers and payers – government and private – use the same clinical coding system. This provides a common language with regard to patients’ diagnoses and treatments as well as payment for services. The new ICD-10 coding system updates the 36-year-old ICD-9, which no longer meets the demands of today’s healthcare system.

How will this change impact patients? According to Betts, the transition will be invisible to most patients. However, people with orders for medical services – regular laboratory work, for example – written before the October 1 ICD-10 launch, may need to contact their physician or other healthcare provider for an update.  

“Doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are the only healthcare providers in Arizona who are allowed to write medical orders,” Betts said. “Your provider knows your diagnosis and the treatment he or she is prescribing so that individual needs to update any medical orders.”

Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) has added three new episodes to its popular online cooking series, Your Healthy Kitchen. ​

Hosted by YRMC Registered Dietician Rita Carey-Rubin, Your Healthy Kitchen delivers healthy, delicious and affordable cooking tips, recipes and education free of charge to viewers anywhere with an Internet connection. From www.yrmc.org, follow the HealthConnect link to Your Healthy Kitchen.

In Heart Healthy Cooking with Dr. Pierre Tibi, Rita is joined by Dr. Tibi, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at YRMC. They prepare a fresh pasta dish while Dr. Tibi discusses the health benefits of wine. Dr. Tibi and Rita also discuss the newest addition to the James Family Heart Center, the state-of-the-art Hybrid Operating Suite.

In Cooking with Kale, Rita describes the various types of Kale and demonstrates several affordable, tasty recipes including Massaged Kale Salad, Zesty Kale Chips and a Powerful Green Smoothie.

Cooking to Prevent Cancer outlines ten cancer prevention tips from the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research. “There really are a lot of things we can do every day to protect ourselves and our families from cancer,” states Carey-Rubin. “This includes eating delicious meals that include a lot of healthy plant-based foods. Cruciferous vegetables especially contain lots of anti-cancer nutrients.”

In this episode, Rita shares a list of other top plant-based foods that are proven to help protect against cancer along with some simple, delicious recipes. She also demonstrates how to grow your own broccoli sprouts.

For more information on Your Healthy Kitchen or other Community Outreach programs at Yavapai Regional Medical Center, please contact the YRMC Community Outreach Department at (928) 771-5738. 

“When you translate from one language to another, it’s not a 100 percent exact match,” Betts said. “However, with more information you can translate and communicate effectively. The ICD-9 to ICD-10 change is no different. Some diagnoses will translate directly, but there are many conditions that will require additional information in order to select the appropriate code.”

For example, under ICD-9, a fracture of the tibia (leg) is a single code. With ICD-10, the code for that same injury includes information on whether the left or right leg is fractured and what portion of the tibia – top, middle, bottom – is injured.

Here’s some tips from Betts on how you can determine if your medical order is written in ICD-9 or ICD-10 code:

• Look for letters—ICD-9 codes are numeric while ICD-10 diagnostic codes begin with a letter.
• Count the numbers—ICD-9 codes have a maximum of five digits and may include a decimal point. For ICD-10, the maximum code is seven digits and there also is a decimal point. Be aware that both code sets may use only three digits.

Do you have an old ICD-9 medical order? Betts advises you to call the office of the physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant who wrote the order and ask for a new order.

“Doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are the only healthcare providers in Arizona who are allowed to write medical orders,” Betts said. “Your provider knows your diagnosis and the treatment he or she is prescribing so that individual needs to update any medical orders.”

Betts said the healthcare community nationwide is ready for the October 1^st change and most people won’t even notice the conversion.

For many women, their weeks are so full with family, work and other commitments that it’s a challenge to find time for an annual screening mammogram. The team at the BreastCare Center at Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) has a solution. Beginning October 10, the Center will offer screening mammography services the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

“Some women delay their annual breast screenings because of their hectic schedules,” said Nancy Ledoyen, RN, Director, The BreastCare Center at YRMC. “By offering Saturday screening once a month, we’re knocking down a barrier to breast screening for many women in our communities.”

Cost is another barrier for some women. The Community BreastCare Fund – managed by YRMC – provides free screening mammography to women throughout western Yavapai County who lack adequate health insurance as well as those with high co-pays or deductibles.

The new Saturday hours begin during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and coincide with the launch of YRMC’s Share the Care initiative. The goal of Share the Care is to lower Yavapai County’s incidence of breast cancer, in part by promoting the importance of annual screening mammography.

The new schedule may be expanded to include additional Saturdays, if there is significant community demand. To schedule a screening mammography, contact The BreastCare Center at YRMC at (928) 442-8900 or 1-877-436-5290.

Consistent with Yavapai Regional Medical Center’s (YRMC) not-for-profit Mission, YRMC has announced a new Patient Financial Assistance Policy to assist patients who are underinsured, uninsured or unable to pay for medical care received at YRMC hospitals or through YRMC’s employed physician network, YRMC PhysicianCare.  

“We believe that healthcare is a basic pillar for human dignity and we are committed to providing advanced healthcare services that meet our patients needs regardless of their ability to pay,” states John Amos, YRMC President and Chief Executive Officer. “YRMC’s new Patient Financial Assistance Policy sets clear guidelines that allow us to work closely with our patients to identify responsible financial solutions that meet their individual circumstances.”

YRMC patients are encouraged to communicate with their YRMC financial counselor if they anticipate difficulty paying their portion of their hospital bill. YRMC counselors make every effort to help patients who face financial challenges that may prevent them from paying for their healthcare services. Counselors may assist patients in applying for appropriate insurance coverage, setting up an extended payment plan, or applying for YRMC charity care.

Patients who wish to apply for financial assistance must complete a Patient Financial Assistance Application within 30 days of discharge. A copy of the complete Patient Financial Assistance Policy and the application can be obtained from YRMC’s website at www.yrmc.org/patient-financial-services/financial-assistance or by contacting the YRMC Business Office anytime at (928) 771-5151.

Using 3-D mapping, intracardiac echocardiography and other electrophysiology techniques, Dr. Tung-Takher diagnoses people with a variety of arrhythmias, including:

• Atrial fibrillation—An irregular, often rapid heart rate that commonly causes poor blood flow.
• Ventricular tachycardia—A very fast heartbeat caused by a malfunction in one of the heart’s ventricles.
• Atrial flutter—An arrhythmia that occurs when the heart’s upper chambers (the atria) beat too fast and complicates the heart rhythm.
• Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)-An arrhythmia very commonly diagnosed as anxiety disorder due to rapid heart racing that causes the patient to have symptoms.
• Bradycardia—An abnormally slow heart rate (below 60 beats per minute).
• Sudden cardiac arrest—A condition that causes the heart to suddenly and unexpectedly stop beating.

Following the diagnosis, Dr. Tung-Takher may use a variety of therapies to treat the patient in the Hybrid OR. Those include implanting devices – such as pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy – for heart failure management.

Many arrhythmias also are corrected using a procedure Dr. Tung-Takher conducts in the Hybrid OR called cardiac ablation. She does this by introducing a long, slender, flexible tube (catheter) into a vein through a very tiny incision and threading it to the heart. She then uses either cold (cryoablation) or heat (radiofrequency ablation) to destroy the tissue that generates irregular heartbeats the patient was experiencing.

“There are not many physicians or centers in Phoenix or the country that use both cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation,” Dr. Tung-Takher said.

Dr. Tung-Takher commuted between the Quad Cities and the Phoenix area for more than three years before permanently choosing YRMC.

“Everybody at YRMC, from the administration to the physicians to the nurses to the technicians to the office staff are 100 percent patient oriented,” she said. “They approach everything with the best outcome for the patient in mind.”

Dr. Tung-Takher calls the community an “excellent fit” for her family. She enjoys the many outdoor activities available in the area, including hiking, mountain biking and tennis.

“Most of all, I love the people and my patients,” she said. “When I was commuting between here and Phoenix, I had patients who would offer to open their homes to me so I wouldn’t have to drive back to the Valley after a long day. It was so heartwarming. It’s like a big family here.”

Dr. Tung-Takher pursued a Cardiology fellowship at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Phoenix and an Electrophysiology fellowship at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Harbor Medical Center. She had medical residencies at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. Dr. Tung-Takher graduated from Government Medical College, Punjabi University in India, where she also completed an internship.

For more information about Dr. Tung-Takher, or to schedule an appointment, call YRMC PhysicianCare Cardiology at (928) 445-6025.

“It’s heartbreaking to hear women who have come to us for the first time say, ‘I noticed the lump, but I thought it would go away,’” said Nancy Ledoyen, RN, Director, The BreastCare Center at YRMC.

Like the American Cancer Society and the American College of Surgeons, YRMC recommends that screening mammography begin at age 40 and yearly after that.

“We know that screening mammography saves lives,” said Ledoyen. “Our number one goal at the BreastCare Center is to prevent breast cancer. Our number two goal is to find cancer when it’s most treatable.”

YRMC is taking action by providing free screening mammography through the Community BreastCare Fund, which is managed by YRMC. Women throughout western Yavapai County who lack adequate health insurance as well as those with high co-pays or deductibles are eligible for the free mammography screening.

Now, YRMC also is offering free Breast Cancer Risk Assessments. The assessments, which are conducted by a member of the YRMC BreastCare Center clinical team, include a comprehensive history and interview. After the assessment, a woman – and her primary care physician – receive a report that summarizes the woman’s risk for breast cancer. They also are armed with screening and other recommendations from the YRMC BreastCare Center team.

For more information or to schedule an appointment for a screening mammography or Breast Cancer Risk Assessment, contact The BreastCare Center at (928) 442-8900 or 1-877-436-5290.

Among “Adult Procedures” – chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), heart bypass surgery, heart failure, hip replacement and knee replacement – YRMC was recognized for controlling hospital-acquired infections in the U.S. News & World Report ranking.

“This means the YRMC team works vigilantly on behalf of patients on infection control,” said Amos. “In a hospital environment, this is a complex process that requires team participation in every aspect of patient care. YRMC has been recognized by other well-respected consumer organizations for its safe surgical record in the past. I was pleased to see this continue with the U.S. News and World Report ranking.”