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Managing chronic lower back pain gets Chambersburg woman back on court
Vickie Group just wanted to play pickleball. That’s what the 66-year-old Chambersburg, Pa., resident told Chiemeka Onyima, M.D., D.ABA, with Meritus Pain Specialists. But her chronic lower back pain sidelined her from the game — and many other activities, including going to work. She started with physical therapy, but “it didn’t do much,” she said. “And then I finally got ahold of someone with Meritus,” Group said. “Once I got ahold of Dr. Onyima, he went through the process and helped me considerably.” The first step was trying to figure out the cause of her pain, Dr. Onyima said. “I conducted ‘diagnostic blocks’ to confirm the cause of her pain,” he said. Group said that involved getting a few shots in her back to help locate the source of the pain. “Once the diagnosis was obtained, she underwent radiofrequency ablations to provide her with long term relief for her chronic back pain,” Dr. Onyima said. “She did great with the procedure and reported a significant improvement of her quality of life and overall daily functionality.” Group complimented Dr. Onyima’s bedside manner and the thoroughness of the procedures. “He told me everything that was going to happen,” she said. “For every step, whenever he was doing anything, he told me what was about to happen.” Once the procedures were done, she was able to do most things without experiencing pain. “It made life a lot easier, that’s for sure,” she said. Dr. Onyima said making it easier is his main objective. “The main goal of pain management is to not only treat pain, but to allow individuals to re-engage with society from a social, mental, physical, and often times economic standpoint, despite their current ailment,” he said. As for Group, she’s just thankful she could get back to doing what she enjoys, playing pickleball. “I play almost every day,” Group said, “for like three hours a day.” If you would like to learn more about how to better manage your pain, visit Meritus Pain Specialists online at www.meritushealth.com/painspecialists.
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Meritus leaders' book shows how to be steward of community health care
“Healthcare Transformation: A Guide for the Health System Board Member” provides advice on governance responsibilities in an everchanging industry Two Meritus healthcare professionals have written the book on how members of a health system board of directors can be successful in their roles. Maulik Joshi, Dr.P.H., and Aaron George, D.O., penned the second edition of “Healthcare Transformation: A Guide for the Health System Board Member” to offer health system board members an actionable, concise guide on their role, as well as provide updates on key changes in health care delivery, including evidence and contemporary examples. "In the evolving landscape of health care, board members must not only navigate complexity but also drive meaningful change,” said Joshi, President and CEO of Meritus Health. “Our aim is to equip every Board member with the knowledge and tools necessary to govern a system that works better for everyone." It is often difficult for board members in the healthcare industry to keep up with performance and strategy. Surveys continue to show that this is often not in their comfort zone, given healthcare complexity and the rate of recent change and targets for transformation. "Board members play a vital role in ensuring the mission of healthcare organizations is fulfilled, particularly when it comes to quality and safety,” said George, Associate Dean for Clinical Education for the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. “This book provides the necessary guidance to help them navigate their fiduciary responsibilities, with key decision-making functions that enable them to contribute to meaningful healthcare improvements." The book, a second edition published by Routledge, includes updated resources and more contemporary examples and lessons for both new and seasoned board members. This edition updates all chapters and provides three new transformers/chapters to consider from the first printing in 2009. The book is available for order at routledge.com as well as on Amazon.
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Upcoming senior expo chance to highlight offerings for older patients
Meritus Health will be hosting an event for seniors next month. The Fall Into Better Health Senior Expo is planned from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 9 in the Atrium and Room 142 in the Robinwood Professional Center, 11110 Medical Campus Road. And while the free expo will offer folks health tips and information, let’s not detract from the many programs and activities Meritus has in place year-round designed to help those 55 and older live their best lives. “We want seniors to be able to age healthily,” said Beth Fields Dowdell, DNP, CRNP, director of Community Health and Outpatient Care Management. “We want people to live a long healthy life.” Meritus is part of the 20% of the nation's hospitals to have joined in the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, Fields Dowdell noted. That means the health system focuses on important ways to keep older patients safe and supported. For example, Meritus offers a safe place to walk in the Robinwood Professional Center, she said. Anyone, not just seniors, can use the hallways of the building to get in exercise out of the weather and away from vehicles. The assistance provided to older patients isn’t just passive, though. Meritus offers diabetes and prediabetes education. The classes are a comprehensive resource for people diagnosed with diabetes, prediabetes, of for those who want nutritional assistance. To learn more about the classes, visit www.meritushealth.com/DiabetesEducation. Meritus also offers a quarterly gathering for those 55 and older, known as Your Health Matters. The setting offers lunch, an activity and a speaker meant to offer older patients tips on living. “The program offers tips on many aspects of aging such as meal prep, how to perform chair exercises, and many other things that can help improve quality of life,” Fields Dowdell said. The next gathering has not been scheduled, but keep an eye on the calendar at www.meritushealth.com/about/events. Probably one of the farthest-reaching programs Meritus offers is its Care Callers. Though not exclusive to older patients, they tend to make up the majority of participants. Loneliness and social isolation have been shown to impact life expectancy as much as smoking, obesity and physical inactivity. To combat this, Care Callers uses 81 volunteers and two staff to call 350 health system patients who have indicated they are lonely. Each week, the patient and caller converse for 15 minutes to a half hour. Since its inception in November 2021, more than 700 patients have participated, and 95% of the patients in the program report feeling less lonely after four months. To learn more about the program, visit www.MeritusHealth.com/carecallers.
Health Equity Summit focus: ‘Building quality care in our communities’
Meritus Health Leadership in Diversity and Equity Council holds event to highlight the role of diversity, equity, inclusion in healthcare The Leadership in Diversity and Equity Council at Meritus Health recently held its first Health Equity Summit, “Building Quality Care in our Communities.” The Oct. 23 summit focused on the efforts by various organizations throughout Maryland to address health disparities, foster diversity in the workforce, and provide responsive care that recognizes the different backgrounds and experiences of patients. “The commitment to promote equitable practices and to eliminate disparities ultimately results in the core work of improving quality and patient safety,” said Chante Richardson, Ph.D., MBA, the associate dean of health equity, diversity and inclusion at the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine, which is set to open in 2025. High-quality and equitable healthcare plays a pivotal role in achieving health equity, Richardson said. “It is crucial for healthcare providers to address systemic, avoidable, predictable, and unjust differences in access, treatment, and outcomes among individuals and populations,” she said. The summit was meant to facilitate collaborative learning among diverse professionals, speakers, and presenters, enabling the exchange of innovative ideas and recommendations, fostering collaborations, and guiding future initiatives to create a society where everyone can lead a healthy life. The day’s objectives included catalyzing systemic change for diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare, exploring actionable strategies to tackle health disparities, and building a cohesive community to address disparities in care. To learn more about Meritus’ efforts at diversity, equity and inclusion, visit www.meritushealth.com/DEI.
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