Latest News

Aug. 14, 2008

    Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) and Flagstaff Medical Center are sponsoring a full-day ethics conference for healthcare providers. The seminar is designed to give healthcare providers information on how to handle ethical issues and decisions affecting their work environment. The conference will be Sept. 19 at 8 a.m. in the Ashurst Auditorium on the Northern Arizona University campus.   
    The seminar emphasizes the importance of utilizing ethics committees in the hospital and/or healthcare setting and includes a demonstration of the ethics committee process highlighting some current ethical dilemmas facing physicians, nurses and healthcare providers in their workplace, as well as an opportunity to explore some historical aspects responsible for those dilemmas.
    The seminar is $60 for NAH employees, and is $80 for community members. To register, call the NAH Education Department at 928 773-2491 or go to nahealth.com/education. The NAH Education Department is dedicated to providing a wide range of excellent training programs and continuing education for health professionals.

Aug. 7, 2008

    Flagstaff Medical Center nurse Leora “Lee” Harsh, R.N., is a finalist for the March of Dimes “Arizona Nurse of the Year” award in the category of Advocacy for Patients. Harsh joined FMC in September 1965 and currently is a nurse in Surgical Services. Harsh also is a certified nurse forensic investigator, a mediator and a “To Lose a Child” facilitator.
    Harsh was nominated by her peers for the award because of her advocacy and support for families who have just experienced the loss of a child. Harsh saw the need for a program that offered support and resources to not only parents who had lost a child, but also their family members. She was a leading force behind the implementation of the “To Lose a Child” program at FMC in the Pediatrics and Pediatric Intensive Care Units. In addition to the support Harsh provides families, she also has trained staff in the Emergency Department, Surgical Services and other patient units to provide the same support to families.
    “Through her compassion and advocacy, she has made a significant impact on how families are cared for during a very difficult time,” said Cindy Beckett, Ph.D., director of Pediatrics/Perinatal Services. “Families speak about how much it meant for her to be there for them immediately after the loss of their child, and during the critical weeks and months after the death. She has made a real difference for the families in our community.”
Nurses from across Arizona will be honored at the fifth annual March of Dimes Arizona Nurse of the Year Awards Saturday, Aug. 23 at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale.
    In addition to honoring Arizona nurses, the evening includes a presentation of nursing scholarships and a highlight of the wide range of nursing careers.

July 28, 2008

Aug. 14, 2008

    William J. Badger, M.D., urologist, recently joined the medical staff at Flagstaff Medical Center. Dr. Badger specializes in robotic-assisted and laparoscopic urologic surgical procedures, including the treatment of pediatric patients. Dr. Badger is the only urologist in Northern and Central Arizona offering patients the opportunity to benefit from robot-assisted prostatectomy surgical options for the treatment of benign and malignant prostate conditions.
    The advantages of robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy over conventional open surgery include smaller incisions for less post-operative pain and improved cosmetics, and a faster return to normal activities. 
    FMC began using the da Vinci Surgical System in February 2008, allowing patients to benefit from minimally invasive, robotic-assisted surgical procedures including general, weight-loss, gynecological, urological, and in the near future heart valve replacement and repair. The system’s superior visualization, enhanced dexterity, precision and control enable the surgeon to perform complex procedures — like radical prostatectomy — through dime-sized operating “ports.” Due to its obvious advantages, da Vinci prostatectomy has become the fastest growing treatment for prostate cancer in the U.S.
    While the causes of prostate cancer are largely unknown, it is clear that the chance of developing prostate cancer increases in men over 50. According to the National Cancer Institute, one in six men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime. Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men and accounts for the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men. In Arizona, more than 3,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year.
    Dr. Badger earned his medical degree at Ohio State University, College of Medicine, in 2002; completed his residency at the Albany Medical Center, Albany, New York; and most recently completed his fellowship in robotic and laparoscopic surgery at the University of Iowa. He is a member of the American Urological Association.

June 20, 2008

   On June 17, Flagstaff Medical Center became the first hospital in Arizona to “Give the Bag the Boot.” In an effort to promote breastfeeding, the Women and Infants’ Center at FMC, in conjunction with the national Ban the Bag campaign, will be eliminating bags sponsored by baby formula companies, including formula samples given to moms when they leave the hospital.
   “Breastfeeding is important because it offers health benefits for children that cannot be obtained through formula,” said Brenda Phipps, lactation consultant for FMC. “There are many studies which indicate that formula in discharge bags undermines breastfeeding and leads to lower breastfeeding duration. The practice of distributing these bags is discouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Practice, the World Health Organization, the Surgeon General’s Office and the Government Accountability Office,” Phipps said.
   In place of the bags supplied by formula companies, FMC has created its own insulated bag for moms when they are discharged from the hospital. The bag will contain community resource information and breastfeeding information for those mothers who plan to breastfeed.
   FMC’s Breastfeeding Center is located on the third floor of the Women and Infants’ Center and has been providing support for moms, for almost 15 years. The Breastfeeding Center offers information, support and encouragement to approximately 1,300 mothers each year. Services also include phone counseling, specialized outpatient consultation, breast pump rentals and sales, and breastfeeding accessories.  
   For more information on the Breastfeeding Center, call 928 773-2605.