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- Electrocardiography (EKG/ECG)
An electrocardiogram, also called an EKG or ECG, is a simple test that detects and records the electrical activity of the heart. It is used to detect and locate the source of heart problems. An EKG shows how fast the heart is beating. It shows the heart’s rhythm (steady or irregular) and where in the body the heartbeat is being recorded. It also records the strength and timing of the electrical signals as they pass through each part of the heart. EKGs are used to evaluate signs and symptoms that could indicate heart problems. Many heart problems change the electrical “signature” of the heart in distinct ways. EKG recordings of this electrical signature can help reveal these heart problems. During an EKG, electrical signals in the heart are detected by electrodes placed on the skin. A machine records them on graph paper or displays them on a screen. An EKG is painless and harmless, and usually takes about 10 minutes to complete. Special EKG tests are done to detect certain kinds of heart symptoms, such as those that are present for only a few minutes out of the day, or that happen only while a person is exercising.
- Convenient Care
HOURS Sunday-Saturday 8am-8pm (Everyday) HOW DOES CONVENIENT CARE WORK? A Triage Nurse will perform an initial assessment. The Triage Nurse and/or Physician shall have final authority in determining whether the patient’s medical condition qualifies them for treatment in Convenient Care. If the patient does not qualify, they will be offered Emergency care. If the patient does qualify, they will be charged for this service at a reduced rate. Any testing (lab tests, X-rays, etc.), supplies used, or medications given are at an additional cost. Additional reviews of X-ray or lab work may be necessary and will be charged separately. If patient becomes worse and needs to be treated in the Emergency Department, charges will be billed at the regular Emergency Department rate. In order to do Convenient Care at a reasonable cost, the patient is always asked for the Convenient Care co-pay the day of treatment. As a Convenient Care patient, your treatment becomes secondary to patients in the Emergency Department. It is critical for the staff to treat those with severe conditions first. WHY CHOOSE CONVENIENT CARE? 1. Emergency Room claims can be denied because the insurance company determines them to be “non-emergent”, which leaves the patient responsible for the bill. 2. Convenient Care is billed at a lower rate to your insurance provider or to you. 3. You can be seen after normal clinical hours for illnesses or injuries that do not require emergency care. 4. You can even be seen on weekends. WHAT CAN I BE SEEN FOR? • Contusions/Bruises • Sprains/Strains of the extremities. • Colds and/or Flu-like symptoms involving the upper respiratory tract. • Fever, with uncertain cause. • Earaches • Sore Throats • Simple lacerations/cuts requiring stitches or staples of 2 or less. • First degree or minor second degree burns. • Low back pain from lifting, or chronic low back pain. • Headaches (patients with previous work-ups) • Abrasions or cuts & scrapes. • Rash with no blood pressure or breathing complications. • Insect stings or spider bites with only a localized reaction. • Urinary Tract Infection without fever or vomiting. • Scratched Eye • Foreign bodies in the eye. • Foreign bodies in the nose/ears. • Sinus Infection • School and/or sports physicals (Payment due prior to exam.) • Employment Physicals
- Colonoscopy
Memorial has a very active same day surgery department, with a well qualified staff, regularly doing surgeries in the areas of orthopedics, urology, ENT, podiatry, cataracts and general surgery. Our surgical department includes two large surgical suites and a procedure room. Colonoscopy is a complete examination of the large intestine (colon). A flexible lighted tube fitted with a tiny camera is inserted through the anus. The inside of the rectum and colon can be viewed for polyps, cancer, or diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Tissue and polyps can be removed during the procedure. Reasons for a Colonoscopy A screening colonoscopy is done to check for cancer and inflammatory diseases like ulcerative colitis. Most colorectal cancers (CRC) start as non-cancerous polyps (tiny, fast growing cells that may become cancer). Removing polyps or finding cancer at an early stage can increase your chances for a full recovery. Your doctor may recommend screening for colon and rectal cancer starting at age 45. If you have risk factors it may be done before 45 years. During the colonoscopy, polyps can be removed with tine instruments such as snares or forceps. In the U.S. CRC is the second leading cause of cancer death for both men and women. The lifetime risk of CRC is 1 in 23 (4.3% for men and 1 in 25 (4%) for women. The risk of developing CRC is increased if you have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child) who has had the disease; or if they were younger than 50 when they were diagnosed. A diagnostic colonoscopy is done to find the cause of anemia, a change in bowel habits, or abdonminal pain. A therapeutic colonoscopy can treat a known problem inside the colon such as bleeding or narrowing. A surveillance colonoscopy is a follow-up for patients with history of colon polyps, cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. A colonoscopy is the most accurate way to find and remove small polyps. Removing polyps at an early stage can decrease your risk of death from colon and rectal cancer. American Cancer Society Guidelines: 45 years old for average risk; 40 for increased risk. Learn more: https://www.facs.org/media/erddq5zv/colonoscopy.pdf
- Sleep Disorder Treatment & Sleep Lab
Physicians typically refer patients to the Sleep Lab when they display signs & symptoms of possible sleep disorder. Signs and Symptoms of sleep disorders may include; morning headaches, daytime fatigue, daytime sleepiness, snoring, waking up gasping for air, irritability, anxiety, depression, loss of concentration, falling asleep while driving, increased work place accidents, high blood pressure. Other circumstances in our daily lives may cause these signs and systems. Once your physician reviews your signs and symptoms along with a physical exam, he/she may determine a sleep study is right for you. During the sleep study the Sleep Technician will monitor brain waves, eye movements, muscle activity, multiple breathing variables, heart rate/rhythm, position, limb movements, and blood oxygen levels during sleep, using specialized recording equipment. Sleep Problems and Disorders have been linked to a multitude of short and long-term health problems. Studies have shown that some patients with chronic sleep disorders may be at higher risk for Blood pressure and Heart Disease. If you feel that you or someone you know may be suffering from a sleep disorder, there is help. Contact your Family Physician to discuss your symptoms or click on Ask The Expert. Memorial Hospital has been providing Sleep Diagnostic testing since 1998. Memorials Registered Polysmnographist (Sleep Technician) is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Memorial Hospital is also a Community Sleep Awareness Partner of the National Sleep Foundation. Memorial Hospital Offers the Home Noxturnal Sleep Study This new service is available to qualifying patients for simplification, increased efficiency in the comfort of their own home. This portable monitor is very easy to use with a full set up and instruction by a sleep specialist from Memorial Hospital. Contact your provider to find out if you are a candidate. To learn more about our sleep center or services we provide, please call 618-826-4581 Sleep Lab ext. 1106 | Cardiopulmonary ext.1283 HOURS: Cardiopulmonary Mondays-Friday 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Weekends and Holidays 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sleep Lab Tech Hours: Sundays-Tuesdays 6:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Scoring Tech Hours: Tuesdays-Thursdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Director’s Sleep Lab Hours: Tuesdays-Thursdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On call coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Call our toll free number 833-687-6502
- Ultrasound/Sonography
Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound scanning or sonography, is a method of obtaining images from inside the human body through the use of high-frequency sound waves. The reflected sound wave echoes are recorded and displayed as a real-time visual image. Ultrasound is a useful way of examining many of the body's internal organs, including but not limited to the heart, liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, kidneys and bladder. Because ultrasound images are captured in real time, they can show movement of internal tissues and organs and enable physicians to see blood flow and heart valve functions. This can help in diagnosing a variety of heart conditions and assessing damage after a heart attack or other illness. Ultrasound remains the procedure of choice for expectant mothers. Using ultrasound during pregnancy: During ultrasound, high-frequency sound waves pass through the mother’s body and her baby’s. You can’t hear the sound waves, but the ultrasound equipment can. It converts them to a visual image on a monitor, allowing expectant parents and the physician to “see” the baby inside the uterus. Ultrasounds can screen for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. An Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA), is a condition in which the lining of the blood vessel called the aorta is enlarged within the abdomen. Abdominal aortic aneurysms pose a threat because they are usually silent until a medical emergency occurs. During abdominal ultrasound If you are having an abdominal ultrasound during pregnancy or to diagnose an abdominal condition, you will lie down on the exam- nation table and a layer of gel or oil will be applied to your abdomen so the sound waves more easily reach your baby. Then the transducer, a device that produces and receives the sound waves and sends them to a computer, is slowly moved back and forth over your abdomen. The sound waves are used to create a picture called a sonogram, which can be viewed on a TV monitor. The procedure is painless and takes less than half an hour.
- Stress Echocardiograms
Memorial Hospital’s team of ultrasound technologists, respiratory therapists, certified registered nurses, and cardiologists work together to provide stress echocardiography testing for patients. Stress Echocardiography or stress echo, is a test that uses ultrasound imaging to show how well your heart muscle is working to pump blood to your body. This test is most often used to detect a decrease in blood flow to the heart due to narrowing in the coronary arteries. A doctor orders this test if the patient has chest pain that is believed to be related to coronary artery disease or a myocardial infarction or heart attack. The stress echo can also be used to tell how well treatments such as bypass grafting, angioplasty, and anti-anginal or antiarrhythmic medications are working. During the stress echo, the doctor is able to observe your heart at a resting state and peak rate to compare blood flood to the heart. The healthcare team begins the test by applying electrodes to the chest of the patient to measure the heart’s electrical activity and regularity of heartbeats. The patient’s blood pressure is also manually monitored throughout the test. During the resting state, the patient will be placed on their side while the ultrasound technologist takes images of the heart muscle. Once the resting images are taken, the patient will then be asked to walk on a treadmill to help increase their heart rate. Depending on the patient’s physical condition, the care team may increase the intensity of the exercise. If a patient is unable to physically exert themselves to reach their target heart rate, medications will be used to help simulate exercise to the heart. Once the peak rate has been reached, the patent is then asked to lay on their side once more to take more images of the heart to determine if their heart muscles are getting enough blood and oxygen during exercise. As the person cools down and their heart rate returns to normal, they are continually monitored.
- (AAA)Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening
Aneurysms are a health risk because they can burst or rupture. A ruptured aneurysm can cause severe internal bleeding, which can lead to shock or even death. What is an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm? An Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA), is a condition in which the lining of the blood vessel called the aorta is enlarged within the abdomen. Abdominal aortic aneurysms pose a threat because they are usually silent until a medical emergency occurs. Many people with an abdominal aortic aneurysm do not experience symptoms, but may experience these common warning signs: • Intense back or abdominal pain • Rapid pulse • Nausea and Vomiting • Excessive sweating What Causes an AAA? The exact reason why an aneurysm forms in the aorta in most cases in not clear. Aneurysms can affect people of any age and both sexes. However, they are most common in men, people with high blood pressure (hypertension) and those over the age of 65. Your genetic make-up plays a part as you have a much higher chance of developing an AAA if one of your immediate relatives (parent, brother or sister) has or had one. Risk Factors Certain other “risk factors” in-crease the chance of getting an aneurysm. These include: • Smoking • High Blood Pressure • High Cholestero • Emphysema • Obesity How to prepare for an AAA Screening The screening is a quick and painless procedure that requires no radiation. • Wear comfortable clothes • NPO (nothing by mouth) after midnight • If you take medication, take as prescribed What to Expect The AAA screening requires you to lay on your back while the technologist uses ultrasound to take images and measurements of your aorta. The technologist will apply a warm gel to the transducer and move it along your abdomen. You may be asked to hold your breath for a brief moment. The radiologist will review the images and a final report will be sent to your physician in 24-48 hours. Medicare Coverage If you are covered under Medicare and meet the guidelines for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening talk to your doctor today about scheduling you for this potential lifesaving test! Talk to your doctor today about scheduling your AAA Screening.
- Electroencephalography (EEG)
A technique for studying the electrical currents within the brain. Electrodes are attached to the scalp. Wires attach these electrodes to a machine, which records the electrical impulses. The results are either printed out or displayed on a computer screen. Different patterns of electrical impulses can denote various forms of epilepsy. Abbreviated EEG. It is a readily available test that provides evidence of how the brain functions over time. The EEG is used in the evaluation of brain disorders. Most commonly it is used to show the type and location of the activity in the brain during a seizure. It also is used to evaluate people who are having problems associated with brain function. These problems might include confusion, coma, tumors, long-term difficulties with thinking or memory, or weakening of specific parts of the body (such as weakness associated with a stroke). An EEG is also used to determine brain death. It may be used to prove that someone on life-support equipment has no chance of recovery.
- Treadmill Stress Testing
A stress test can be used to test for heart disease. Stress tests are tests performed to determine the amount of stress that your heart can manage before developing either an abnormal rhythm or evidence of ischemia (not enough blood flow to the heart muscle). The most commonly performed stress test is the exercise stress test. What Is an Exercise Stress Test? The exercise stress test -- also called a stress test, exercise electrocardiogram, treadmill test, graded exercise test, or stress ECG—is used to provide information about how the heart responds to exertion. It usually involves walking on a treadmill or pedaling a stationary bike at increasing levels of difficulty, while your electrocardiogram, heart rate, and blood pressure are monitored. Why Do I Need a Stress Test? • Determine if there is adequate blood flow to your heart during increasing levels of activity • Evaluate the effectiveness of your heart medications to control angina and ischemia • Determine the likelihood of having coronary heart disease and the need for further evaluation • Check the effectiveness of procedures done to improve blood flow within the heart vessels in people with coronary heart disease Identify abnormal heart rhythms Help you develop a safe exercise program
- Pain Management
Dr. Tong Zhu specializes in pain medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation and holds outpatient clinics at Memorial Hospital's Specialty Clinic on Tuesdays. CONDITIONS EVALUATES: • Neck and Back Pain - Degenerative disc disease - Herniated disc - Facet joint syndrome - Radiculopathy /Sciatica - Spinal stenosis - Failed back syndrome • Nerve-Related Pain: - Complex regional pain syndrome - Peripheral neuropathy - Postherpetic neuralgia • Joint And Muscle Pain: - Joint pain: Arthritis in major joints such as the hip, knee and shoulder - Vertebral compression fractures - Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain - Pelvic pain - Myofascial pain • In Office Injections: - Trigger point injection - Knee/shoulder injection - Bursa injection To learn more about our specialists call Memorial Hospital Specialty Clinic at (618) 826-4581 ext. 1366
- Chemotherapy & Infusion Center
Our Infusion Center is fully functioning and able to provide the latest and most innovative services available. • Blood Transfusions • IV Therapy and Management • Infusions for most medical issues • Port-A-Cath care and lab draws • Wound Care Our staff and administration strive to provide a tranquil and accommodating environment, where one can relax while receiving treatment. CHEMOTHERAPY Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen. Certain chemotherapy agents also have a role in the treatment of other conditions, including ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma. The most common chemotherapy agents act by killing cells that divide rapidly, one of the main properties of most cancer cells. This means that chemotherapy also harms cells that OUR SUCCESS STORIES We are proud to provide the community with high quality care close to home. Specialized care with Certified staff are here to care for and educate you, so that you have the greatest chances to succeed. “Everyone is very nice and courteous. I have been having these infusions for almost 15 years, at various different cities, and I would rate this center as one of the best.” -Infusion Patient “Everyone in infusion is so kind and caring. They make the experience so much better. Relationships make this journey better.” - The Hoyles "A year and a half ago Chester Hospital became our second home. Our mom had cancer and our journey began. We could not have done it without the help of so many people. Everyone has been so kind and helpful. There are so many people involved, it's hard to list them all. So when you hear the name Gertrude Kammermann, just know you are on that list. Thank you for your kindness, keeping us positive, making us laugh, and always being there for us. We love each of you and love Chester Hospital" - Family of Gertrude Kammermann "The nurses in the Infusion Department are wonderful! Even when they are really busy, they still make you feel special. On 'bad days,' they keep your spirts up! Thank you to Carla, Carrie Jo, Debbie, Michelle, Amy, Janet, and Dr. Justin Floyd." - Lynn Rickenberg BELL OF HOPE - Donated by the Gielow Family
- Excisions
“Excision” means the doctor uses a scalpel to remove something from the skin. Excisions are recommended for problem growths such as small cancers, atypical moles, and enlarging cysts. First, the growth is numbed with injectable anesthesia. The doctor then excises the growth and a narrow rim of normal-appearing tissue. The excised tissue is sent to a dermatopathology lab for final diagnosis which may take 1-2 weeks. Talk to your physician about it. To schedule an evaluation with a Memorial Hospital Provider contact one of our Rural Health Clinic Locations.