If you have topics you'd like us to comment on or that you think are "new and current," let us know! Do you know the importance of colon cancer screening?
Dr. Sean Benham discusses colon cancer screening Wed., Nov. 30, 5.30-7pm at the Surgery Center.
Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. It is preventable if early warning signs are detected. 90% of colon cancer cases occur in patients aged 50+. Screening is the most reliable method of detection.
"Physicians are very concerned that fewer than 50% of patients over the age of 50 are getting screened," says Dr. Benham, a board certified general surgeon at Benham Surgical Care, also voted "Best of Manitowoc County" in 2010 and 2011. "Many people are concerned about discomfort with the prep material. But this has become simpler in recent years. Today, many options are available to patients who undergo screening."
Many patients indicate they are reluctant about the screening procedure due to common misconceptions about conscious sedation and concerns about insurance benefits. Dr. Benham reassures them that they will be asleep during the procedure and won't feel, hear, see or say anything after the intravenous sedative is administered. Additionally, Dr. Benham's staff will assist patients in verifying their insurance benefits prior to the procedure.
The day before the procedure, patients need to be on a liquid diet. Prep to clean out the colon will include taking 2 Ducolax tablets the day before and drinking 5 oz. of flavored Mag Citrate the evening before and again the morning of the exam.
If a polyp or precancerous growth is discovered during the screening, it can be removed at the same time. Complications are very rare. Typically, the procedure will not need to be repeated for ten years.
Dr. Benham will be available to answer questions. Door prizes and refreshments will be offered.
What's hip replacement really like?
We do our best to take care of our patients before, during and after their surgery. We believe we are partners in their care and that an informed patient is the best patient. Preparing for and recovering after hip surgery takes some planning and organization. While every patient is unique and responds differently, here's one patient's journey through the process: http://tooyoungforhipreplacement.blogspot.com/
Welcome, Dr. Scarlett, Advanced Pain Management
We welcome Dr. Jeremy Scarlett as our newest affiliate physician. Board certified in pain management and anesthesiology, Dr. Scarlett's practice is with Advanced Pain Management at 1314A Memorial Drive in Manitowoc.
A graduate of the University of Notre Dame with an undergraduate degree in economics, Dr. Scarlett pursued his medical degree at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and completed his residency in anesthesia and completed his fellowship in pain management at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, MO. Prior to joining Advanced Pain Management, he was an assistant professor on faculty at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
His special clinical interests include the treatment of spinal, arthritic and cancer pain. He comments, "I try to take an empathic approach to those suffering from intractable pain and provide honest assessments and successful strategies through appropriate interventional and medical management."
Now, you can find out what your health care will really cost.
The state of Wisconsin passed legislation that requires health care providers to let consumer/patients know what procedures will cost in advance. The good news is that you won't have a surprise when your medical bills come in. The challenge for many of us is learning how to understand and utilize this information.
If you're facing a high deductible or have a health savings account to manage, you'll want to spend your dollars wisely. You'll want to know you're getting high quality and excellent service for the price.
Comparing costs can be tricky. You'll need to know that you have all the information involved in your care and that you're comparing "apples" to "apples." If you're having surgery, for example, you'll need to find out your surgeon's fee, the hospital or surgical facility's fee, the cost of anesthesia and whether there's any additional imaging or laboratory tests needed. On the insurance side, you'll need to know your deductible, whether your providers are in- or out-of-network and any payment caps so that you can plan what you'll pay and what your insurer will pay.
A little research can mean big savings for you. Don't be discouraged. There are resources that can help. When you buy a car or washing machine, you do a little research and compare cost, quality and service. And most of us take pride in negotiating a great deal! Take the same strategy with health care. You'd be surprised that prices within a single community can vary significantly from one hospital to another (more information below). Need help? Here's where to go. These independent online tracking organizations can help you with cost and quality information: www.wicheckpoint.org and www.wipricepoint.org. Also, your insurer's website probably has information about specific physicians and hospitals/surgical facilities in your are -- not only what they cost but the quality of care they provide. Many insurers track physicians' record of treatment outcomes and rank them in quality tiers. You may be surprised at how your physician's care is evaluated.
We can help, too. We're so confident that our facility and our surgeons offer the highest value care that we're happy to help you compare the cost of your procedure with us vs. other physicians and facilities. No kidding: call us. One of our insurance specialists can walk you through the process.
Want more details? Here's more on the sources we mentioned. www.wipricepoint.org -- this independent site tracks prices charged for procedures by specific facilities over a recent six month period. www.wicheckpoint.org -- this independent site tracks quality data for surgical facilities such as infection rates, safety measures and service data. www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/AB-614.pdf -- Wisconsin Assembly Bill 614 on health care price transparency.
Check your insurer's website for information. Anthem/Blue Cross, United, Humana and others have extensive data about physicians and facilities.
And be sure to check this website for the worksheet on our "Planning surgery" page -- click here.
Here's some examples of pricing comparisons quoted by www.pricepoint.org (4/09-3/10, facility fee only, median charge, no other procedures: Removal of medial or lateral cartilage of the knee (CPT code 29880) $5200 Manitowoc Surgery Center $10,152 Hospital A $9657 Hospital B Colonoscopy, diagnostic (CPT code 45378) $1575 Manitowoc Surgery Center $1610 Hospital A $2331 Hospital B Removal of cyst, tumor or other lesion from breast (CPT code 19120) $3328 Manitowoc Surgery Center $5229 Hospital A $6886 Hospital B
Here's an example of the quality data posted by www.wicheckpoint.org on 12/28/10. Surgical infection prevention index 87% Hospital A 93% Hospital B 95% State benchmark 100%* Manitowoc Surgery Center * Wis. Checkpoint does not yet report on surgery centers, but the above measure compares exactly with their protocols for data collection as reported by the American Association of Ambulatory Health Care's (AAAHC's) independent survey of Manitowoc Surgery Center's infection control protocol as of 5/10.
100% compliance in infection control
We are proud that our patient care is recognized as excellent. The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) surveyed our facility in May and found "no discrepancies" in our infection control protocols.
It is important to note that the prescribed protocols focus on infection prevention. While observing the rate at which infections occur is an indication of safety, it's even more important to know that risk of infection is being prevented.
Stringent monitoring, an exceptional record
Running a surgery center in Wisconsin means we are carefully supervised. We think that's great because it documents our high level of care. This is not the case in all states.
We are accredited by Medicare and Medicaid. Our facility and practices are surveyed by AAAHC. Major insurers have evaluated our record and include us on their "preferred provider" lists -- currently, United Health, Anthem Blue Cross, Humana, Cigna, Health EOS and WEA Trust. In most instances, you'll find our surgeons listed in the "top tier" of these insurers' provider lists.
Compare your care at other facilities
Not all of our local health care providers have such exceptional records. As a savvy consumer, you can investigate this yourself. You're probably familiar with www.wicheckpoint.com, an independent online reporting organization. In June, it posted these ratings for our two local hospitals: Surgical infection prevention index: Hospital A 82% Hospital B 93% State benchmark 94% This organization does not yet report on surgery centers, but the above measure compares exactly with AAAHC's infection control protocol described above: Manitowoc Surgery Center 100%
Make an informed choice when you or a family member chooses where to have surgery next.
