High-End Treatment, High-Touch Care

Patients share firsthand experiences at UPMC Passavant

As the northern suburbs continue to grow, so does the need for more advanced medical care and facilities. To this end, UPMC Passavant is undergoing a $100 million expansion which will enable the hospital to continue to provide high-end specialty care in a warm and welcoming setting.

“Clinical excellence, combined with patient-focused care, is the hallmark of UPMC Passavant” says UPMC Passavant President Teresa Petrick. “UPMC Passavant has always had a strong foundation as a high-touch hospital, and we plan to continue offering that type of care. We want to make every visit to the hospital the ultimate patient care experience.

“Through patient satisfaction surveys, we have been able to see how this focus on high-touch care makes a difference to patients and their families,” adds Ms. Petrick. “We also get a lot of feedback from patients who want to tell us personally how UPMC Passavant has made a difference in their lives. We’ve asked four of those patients to share their stories here.”

Patient Profile: Nancy Toothman

Nancy Toothman went to see her family doctor about problems with her gallbladder. When a sonogram showed a tumor on her liver, she was scheduled for surgery at UPMC Passavant. “I’ve gone to UPMC Passavant for all of my medical issues in the past, and I’ve always liked the care that I’ve received at the hospital,” says Ms. Toothman, who has been battling breast cancer for 18 years. “I feel like the doctors are concerned about me; they give me the attention that is required and provide me with information I need to make informed decisions. I feel like they’re genuinely looking after my welfare.”

After Ms. Toothman’s surgery, which was performed by surgical oncologists David Geller, MD, and Rodney Landreneau, MD, she spent three days in the hospital. “The nurses were wonderful; especially that first day when I was supposed to get up and move around but didn’t want to. They did a good job of getting me there,” she says.

“The food was good, though I didn’t realize at first that I could order from a menu,” she adds. “When I was at the hospital nine years ago, they just brought you a tray. Now you get to order what you want, like in a restaurant. I thought that was great.”

Ms. Toothman now returns to the UPMC Cancer Center at UPMC Passavant once every three weeks for treatment. “I can’t say enough about the staff at the Cancer Center; they’re absolutely wonderful,” says Ms. Toothman. “Of course, my first choice would be not to have to go there at all, but given my circumstances, that’s the place I want to be. The people are very compassionate and professional, and they’re good at what they do; it takes someone really special to be able to work with cancer patients. You would never know what a tough job it is from their attitudes.”

Patient Profile: Cheryl Radatovich

“For years, I’d been having pain in one leg, and I couldn’t walk very far before I had to sit down to relieve the pain and numbness,” says Cheryl Radatovich, 48. “Then I started having numbness in both legs, and the pain increased as the years progressed,” she explains. Last February, concerned that she might have waited too long for treatment. Ms. Radatovich decided to consult Matt El-Kadi, MD, Chief Chief of Neurosurgery at UPMC Passavant.

Ms. Radatovich was diagnosed with spondylolisthesis, or a slipped vertebra, in her back. “I don’t know what caused my back to shift, though part of my job as a CAT scan technologist is lifting patients,” she says. “I also run a very active household as a mother of three children.”

Ms. Radatovich underwent a laminectomy in February, during which part of a bone was removed from her spinal column to relieve pressure. “The procedure was successful,” she says. “Working as a hospital technologist, I heard good things about Dr. El-Kadi, and it was all true. He did a wonderful job.”

Ms. Radatovich spent four days in the hospital and is currently wearing a bone stimulator to help the healing process. “I had a very pleasant stay at UPMC Passavant,” she says. “The nursing staff was very attentive. Due to the pain medication, I had a decrease in appetite, but there was a wide selection of food available from the menu, which was very nice.”

After Ms. Radatovich had her surgery, she worked with physical therapists daily while in the hospital until she was released. In May, she returned to work on a limited schedule. “My back is feeling so much better. As it continues to heal, I’ll be able to do even more and walk without difficulty,” she says. “I’ll be able to take my children shopping at the mall, and I will be able to attend our annual Kennywood trips. This operation has improved the quality of my life in every aspect.”

Patient Profile: George Auer

George Auer, 58, was preparing to go to UPMC Passavant to have kidney stones treated when he realized that he had a much more severe problem. “I had my kidney stone procedure scheduled for Tuesday, but the Friday before, I started feeling like someone was sitting on my chest,” he explains. “I thought if I just relaxed, the pain might subside, but it didn’t. The heaviness kept coming back.”

Mr. Auer, a medic for Ross/West View EMS, decided to go to the hospital after talking with his wife. “She had some choice words about how I looked and where I needed to be,” he says.

When he got to the UPMC Passavant Emergency Department, Mr. Auer saw emergency department staff physician Jim Brady, MD, who he knew through his job as a medic. “Dr. Brady asked me what was wrong, and I said that I had an elephant sitting on my chest,” says Mr. Auer. “Even though I do this for a living, I was a basket case — I knew just enough to speculate about what was going on.”

Despite the fact that Mr. Auer’s enzyme test was negative and nothing appeared on the 12-lead electrocardiogram test that was given, Joon Sup Lee, MD, clinical director of the UPMC Cardiovascular Institute and co-director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at UPMC Passavant, decided to keep him overnight. “By 1 a.m., everything had changed,” says Mr. Auer. “The cardiogram and blood work showed that there was definitely a problem.”

Mr. Auer was taken to the cath lab – his heart went into cardiac arrest while he was on the table. He was immediately scheduled for a quadruple bypass, which was performed by Ronald Pellegrini, MD, chief of Adult Cardiac Surgery at UPMC Passavant. “Dr. Pellegrini said that two of the arteries were completely blocked, and that the other two were 55 percent and 75 percent blocked,” says Mr. Auer, who spent 10 weeks recovering from the operation.

While treating Mr. Auer, physicians, nurses, and staff also took care of his wife. “They treated my wife like she was a queen, keeping her well-informed about everything going on,” Auer says. “Jill Zonker and the entire nursing staff, along with Dr. Pellegrini’s staff and the physicians’ assistants — they were all unbelievable. They made sure my wife was comfortable, and they took time to answer all of her questions. She jokes that she got better care than I did!”

Mr. Auer, who is now back to work, continues to take regular stress tests and check in with his cardiologist, Jeffrey Rich, MD. “If I had to go through it all again, there’s no doubt that I’d go to UPMC Passavant,” he says of his stay. “In addition to having top cardiac surgeons, they have a really great set of cardiologists and nurses who provide top-level care.”

Patient Profile: Bernadette St. Denis

Bernadette St. Denis, 79, has been a patient of Jan Ravi, MD, for 14 years. “I first went to see Dr. Ravi because I was having gastrointestinal problems,” explains the retired nurse. “It turned out that I had a stomach ulcer and GERD [gastroesophageal reflux disease].”

Ms. St. Denis visits UPMC Passavant two to three times a year to undergo a panendoscopy, which is a procedure that allows Dr. Ravi to examine the lining of the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract to see if any damage has been caused by her reflux disease. She also undergoes dilation -- a procedure used to stretch open a narrowed area in the esophagus to help her to better swallow. “Dr. Ravi is very nice and extremely gentle; he’s such a gentleman,” says Ms. St. Denis. “He really takes the time to listen to you.”

In addition to her visits to the GI Center of Excellence, last year St. Denis spent almost a month at the hospital after having surgery on both knees. “My orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Victor Thomas, was excellent,” she says.

During her stay, Ms. St. Denis was treated in the Intensive Care Unit and also underwent physical therapy. “The people in the ICU were so wonderful to my family,” she says. “No matter what you asked for, no matter what nurse you talked to, you always felt like they were there to help you. And the physical therapists made sure that my husband and son were comfortable with what they needed to do to help me when I got home.”

Back in her room, she continued to receive this same quality of care. “The dining room staff always made sure that I was eating enough,” she says. “One night when I couldn’t sleep, a nurse came in and gave me a backrub. You just don’t get that kind of care at any other hospital.”

“I can’t find fault with anyone at UPMC Passavant,” says Ms. St. Denis. “It’s an excellent hospital filled with wonderful people.

“When I hear people saying that they are considering another hospital, I always recommend UPMC Passavant,” she adds. “Why would you want to go anywhere else?”

Nursing Excellence

No matter where a patient is treated at UPMC Passavant, chances are, they will interact with at least one member of the nursing staff. From the lab, to outpatient procedures, to treatment within the ICU or cardiac care unit, nurses ensure that patients receive the best possible care while visiting UPMC Passavant.

At UPMC Passavant, nurses are encouraged to further their education, and many have gone on to become certified in clinical specialties, such as oncology, emergency care, and critical care. “These nationally recognized certifications are not easy to achieve,” says Chief Nursing Officer and Vice-president of Patient Care Services, Cheryl Dodson, RN, MBA, who adds that she is very pleased by the number of senior UPMC Passavant nurses who have chosen to pursue the advanced degrees. “These certifications are very specific to the types of patients these nurses care for the most, including those in the hospital’s GI, musculoskeletal, cancer and cardiac centers of excellence.

“Nurses at UPMC Passavant hold themselves to an extremely high standard of excellence, competency, knowledge, and skill,” adds Ms. Dodson. “But what’s more important, especially from a patient’s point of view, is that our nurses are truly caring and compassionate.”