Harney District Hospital |
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surgical services |
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In response to community requests, Harney District Hospital (HDH) stepped up in a big way to provide local surgical services. While visiting surgical support has always been provided, the hospital believes HDH surgical services should be more about the services local patients want rather than the services visiting surgeons are willing to provide. To that end, HDH added Dr. Stephen Olson to the hospital team in 2004. Under Olson's energetic leadership, the Surgical Department has grown in terms of staff, necessary equipment, and most importantly, patients. Only medically appropriate procedures are performed at Harney District Hospital. Patients are urged to come in and talk with Dr. Olson about their surgical needs. Together they can determine if surgery should be performed locally by Dr. Olson or referred to another physician. |
| Dr. Olson and his surgical team. |
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If you are scheduled for surgery..... A Recovery Room Nurse will contact you. They will get your medical history, do a brief physical assessment and help you schedule any necessary labwork or other exams. In addition, the Recovery Room Nurse will assist with the surgical pre-admission process and will keep in touch following the surgery to make sure your recovery is smooth. Use this opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the procedure, hospital stay and recovery. |
| HDH Anesthesia provides Pain Management Services |
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Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA’s) Rick Thein and Bill Edwards came to Harney County from the east shore, Thein from New Jersey in 1991 and Edwards from school in Philadelphia in 2005. Both admit they loved the adrenaline-rush specialty cases often found in larger hospitals, the more intricate and scary the better. But both made their way to HDH for similar reasons. “What I truly enjoy about Harney District Hospital (HDH) is that it isn’t an assembly line Operating Room (OR). I get to know my patients,” explains Edwards. “I see my patients out on the street. I know them when they come in.” Thein echoes the sentiment. “Meeting patients on a personal basis, discussing their options and concerns before or after surgery...It helps me evaluate my performance and makes this job truly interesting,” he notes. This is a sharp contrast to their previous work experience in larger facilities, where it’s not uncommon to be in a department of 8 OR’s performing 80-90 cases daily. “Having time to actually ‘know’ your patients is truly unheard of in larger hospitals,” notes Edwards. HDH Anesthesia provides round-the-clock anesthesia services for all procedures done in the hospital; from obstetric epidurals to post-operative pain, either Thein or Edwards is on call. During his 14 years as the lone HDH anesthetist, Thein has provided epidural steroids. With the addition of Edwards extensive training in pain blocks, the department is adding more formal services for chronic pain. While HDH Anesthesia is an integral part of a pain management program, it is not a stand-alone pain clinic. Patients can receive a steroid injection or pain block for a specific, identified problem with a referral from their primary care provider. Patients who may receive relief include those suffering from chronic back, shoulder, hip or knee pain, arthritis and degenerative nerve or muscle pain. During a steroid treatment, the skin is numbed with a local anesthetic. The exact spot where medication is needed is found with fluoroscopy (live x-ray) or a nerve stimulator and the steroid is injected. Rest with little movement the day of the injection optimizes the effectiveness of the treatment, but most people return to work the following day. Some pain issues may require surgery, but block or injection treatments can buy a patient time to either recover or prepare for surgery. In addition, breaking the normal cycle of pain and reducing inflammation (i.e. pain causes inflammation, which causes pain, etc...) allows the body to heal. Please talk to your healthcare provider if you may benefit from pain management treatment. |
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| CRNA's Rick Thein and Bill Edwards provide comprehensive anesthesia services at HDH. |
The Post-Operative Epidural
Most have heard about epidurals; often used during labor and delivery for obstetric patients, the treatment blocks pain.
Epidurals are generally not offered for post-operative pain because they are labor intensive, but at HDH where the anesthetists can take extra time with their patients, they are a valuable bonus for those getting surgery.
Local resident Carl Sheeon recently received an extensive 5 hour stomach surgery at HDH, but not in the traditional manner. Truly, how often do surgical patients speak to their wife on the phone in the middle of surgery??
The epidural allowed Sheeon to be awake but numb from the chest down during surgery, then was converted to a pain epidural until his stomach can withstand liquid pain medication. Use of the epidural has allowed Sheeon to begin his recovery, and walking, the night of his surgery.
“It’s amazing with no pain and I am extremely pleased,” enthused Sheeon from his hospital bed. “I’ve had hospital experiences elsewhere and to a person, the people who work here are very caring...just super.”
Post-operative epidurals are a surgical service option, but may not be suitable for all patients. Talk to your anesthetist prior to surgery if you are interested in this option.
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Harney District Hospital, 557 W Washington, Burns OR 97720, (541) 573-7281
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