The Zanesville United States Bowling Congress (USBC) recently presented a check for $5,300 to Genesis Cancer Services for its Breast Cancer Fund. The money was raised during the Strike Out Breast Cancer event held by the Zanesville USBC in February. 

“Genesis Cancer Services is grateful to the Zanesville USBC and its bowlers for their support of breast cancer patients in our community,” said Pebbles Thornton, Director of Genesis Cancer Services. “This generous donation will be used to provide our patients with the high-quality breast cancer and breast health care we provide to our patients.”

Photo caption: Tammy Ansbery-Hildenbrand, Strike Out Breast Cancer event chairperson, right, presents a check for $5,300 to Pebbles Thornton, Director, Genesis Cancer Services. 

Proceeds of Strike Out Breast Cancer Event.

Genesis FirstCare-New Lexington will reopen Monday, April 4. The location temporarily closed in August 2021, so providers and staff could assist at FirstCare-North with the high volume of patients needing COVID-19 testing and treatment.

With the prevalence of COVID-19 down, providers and staff can return to the New Lexington location to provide high-quality healthcare to those in need.

Located at 401 Lincoln Park Drive, Suite B, New Lexington, Genesis FirstCare-New Lexington is a primary care, walk-in clinic. Patients can be seen for a variety of minor illnesses and injuries that do not require emergency care. Appointments are not needed. It is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

FirstCare-New Lexington staff treat minor illnesses and injuries, such as colds, earaches, minor cuts and lacerations, rashes, sprains and strains, among others. COVID-19 testing is also available. For more complex conditions, such as abdominal pain, pregnancy, issues chest pain, chronic pain and dizziness, FirstCare staff may refer patients to the Genesis Perry County Emergency Department in Somerset.

Genesis FirstCare is accepted by many insurances; typically, a visit requires the same co-pay patients would have for a family doctor visit. For more information, visit Genesis FirstCare.

Primary care, walk-in clinic reopens April 4

Zanesville, Ohio (Feb. 24, 2022) – Several community organizations partnered in 2021 to offer free mammograms to those who couldn’t afford one due to lack of insurance, being under-insured or not having the ability to pay. Beginning in October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and ending in December, the program was a success, with 81 women completing their mammograms.

“I am grateful for this partnership that enables us to make a difference for women in the community,” said Pebbles Thornton, Director, Genesis Cancer Services. “Breast cancer is highly treatable if detected in its earliest stages through mammography. We are pleased to be a part of a program that saves lives.”

Genesis HealthCare System, Coconis Furniture, WHIZ TV, the Muskingum County Community Foundation, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Project, Radiology Associates of Southeastern Ohio, and several donors joined together in the effort. The free mammogram program will be offered again in October 2022.

Community organizations partner to offer the lifesaving screenings

Mitesh Parekh, M.D., Member of InterStim™ Center of Excellence Program

Zanesville, Ohio (Feb. 18, 2022) – Mitesh Parekh, M.D., a urogynecologist with Genesis Urogynecology, has been recognized by Medtronic, a medical device company, as a member of the InterStim™ Center of Excellence Program. This recognition is awarded to physicians for demonstrating exemplary use of the InterStim™ system and a commitment to patient care for those suffering from symptoms associated with overactive bladder, fecal incontinence and non-obstructive urinary retention.

“The Genesis Urogynecology team is pleased to receive this recognition from Medtronic,” said Dr. Parekh. “Being a member of the InterStim™ Center of Excellence Program demonstrates our commitment to helping our patients live a happier, healthier life.”

Requirements for the recognition include the physician must be board-certified in urology, obstetrics and gynecology or urogynecology; establishing a branded care pathway, completing Medtronic education courses, and implanting a minimum of 100 patients with the InterStim™ system, among others.

InterStim™ is a sacral nerve stimulation therapy that re-establishes communication between the brain and bladder or bowels. It can regulate the sacral nerves’ function, so they can interpret signals from the brain and pass them on to the surrounding pelvic floor muscles. This enables a return to normal bladder and bowel function.

To learn more about Dr. Parekh and the services he offers, call the Genesis Urogynecology office at 740-454-5678.

Mitesh Parekh, M.D., a urogynecologist with Genesis Urogynecology, has been recognized by Medtronic, a medical device company, as a member of the InterStim™ Center of Excellence Program.

Genesis HealthCare System celebrated the opening of the new Genesis Orthopedic Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in conjunction with the Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce Jan. 12, 2022. The new facility at 2905 Bell St., Zanesville, includes Genesis Orthopedic Services in one convenient location.

“The new Genesis Orthopedic Center enables us to expand and enhance our orthopedic services for the residents of Southeastern Ohio,” said Matt Perry, CEO, Genesis HealthCare System. “This gives our patients easy access to high-quality orthopedic care in a modern facility designed around their needs.”

The new facility has all Genesis orthopedic providers, including fellowship-trained and board-certified orthopedic surgeons specializing in joint replacement and hand surgery, sports medicine surgeons and physicians, advanced practice providers, athletic trainers, and physical and occupational therapists. It features state-of-the-art patient treatment spaces, therapies area, and imaging studies. The center is near the Genesis Surgery Center and Genesis Hospital.

The Genesis Orthopedic Walk-in Clinic is also located in the Genesis Orthopedic Center. Those with minor injuries such as sprains, strains, pulled muscles and injured fingers can be seen without an appointment. The Genesis Orthopedic Walk-in Clinic is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pictured: Participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Genesis Orthopedic Center were (left to right): Thai Trinh, M.D.; Matthew Langford, M.D.; Brenton Bohlig, M.D.; Matthew Craig, M.D.; Dana Matz, President, Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce; Matt Perry, CEO, Genesis HealthCare System; Clayton Gibson, M.D.; Corey Jackson, D.O.; Ian Alexander, M.D.; and Carley German, Director, Genesis Orthopedic Services.

Genesis HealthCare System celebrated the opening of the new Genesis Orthopedic Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Genesis HealthCare System surgeons recently performed the 2,000th robotic-assisted surgery at Genesis. Robotic-assisted surgery is an advanced form of minimally invasive surgery. It is a solution for various health needs, including certain heart issues, hernias, GYN procedures and more. 

“One of the reasons I cherish working at Genesis is that we are constantly analyzing the best methods for treating patients, which routinely leads us to be an early adopter of technology. Genesis began performing robotic-assisted surgeries in 2010. Due to our commitment to the best care, we can now celebrate that 2,000 patients have benefited from our robotic-assisted technology, skills and experience. It feels good to have helped so many of our community members,” said Stuart Chow, D.O., Fellowship-trained and Board-certified Surgeon with Genesis Emergency & Trauma Services.

During robotic-assisted surgery, the robotic arms enable a surgeon to move instruments in ways that human hands cannot and reach into smaller places. These advantages result in smaller incisions, pinpoint precision, faster recoveries, lower infection rates, less blood loss and scarring and shorter hospital stays. 

For more information on robotic-assisted surgeries, visit genesishcs.org/roboticsurgery.

Genesis HealthCare System surgeons recently performed the 2,000th robotic-assisted surgery.

Lifeline of Ohio (LOOP) recently recognized Genesis HealthCare System’s 100th placenta donation that was made in September. Genesis began participating in the LOOP placenta donation program in 2019. This program is a collaborative effort of Genesis Women’s Services and OB/GYN physicians at Genesis. 

“The opportunity to donate can be offered to every mom who is having a planned C-section,” said Kristy Ritchie, M.D., OB/GYN with the Genesis OB/GYN Group. “The donation process is easy and doesn’t disrupt the birthing plan for the mom or the protocols the physicians and hospital staff use for Cesarean births. Collaborating with Lifeline of Ohio to offer our patients an opportunity to donate has been easy. It’s a great way for expectant moms to do a simple act that will help others.”

Placentas are used to create healing grafts. On average, one donated placenta can create around 25 grafts. Multiple components in placental tissue are used for a wide range of procedures involving eye, oral and spine surgery and to treat difficult-to-heal wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, pressure ulcers and burns. An estimated 3,250 healing grafts have been created from these gifts. For more information, contact the Genesis OB/GYN Group at 740-454-8800.

Lifeline of Ohio (LOOP) recently recognized Genesis HealthCare System’s 100th placenta donation that was made in September. Genesis began participating in the LOOP placenta donation program in 2019. This program is a collaborative effort of Genesis Women’s Services and OB/GYN physicians at Genesis.

Genesis HealthCare System’s Pulmonary and Critical Care team recently performed its 100th Monarch Robotic-assisted Bronchoscopy. The Monarch system uses a flexible robotic tube, controlled by a doctor, to detect lung cancer earlier and more accurately, and in places that were previously unreachable without surgery. 

“The Monarch system is another example of Genesis’ commitment to bringing the best resources, whether it is technology, doctors or facilities to our community. We were the second health system in Ohio to start using the Monarch system in fall 2020, which is critical because Ohio has one of the highest lung cancer rates in the U.S. This system makes a difference and helps saves lives,” said Emily Brawner, D.O., F.C.C.P, Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine.

The Monarch Robotic-assisted Bronchoscopy procedure is performed by either Dr. Brawner or James Adamo, M.D., F.C.C.P., Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine.

To learn more about the Monarch System and how Genesis is diagnosing lung cancer earlier, go to genesishcs.org/beatlungcancer 

Genesis HealthCare System’s Pulmonary and Critical Care team recently performed its 100th Monarch Robotic-assisted Bronchoscopy.

Genesis HealthCare System has earned CHIME Digital Health Most Wired recognition for the 6th consecutive year. Genesis has been certified level 9 for Ambulatory Care, certified level 9 Acute Care for 2021. These certifications place Genesis in the top 10% of all hospitals in the country utilizing integrated technology. The CHIME Digital Health Most Wired program conducts an annual survey to assess how effectively healthcare organizations apply core and advanced technologies into their clinical and business programs to improve health and care in their communities. The surveys assessed the adoption, integration and impact of technologies in healthcare organizations at all stages of development, from early development to industry leading.

“Utilizing leading edge information technology has long been one of Genesis’s key strategic priorities,” said Ed Romito, Chief Information Officer at Genesis HealthCare System. “We have a very talented team of IT professionals who are dedicated to delivering IT solutions that enable safer, faster, better health care. We’re pleased to be recognized as one of the top organizations in the country using state of the art information technology to improve patient safety and health outcomes for our patients.”

Most Wired validates that Genesis has integrated technology in every facet of the health care delivery system.  Using the best in class electronic medical record system from Epic, Genesis provides a single comprehensive medical record for each patient that includes all information, even for those who receive care from outside Genesis HealthCare System.  This allows our doctors and care team to access important medical information quickly and easily to deliver the safest care, make faster diagnosis, and minimize duplicate tests- which both increases safety and saves patients money. 

The Genesis Epic system allows each patient to be an active member in their care through MyChart which is available on the patients’ phone or computer.  More than 65,000 patients currently use the free Genesis MyChart application. Patients can schedule appointments, see a provider via a video visit, message their doctor, request prescription refills, review test results and make payments. All these features are protected by a robust, comprehensive cybersecurity system implemented by the Genesis IT department.

A total of 36,674 organizations were represented in the 2021 Digital Health Most Wired program, which this year included four separate surveys: acute, ambulatory, long-term care and international. The surveys assessed the adoption, integration and impact of technologies in healthcare organizations at all stages of development, from early development to those leading in the industry. Genesis was one of only 100 organizations to achieve Level 9 Ambulatory certification, and one of only 72 organizations to achieve Level 9 Acute Care certification.

Each participating organization received a customized benchmarking report, an overall score and scores for individual levels in eight segments: infrastructure; security; business/disaster recovery; administrative/supply chain; analytics/data management; interoperability/population health; patient engagement; and clinical quality/safety. Participants can use the report and scores to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. Participants also received certification based on their overall performance, with level 10 being the highest. Only 9 of the 36,674 participating organizations achieved a level 10 certification.

More information about the award can be found HERE. 

Genesis HealthCare System was named one of the Most Wired® hospitals of 2021 by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).

Genesis HealthCare System received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. These awards recognize the healthcare system’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines. This is the seventh consecutive year for the Stroke Gold Plus with Honor Roll Award, and the second consecutive year for the Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award.

“Genesis HealthCare System is committed to providing high-quality care for our stroke patients by implementing the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Bryan Bjornstad, M.D., Genesis Neurology Group. “Timeliness is imperative when patients are having a stroke. Our team works diligently to ensure patients quickly receive the highest level of care.”

Genesis earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. 

Genesis also received the Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke. 

Additionally, Genesis HealthCare System received the Target: Type 2 Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90% compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.” 

Genesis HealthCare System received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.