Elizabeth was born on 1-1-10 at 7:36am, following 5.5 hours of labor. She weighed 6.8 ounces and was 17 3/4 inches long. Proud father, Gerardo, tells us that all of his children were born small so Elizabeth’s stats were expected. Elizabeth was the first baby born at JFK Memorial to welcome in this new decade-2010. Waiting at home to meet their new sister are five siblings, all brothers. Because some of them appeared to have a slight cold, the family decided it was best they did not meet Elizabeth until she came home. Throughout the day many other relatives did visit, however.

Everyone looks forward to the birth of a baby as a healthy, joyous event.  Yet in those cases where a newborn is premature of has medical problems, it’s reassuring to know that knowledgeable specialists and advanced equipment are at hand.

JFK’s State Certified Community Level NICU provides comprehensive care for preemies and other high risk infants.  Since it is located in the Women’s & Children’s Center, we can help get a newborn right into treatment if needed.  For high-risk infants that require higher level of care (Level III or IV), transfer is arranged to our sister facility, Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs (Level III) or Loma Linda University Medical Center (Level IV-surgical).

The neonatal team at JFK includes neonatologists; clinical nurse specialists, registered nurses, respiratory care practitioners, occupational therapists, social workers, and discharge planners. 

Award is Based on Quality Study, Which Finds Patients Treated at 5-Star Hospitals are 80% Less Likely to Experience a Major Complication 

INDIO, CA (October 21, 2009) – JFK MEMORIAL HOSPITAL has again been ranked in the top 5% in the nation for joint replacement orthopedic surgery by a new study released by HealthGrades, a leading independent healthcare quality ratings organization. The HealthGrades study evaluates objective patient outcomes in the nation’s 5,000 hospitals.       

In addition to ranking in the top 5% in the nation for orthopedic joint surgery by HealthGrades, JFK Memorial is also 5 star rated for total hip replacement and hip fracture repair and is a recipient of the 2010 HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award™.   JFK Memorial has been 5-star rated for total knee replacement for 6 years in a row (2005-2010).  The study results, released last week, serve as third party validation of the quality of orthopedic care provided at JFK Memorial Hospital.

 “We are pleased by HealthGrades study results,” states Dan Bowers, CEO at JFK, “although we are not surprised.”  Data released, last quarter, from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicates that JFK Memorial Hospital ranks above the national, state and county averages on quality indicators used for measuring clinical core performance in hospitals. “JFK is dedicated to having a quality orthopedics department among the best in the country.” Bowers continued, “HealthGrades designation helps us demonstrate that effort.  The contribution of all our hospital staff and physicians makes this orthopedic recognition possible.  I am extremely proud of the hard work and our performance in providing quality of patient care.”

The HealthGrades study, the largest annual report of its kind, analyzed patient outcomes in nearly 40 million Medicare hospitalization records from 5,000 hospitals over the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. Among the findings related to in hospital complications in this year’s study are:

·         Across all procedures in which complications were studied, there was a 79.69% lower chance of experiencing one or more in hospital complications in a 5-star rated hospital compared to a 1-star rated hospital.  

·         Across all procedures studied, there was a 61.22% lower chance of experiencing one or more in hospital complications in a 5-star rated hospital compared to the U.S. hospital average.

·         If all hospitals performed at the level of a 5-star rated hospital, 110,687 orthopedic in hospital complications may have been avoided among Medicare patients over the three years studied.

The new 2010 HealthGrades hospital ratings were posted at www.healthgrades.com, HealthGrades’ public Web site.  Find out more about JFK's Orthopedic program.

In addition to ranking in the top 5% in the nation for joint surgery, JFK Memorial is also 5 star rated for total hip replacement and hip fracture repair and is a recipient of the 2010 HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award™.   JFK Memorial has been 5-star rated for total knee replacement for 6 years in a row (2005-2010).  The study results, released last week, serve as third party validation of the quality of care provided at JFK Memorial Hospital.

We have stringent processes in place to manage and contain the situation if 2009 H1N1 flu were to be identified in Coachella Valley. If you would like more information about 2009 H1N1 flu, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/index.htm. The CDC’s site includes key facts, number and location of confirmed cases and symptoms.

The CDC also lists recommended everyday actions to help people stay healthy:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

• Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.

• If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.



For a Physician Referral,
please call 800-343-4535.
www.jfkmemorialhosp.com

A group of the students, brought "sock snowmen" they had individually created to give to JFK's pediatric patients who would be confined to the hospital during some part of the holiday.

Some with teeth missing through their smile and others showing their "shy" side, presented their homemade efforts of love to JFK's Patient Care Coordinator's Geri Samaniego and Serena Marina. 

Karen Boyle, mother of a student, said the children were excited to be delivering their holiday cheer. Each of the snowmen had a creation story behind them that was thoroughly entertaining.

This fall, Michael, who built in the developing
acreage of southern Indio, decided it might be time to research options for knee replacement. The following are Michael's own words.

Celia Butch's own words about her experience with a ConforMIS total right knee replacement surgery at JFK.

 "Two years ago, I fell at work and decided I'd better find out why my knee did not feel the same afterwards. I work full time at St. Margaret's thrift store and I need to depend on my knee to hold me.   I did lots of research on WebMD and read all I could about knee injuries and surgeries.

When I finally decided to see a doctor, I was told about Dr. Sinha by a trusted friend of mine whose husband had experienced his care for knee surgery at JFK.   I told myself, "if you don't like  what you hear, you can go to another doctor for their opinion."

I agreed to an arthoscopy to clean the injury then waited to hear what he would say.  Dr. Sinha recommended that I come back when I was ready to have my knee replaced.  He presented several options in depth.  He was not biased about what type of device I should have and then he really surprised me when he told me, "you can get a second opinion and then make your decision."  "You'll know when it is time, " Dr. Sinha told me. 

For me, no time is a good time, when you start thinking about the recovery process. My husband, Donald, travels with his work as a golf course construction consultant.  I didn't think that I could depend on his schedule to "assist" me after surgery. 

The Start! Coachella Valley Heart Rock ‘N’ Walk was a celebration of the American Heart Association’s promoting physical activity and heart-healthy living in a fun family environment, while raising much-needed funds to fight heart disease and stroke, America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers.

This annual tradition in Coachella Valley attracted more than 3000 participants. Besides a walk team, led by Aliah Doner, JFK participated in the festival by offering Diabetes Risk Assessment and Body Mass Index - % Body Fat measurements to assist our communities in developing a healthier lifestyle. Our employees participated in fund raising activities for donations to the AHA  that were matched by our corporate organization, Tenet.

JFK values our role in contributing to our community.