Lakeland HealthCare - Medical Excellence. Compassionate Care.
1-800-968-0115 Contact Us
Find a Physician Employment Facilities/Locations Our Services
Heart Disease Cancer Care Ortho / Rehab Prostate Cancer Weight Loss Center Neurosciences
Online Tools
For Physicians
Physician Login
Physician's News
New Physicians
Physician Services
Physician Career Opportunities
Medical Education
CME Programs
eResults
Physician's Health Sciences Library
How to refer a Patient
Search Job Postings
Pay Your Bill Online
View Our Online Nursery
Health Resource Libraries
Laboratory Test Catalog
Videos

For Physicians

Physician's News Brief - August 2010

Board News
The Lakeland HealthCare Board of Directors approved the following actions at its recent meetings:

  • Planning budget for a 30,000 square foot medical office building on the campus of Lakeland Community Hospital, Niles.
  • $1.2 million conversion to Microsoft Office Suite across the organization.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Five Star Physicians for the Second Quarter of 2010 are Lawrence Damiani, DO, Gastroenterologist, and Roy Winslow, MD, Surgeon. This honor was based on nominations by patients, Lakeland associates, and volunteers and is awarded to Lakeland partner physicians who demonstrate outstanding service.

The Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) has re-elected Lynn S. Gray, MD, MPH, Family Practice and Emergency Medicine, to a second term on its Board of Directors. Dr. Gray will represent physicians from Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren counties.

IN THE NEWS
Medical Students Have Arrived at Lakeland
Last month four medical students from Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine began their third year of medical education, using Lakeland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph, as their base hospital. This program includes 84 weeks of clinical education. Students will rotate through both the hospital and ambulatory environments.

Lakeland is also approved for two osteopathic residency programs, which will start in July 2011. The program will have openings for six Internal Medicine residents and four Emergency Medicine residents per year.

Stevensville Physical Therapy
Lakeland HealthCare has begun providing physical therapy services at Lakeland Rehabilitation Services, Stevensville, located at 5709 St. Joseph Avenue, Stevensville. Lakeland assumed ownership of the practice from Southwestern Medical Clinic. Although the name of the practice has changed to reflect the new ownership, patients can expect a seamless transition and the same high level of service. For more information or to refer a patient, call (269) 556-0930.

Pediatric Orthopaedic Specialist Now Available in Southwest Michigan
Donnie Reinhart, DO, a specialist in pediatric orthopaedics from Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, has opened a practice in collaboration with Southwest Michigan Center for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine and Lakeland HealthCare. The monthly clinic will provide orthopaedic care to children with congenital, developmental, infectious and traumatic disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

"The pediatric orthopaedic clinic will be of great benefit to our patients," said Kenneth Edwards, MD, of Southwest Michigan Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, and medical director, surgical services, Lakeland HealthCare. "The capability to provide this specialized care complements our practice and allows for a single point of service for our community's orthopaedic needs."

The clinic is located at the office of Southwest Michigan Center for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine at 183 Peace Boulevard in St. Joseph, Michigan. Patients should call the Grand Rapids office at (616) 391-9814 to schedule an appointment.

HOT TOPICS
Medicare Delays PECOS Enrollment Deadline
After numerous complaints from physicians about problems with Medicare's enrollment system, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on June 30 announced that it would delay implementation of changes that would automatically reject claims based on orders, certifications, and referrals made by providers that have not had their applications approved by the July 6 deadline.

CMS claims that more than 800,000 physicians and other health professionals have properly enrolled and received approved applications through the Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS), but some doctors have reported problems such as application backlogs and other system glitches that have prevented them from doing so. 

While regulation did take effect on July 6, the enforcement delay means that claims for medical equipment, home health, imaging, laboratory and specialist services should process as usual for now, even if one of the physicians listed on the claim has not yet had a PECOS enrollment application processed successfully. CMS has not determined when the automatic rejection process might start.

EVENTS
Hip and Knee Pain Seminar
If your patients have failed to respond adequately to conservative treatment for their hip or knee pain, they can learn about other options, including diet, exercises, or surgery, during a free seminar called “The Good News About Knee and Hip Pain.” This one hour program is presented by registered nurse Amy Jonatzke and physical therapist Nutan Dharwadkar of Lakeland HealthCare. It will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, September 20 in the Frederick S. Upton Education Center, room four, Lakeland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph. For more information or to preregister a patient, call (269) 985-4539.

Berrien County Youth Fair
Lakeland HealthCare will provide free health information and wellness activities for all ages at the Berrien County Youth Fair in Berrien Springs, August 16-21. This year Lakeland will be at booths 65-70 located in Commercial Building 37, Monday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

NEW PROVIDERS
Please help us welcome the following new providers joining the more than 350 physicians on Lakeland's medical staff.

Gregory Beck, DO Anesthesiology
Sunset Coast Anesthesia
St. Joseph

Lucas “Chip” Platt, DO Ophthalmology
Great Lakes Eye Care
St. Joseph


Physician's News Archive: February | March | April | August


 
Click here to find out more about our Physician Services program 

Click here for Continuing Medical Education Programs

Click here for Physician Library information

Click here for career opportunities

Click here for a complete listing of Physicians

Specialty Services 

Cancer Care
Lakeland Introduces Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Lakeland’s Dr. Lai is a Recognized Leader in Radiation Oncology
New RoboticTechnology and Urologist Team Up for Prostatectomies

Orthopedic Care
Reverse Shoulder Joint Replacement Surgery 
Computer-assistance Technology in Joint Replacement Surgery at Lakeland  
Orthopedic Care Information for Patients
Total Disc Replacement Introduced to Southwest Michigan

Imaging
Breakthrough CT Technology now available at Lakeland's St. Joseph and Niles Locations
Digital Radiology Images via Lakeland's Picture Archival Communication System
Imaging Information for Patients

Heart Center
New Service Offers Faster Treatment for Heart Attacks
Minimally Invasive Treatment for Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO)
Lakeland Achieves Stroke Center Designation
Lakeland's Cardiac Surgery Program: A Quality Leader

Endocrinology
Diabetes Services Information for Patients

Rehabilitation

Inpatient Care
Lakeland's Hospitalists and Intensivists: Specialists in Inpatient Care
Hip Resurfacing Offers Advantages for Younger, Active Patients
New Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) Improves on Current Radiation Techniques
Refer or admit your patient to Lakeland

Emergency Care
Lakeland's Emergency Physician Group
Proper First-Aid Care for Accidental Amputations Can Improve Reattachment Outcomes

Quality Care
Balloon Sinuplasty Introduced to Treat Sinus Disease
Lakeland Is "Going for the Gold" in Stroke Care
Lakeland Named to Top 1% of Hospitals in U.S. for Excellence in Outcomes, Safety, Efficiency

 

 

Also in this Section
 Physician Login  Physician Login
 Physician's News  Physician's News
 New Physicians  New Physicians
 Physician Services  Physician Services
 Physician Career Opportunities  Physician Career Opportunities
 Medical Education  Medical Education
 CME Programs  CME Programs
 eResults  eResults
 Physician's Health Sciences Library  Physician's Health Sciences Library
 How to refer a Patient  How to refer a Patient