- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLuminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis and Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center in Lanham have received high marks by Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for providing patients with high-quality, safe care. Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC) received an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2023. LHAAMC has earned “Straight A’s” for every grading cycle since 2018, and according to Leapfrog, is the only hospital in Maryland to earn this prestigious distinction. “It is an enormous accomplishment for our hospital to be consistently recognized nationally for providing safe and reliable care to our communities,” said Sherry Perkins, president of LHAAMC. “Congratulations to our team of caregivers and volunteers for your unwavering pursuit of excellence to keep patients safe from infections, injuries and medical errors.” Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center (LHDCMC) earned a “B” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2023. “Since 2019, Luminis Health has made significant investments at our Lanham campus to improve the health of our community,” said Deneen Richmond, president of LHDCMC. “With the opening of our new Behavioral Health Pavilion, the expansion of surgical services and our plans to add women’s and children’s healthcare services in the coming years, I am proud of our team for working each day to break down barriers to health and deliver more high-quality care to all Prince Georgians and our neighbors throughout the region.” Luminis Health is committed to using best practices that ensure quality, safety and accountability. Patient safety is a top priority and is part of the overall culture as reflected through safety meetings, rounds, learning opportunities for clinical staff and hearing directly from patients. We work closely with the health system’s Patient Family Advisors, made up of staff and community members, who share concerns and possible solutions. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization with a 10-year history of assigning letter grades to general hospitals throughout the United States, based on a hospital’s ability to prevent medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, full transparent, and free to the public. Hospital Safety Grade results are based on more than 30 national performance measures and are updated each fall and spring.
- Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogRebecca “Becky” Benner has always been incredibly active. An avid gardener, she loves to dig, load up wheelbarrows and get her hands dirty. She enjoys cooking and baking too. Her life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with left tonsillar cancer in December 2021. The cancer had metastasized to her cervical lymph nodes. Before starting treatment, Becky’s oncologist referred her to Debra Piccirillo, speech language pathologist (SLP) at Luminis Health Physical Therapy in Annapolis. Debra assessed her swallowing skills and began Becky’s swallowing therapy. Prior to and throughout her radiation treatments, Becky practiced exercises to help to improve her ability to swallow. This work also protected her airway throughout the radiation treatments. Radiation may have long-term effects on swallowing abilities, so these exercises became a necessary daily routine indefinitely. Her care team performed a baseline modified barium swallow (MBS) study, an X-ray procedure performed that provides a look at the anatomic structures in the head and neck. This is essential to make sure these areas are working properly while chewing, drinking, and swallowing, and can help a care team make additional suggestions to keep swallowing safe. Debra quickly realized the need to refer her to physical therapy (PT) to address the impact of swelling on Becky’s health and swallowing skills. Becky describes her chemotherapy and radiation treatments as her “Big Adventure.” When she began treatment, she saw a sharp decline in her energy, balance and general strength. She went from being an active walker to needing support while moving around her house. Cancer-related fatigue and decline in strength and balance are real consequences of cancer treatment, especially in older adults who have a smaller reserve due to other medical diagnoses. Becky was extremely motivated to get back to her prior level of physical function. With physical therapy, she started making gradual progress. Her family provided excellent support, taking turns bringing her to therapy and encouraging her to practice exercises and strategies at home. At the beginning of May 2022, she needed a walker to walk and was able to stand on one leg for just a second. Her physical therapist, Runzun Shetye, provided walking and standing exercises to help with her mobility, as well as introducing lymphedema-reducing strategies. By December 2022, she was able to walk in her garden without any assistance, push a wheelbarrow filled with garden and yard trimmings, and was able to stand on one leg for 60 seconds! Becky also experienced significant pain and changes in her swallowing function, also known as dysphagia, requiring her to alter her diet to foods that were easier to manage. She found swallowing to require more effort, compared to pre-radiation where eating and drinking were automatic. She worked with an oncology dietician who assisted with optimal intake and food choices which helped her. Becky continues to have some difficulty with eating certain types of meats, pastas and breads and still does her numerous swallowing and jaw exercises. Her doctors and therapists continue to collaborate to provide the best care for her. Becky is building her physical endurance every day and has returned to gardening at her home and in the community and to volunteer work in the community. Becky recaps her “Big Adventure,” “I’ve really appreciated the exercises for my mouth and for balance and equilibrium. Debra and Runzun answered my questions, gently encouraged new exercises or resources to aid or speed recovery, accepted my occasional lack of progress, and, most importantly, allowed me to vent!”
- PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogYou are what you eat. So why is it so hard for many of us to eat our fruits and vegetables? Chew on this, a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report reveals that—in many states—more than half of children between the ages of one and five do not eat a single vegetable on a daily basis. Even more shocking, only about a third of young kids eat fruit daily. It is alarming because both fruits and vegetables provide a wide variety of vitamins and minerals that are essential for optimal health, energy production and brain power. Recommended Daily Serving According to Maureen Shackelford, a nutritionist and registered dietitian at Luminis Health, most children should get a daily serving of one or two cups of vegetables. Since fruits offer similar nutritional and fiber content as vegetables, children should eat one to two cups of fruit each day. For each meal, more than half your plate should be full of fruits and vegetables, with the other half made up of one-quarter protein and one-quarter starch. In other words, cut back on the potatoes. Encouraging Veggie Intake As we know, most children don’t like to eat their vegetables. But Shackelford says presentation is key because kids are more likely to eat them when they look appealing. Consider pairing raw veggies with yogurt dip, peanut butter or hummus. You can also mix veggies into favorite meals like enchiladas, pizza, tacos, spaghetti sauce, pasta salads or omelets. Mixing vegetables with starches and protein makes the meal more appetizing and kids will eat healthier without even knowing it. Take it one step further and make funny faces with the foods on their plate or let your children choose their veggie toppings for dishes like pizza and tacos. In fact, involving children in the purchasing and preparing of vegetables—and perhaps even in planting a garden—allows them to be included in the process and to develop more of an interest in the vegetables they are eating. Try using multi-compartment bento boxes for your child’s lunches, filling one or more compartments with vegetables. Parents’ Own Consumption of Vegetables Sets an Example You set the example by setting the table. Kids will follow your lead, so if parents consume plenty of vegetables each day, your youngsters will too, and it should begin at an early age. Children have been shown to eat more vegetables when they have: Adults modeling the behavior Readily available veggies Rules about vegetable intake, with parents as the gatekeepers Shared family meals While fresh is always best, frozen or canned vegetables can be an affordable option while still offering important nutrients. But it’s important to check the label and avoid varieties with added sugars or sodium. Available Resources Eating vegetables should be fun. You can visit sites like myplate.gov for activities, games, apps and more. In addition, EatRight.org offers creative ideas for adding vegetables into each meal, along with easy-to-prepare recipes that are developed by registered dietitians. And this may be hard to swallow, but limit or stay away altogether from fast food. Author Maureen Shackelford is a nutritionist and registered dietitian at Luminis Health with more than 33 years of experience.
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogTo meet the historic and growing needs of mental health services in Prince George’s County, Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center (LHDCMC) has opened an inpatient psychiatric unit at its new Behavioral Health Pavilion located on the hospital’s Lanham campus. With the addition of these 16 inpatient psychiatric adult beds, it expands the continuum of care, supporting and being supported by the services operating on-site. “When Luminis Health was formed, we made a commitment to increase quality, accessible safe healthcare in Prince George’s County,” said Tori Bayless, CEO of Luminis Health. “Since 2019, we have invested more than $85 million at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center, including opening the new Behavioral Health Pavilion to provide additional much needed services to the communities we serve.” In the summer of 2022, Luminis Health opened the first floor of the Behavioral Health Pavilion and currently provides the following services: • Outpatient Mental Health Center to provide therapy and medication management for adults • Behavioral Health Walk-In Urgent Care for non-emergent behavioral health concerns for ages four years old and up. This service is available Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. • Psychiatric Day Treatment Program which includes a mental health partial hospitalization program and an intensive outpatient program for adults and adolescents. “Since opening the first floor of the new Behavioral Health Pavilion, we’ve treated more than 300 patients in our outpatient programs,” said Dr. Aliya Jones, executive medical director of Behavioral Health at Luminis Health. “Our new inpatient psychiatric unit on the second floor will provide specialized treatment around the clock for adults who need intense mental health and critical psychiatric care.” With the completion of the new Behavioral Health Pavilion, Luminis Health is now launching a $300 million capital improvement project to renovate and upgrade the campus of LHDCMC. A major component of the project is to build a new Women’s Health Center to expand women’s and children’s healthcare services in Prince George’s County. One of the bold goals of Vision 2030, our 10-year strategic plan, is to eliminate maternal and infant mortality. “It is unacceptable that 8 out of 10 women have to deliver their baby outside of the County because of a lack of obstetrical and other healthcare services,” said Deneen Richmond, president of Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center. “It’s a deep concern because the maternal mortality rate for Black women in Prince George’s County is 50 percent higher than the national average. We join Governor Wes Moore and his administration’s priorities for advancing health equity and addressing the mental health and obstetrical needs of all Marylanders.” Once Luminis Health receives state approval for the proposed women’s tower, construction will begin immediately and take three to five years to complete. The state-of-art facility will provide obstetrics services, labor and delivery, and postpartum care.
- Cancer CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogDuring the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people in the United States delayed getting routine cancer screenings. Fortunately, data shows cancer screening rates are returning to pre-COVID levels but, even in the best of times, the number of people who are screened is lower than it should be. But what screenings should you get and when? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages screening for breast, cervical, colorectal (colon), and lung cancers because early detection leads to better outcomes. April is Cancer Control Month, which raises awareness for cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. Many people don’t realize that they are due for a cancer screening. Read the guidelines below to make sure you are up to date. Breast Cancer Screening Individuals should undergo breast cancer risk assessment by age 25 years and be counseled regarding potential benefits, risks, and limitations of breast screening in the context of their risk stratification. You and your doctor can work together to decide what’s best for you and we strongly encourage you to ask questions and share your concerns. Our providers recommend that women who are at least 40 years old and are at average risk for breast cancer get a mammogram annually. Cervical Cancer Screening The HPV test and the Pap test can help prevent cervical cancer or find it early. The HPV test looks for the virus (human papillomavirus) that can cause cell changes on the cervix. The Pap test (or Pap smear) looks for precancers, cell changes on the cervix that might become cervical cancer if they are not treated appropriately. You should start getting Pap tests at age 21. If your Pap test result is normal, your doctor may tell you that you can wait three years until your next Pap test.If you are 30 to 65 years old, talk to your doctor about which testing option is right for you: An HPV test only. This is called primary HPV testing. If your result is normal, your doctor may tell you that you can wait five years until your next screening test. An HPV test along with the Pap test. If both of your results are normal, your doctor may tell you that you can wait five years until your next screening test. A Pap test only. If your result is normal, your doctor may tell you that you can wait three years until your next Pap test. If you are older than 65, your doctor may tell you that you don’t need to be screened for cervical cancer anymore if: You have had normal screening test results for several years, and You have not had a cervical precancer in the past, or You have had your cervix removed as part of a total hysterectomy for non-cancerous conditions, like fibroids. Colon Cancer Screening It is now recommended that regular screening, beginning at age 45, is the key to preventing colorectal cancer and finding it early. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States, and it is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men younger than 50. Most people should get a colonoscopy at least once every 10 years. You may need to get one every 5 years after you turn 60 if your risk of cancer increases. Stool-based tests are becoming more popular because they are done at home, so many people find them easier than a colonoscopy. But, although these tests are easier to implement, they need to be done more often. If the result from a stool test is abnormal, a timely colonoscopy is required to check for cancer. Lung Cancer Screening We recommend annual lung cancer screening for people who: Have a 20 pack-year or more smoking history, and Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years, and Are between 50 and 80 years old. A 20 pack-year is smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year. For example, a person could have a 20 pack-year history by smoking one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years. Talk to your doctor about lung cancer screenings if you have regular exposure to second hand smoke. Lung cancer screenings can stop when the person being screened: Turns 81 years old, or Has not smoked in 15 or more years, or Develops a health problem that makes him or her unwilling or unable to have surgery if lung cancer is found. Ask your doctor which cancer screenings are right for you and if you have concerns about cancer, you should talk to your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Author Robert Rice, MD, PhD is the executive medical director of oncology at Luminis Health, with more than 20 years of oncology experience.
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