- Women's Health, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMy birth experience delivering Bella at Anne Arundel Medical Center was a very positive experience – in fact, it was a breeze. Even though this was our second child, my husband and I took a parenting class as a refresher course, and we would definitely recommend it. Our instructor was informative, warm and entertaining. One Wonderful Day I remember I went into labor very early in the morning. I waited a couple of hours at home to make sure it was the real thing. Then I had my husband pack up the car, I woke up our school-age son, and we got ready to go to the hospital. Upon arrival at the Thomas J. Frank Family Birth Center at AAMC, the nurses promptly brought me back to the triage area and confirmed (to no surprise) that I was in labor and dilated. The nurses were great about checking on my son, who was waiting outside the room until more of my family could arrive. My contractions were very intense, and I was having the dreadfully painful back labor. My nurse was so wonderful and calming while I waited to get my epidural. I remember her gently pressing down on my shoulders during the peak of my contractions and giving me words of encouragement. Somehow, that weight of her on my shoulders helped to make the pain more bearable. My epidural was a dream, and within minutes of getting it I was completely relaxed. I can truly say I was able to enjoy my labor — even being able to take a little nap and converse with family members. (Thank you, anesthesiologist!) My nurses were just the right balance of knowing when to let me rest and when to bring humor and lightness into the room. After 11 hours of labor and five minutes of pushing, we had our beautiful Bella in our arms. We had exactly the birth that we had wanted, and my doctors and nurses followed our birth plan to the tee. I had planned to breastfeed, so we had a lactation consultant pop into our hospital room before we left to make sure Bella was latching on properly, and to refresh me on breastfeeding basics. The lactation consultant was helpful and friendly. Advice For New Parents If I were to give advice to expectant moms and new parents, I would say remember to make time for you. Both pregnancy and parenthood are wonderful, joyous times. But they can also be both stressful and depleting. Remember that a healthy, happy mom makes for a healthy, happy family. As difficult as it may be to schedule in time just for you — even if it’s only 15 minutes — this goes a long way. And, never underestimate the power of three deep breaths to help you re-center and stay grounded. Staying Healthy My family and I stay healthy by making sure to get plenty of movement, eat healthy meals and receive acupuncture. My husband and I are both acupuncturists, and it is a true gift to be able to care for our family with this wonderful form of medicine. Our biggest teaching to our kids in terms of health and wellness is to listen to your body. Your body knows what it needs. If we ignore it, that’s when symptoms arise. It sounds simple, but so many of us override these messages. Get good rest, exercise, eat whole foods, drink enough water and balance work with play. Melissa Perilla is an acupuncturist in Annapolis.
- Community, News & Press Releases, OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAs a not-for-profit hospital, Anne Arundel Medical Center depends on support from businesses of all sizes throughout the region. Partnerships with local businesses are invaluable as we work to ensure our community is “Living Healthier Together.” We’re honored and excited to partner with the Chesapeake Bayhawks lacrosse team to help improve the overall health and wellbeing of our community. “Giving back is an integral part of what the Chesapeake Bayhawks stand for. Without our fans and our community, we have no team. The Bayhawks are ‘all-in’ in everything we do, both on and off the field,” says Bayhawks owner, Brendan Kelly. “We built our team through the strength and support of our local community. Our partnership with Anne Arundel Medical Center allows us the opportunity to show our gratitude and connect with the people and organizations who made us the team we are today.” The sports medicine team at Anne Arundel Medical Group Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialists serve as the official medical team for the Chesapeake Bayhawks. They provide game coverage, offer pre- and post-season physicals, and coordinate rehab with a focus of getting players back in the game as quickly and safely as possible. Just like they do for all members of our community, they help patients recover from an injury, improve physical performance and stay active for a lifetime. “Partnering with the Bayhawks has been a great experience. The entire organization is first class and strives to make every game family-friendly,” says AAMC’s Dan Redziniak, MD, the team’s head orthopedic surgeon. “The Bayhawks players serve as role models for the children in their community as they continue to grow the sport across the entire country.”
- News & Press Releases, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnnapolis OB-GYN Associates has joined Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG), a multi-specialty physician group that is part of Anne Arundel Medical Center. AAMG is one of Maryland’s largest multi-specialty practice groups, providing an array of healthcare services including primary care, women’s health and specialty care. Annapolis OB-GYN Associates has 18 providers and is a recognized leader in women’s healthcare in the region. The practice has been associated with AAMC since it opened in 1971. Its merger with AAMG was executed in November 2017. “We’re proud and excited about the addition of Annapolis OB-GYN Associates to the Anne Arundel Medical Group network of premier physicians,” said Peter Odenwald, vice president of Physician Services at AAMC. “Annapolis OB-GYN Associates has established a long-standing reputation in our community. Now, we’re pleased to combine that with Anne Arundel Medical Group’s clinically integrated network as well as Anne Arundel Medical Center’s award-winning women’s care.” “Joining Anne Arundel Medical Group is a natural step for our practice amidst the changing face of medicine,” said Fred Guckes, MD, President at Annapolis OB-GYN Associates. “The partnership provides us greater resources as well as access to better care coordination for our patients’ healthcare needs.” Annapolis OB-GYN Associates has locations in Annapolis, Chester, Pasadena and Gambrills. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 410-573-9530 or visit www.AnnapolisObgyn.com.
- OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogHip and knee replacements have grown to become one of the most popular and successful elective operations ever performed. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 1.1 million total joint replacements performed in the U.S. in 2012. Estimates show that by the year 2030, there’ll be 572,000 hip replacements and 3.48 million knee replacements performed annually in the U.S. Given the high demand, hospitals are studying ways to best provide this care to patients. This is especially true at Anne Arundel Medical Center. When I started doing joint replacement surgeries 13 years ago, the average length of stay for a patient who had hip or knee replacement was three nights. This is changing. Patients are going home sooner. For instance, four years ago at AAMC, only 10 percent of patients who had hip and knee replacement surgery went home on the first postoperative day. This year in July, we saw 80 percent of patients who had a hip replacement, and 60 percent of patients who had a knee replacement, go home in one day. This includes a growing number of patients going home the same day of their procedure. How is it possible to be discharged the next day, or even on the same day, after this type of procedure? The answer lies in a team approach always focused on the patient. There are a growing number of programs focused on helping speed up postoperative recovery, supporting early discharge and decreasing postoperative complications after joint replacement surgery. Locally, there is the Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) program at AAMC. Early on, we were concerned that with a shorter length of stay patients may need to come back to the hospital with medical or surgical issues, but this was not the case. Our data shows that earlier discharge does not increase re-admissions. With high-quality hip and knee replacement surgery, patients have a safe recovery — even when they go home on the day of surgery. Advancing outcomes in joint replacement surgery Hospitals and surgeons continue to engage in work to further improve joint replacement care. Here in Annapolis, the joint replacement team at AAMC is developing clinical programs to increase the number of patients who leave the hospital earlier and get on the road to recovery faster. And by using predictive models, we’re able to better understand and choose patients who are good candidates for going home on the day of surgery. Postoperatively, we’re working closely with physical therapists to develop protocols to use after surgery to accurately show when a patient is safely ready to go home. Our efforts are focused on early recovery, to get you back to your own home and normal life sooner without hip or knee pain. Author James MacDonald, MD, is a joint surgeon at the Center for Joint Replacement at AAMC. To see the latest outcomes report from AAMC’s Center for Joint Replacement, visit askAAMC.org/JointOutcomes. To reach his practice for an appointment, call 410-268-8862.
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIn 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) passed a resolution calling attention to improving universal access to safe and affordable surgical care. Why? Of the world’s seven billion people, five billion lack access to the most basic surgery. Otherwise simple conditions, like a bone fracture or dislocation, a hernia, cataract, or obstructed labor, often turn life threatening for people living in many of the world’s developing nations. “In the developing world, surgery has been viewed for a long time as a luxury for the rich,” says Adrian Park, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery at Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC). But now, he says, the need for better surgical care is too great to ignore. “Data shows the burden of illness for surgically correctable conditions in the developing world eclipses that of malaria, HIV, AIDS, or tuberculosis,” says Park. “It is so significant that this can no longer be viewed as a luxury for the wealthy, this has to be viewed as a human right to have access to safe surgical care.” One part of the solution: equipping surgeons with skills to manage the challenges of surgical care in low- or limited-resource settings. In his new book, “Global Surgery: The Essentials,” Park provides an unprecedented resource for surgeons who have a desire to become involved. Coedited by University of Utah’s Raymond Price and published this year by Springer International, the book provides a ready guide for surgeons to manage clinical scenarios beyond the scope of their training or current practice. It also provides an in-depth look at unmet needs, and epidemiological, socioeconomic and political factors that frame global surgery. Park says his desire for readers is to become a part of efforts with lasting impact. “I want readers to think beyond just being a ‘drop in the ocean,’ but look to deliver sustainable change in providing access to safe surgical care in lower resource and remote settings.” He adds that sustainable change will also come from training those in low-resource settings to become surgeons — work he is actively engaged in. But that, he says, will take time. Park sees the heightened awareness and increased efforts around global surgery as promising. He is a part of work to facilitate the WHO resolution for access to safe, affordable surgical care for 80 percent of the world’s population by 2030. Park is a member of the American Surgical Association and fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, American College of Surgeons, and the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa. He is author of more than 200 scientific articles and book chapters, and is internationally known as a leading authority in minimally invasive surgery. Park is also co-editor and chief of Surgical Innovation, a peer-reviewed bimonthly journal. Global Surgery is available for purchase on the website of Springer International Publishing and on Amazon.com.
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