Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010 - Community Healthcare - (Page 52)

Graduating to an Lifestyle Active ac h”—wife Eric Stur an d his “co bo l, R.N . Ha nd Ce nte r patie nt ordin ator Je ssica Sa Jo int Ac ademy an d th Jo int Ca re Co over ins truction s wi Ni na—go Education, coaching are key to joint academies E > BY ANGELA MOORE ric Stur knew knee replacement was something he couldn’t put off any longer. He just needed to ﬁnd the right program where he felt comfortable, conﬁdent and well informed. He found it at St. Catherine Hospital’s Joint Academy and Hand Center. The Joint Academy and Hand Center is the latest addition to the outstanding orthopedic programs offered at the hospitals of Community Healthcare System. Based on the success of the Joint Academy at St. Mary Medical Center, the program at St. Catherine Hospital uses the same centralized team approach in which patient education is the focus and a dedicated team of professionals cater to the speciﬁc needs of joint replacement patients. Stur says he knew his knee replacement was inevitable, but the strong pre-education program for patients and their families at St. Catherine’s Joint Academy and Hand Center helped him in his decision. “Knowing exactly what to expect during this type of procedure is extremely helpful,” Stur says. Stur endured his ﬁrst major knee surgery after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament while playing as a wide receiver on the St. Joseph College football team. After more than 25 years of frequent knee pain, the 55-year-old Munster resident decided to take knee replacement headon and become one of the ﬁrst patients of St. Catherine Hospital’s Joint Academy and Hand Center. Once Stur made the decision to have surgery, he was conﬁdent the outcome would be positive because of the consultations he had with his team, led by board-certiﬁed orthopedic surgeon Surender Dhiman, M.D. Along with the support of his wife and “coach” Nina, the surgical and nursing staffs, and physical therapists, Stur was back to active living within a few weeks. “My surgeon, Dr. Dhiman, was very knowledgeable and we had several consultations prior to the procedure. He wanted to make sure I was mentally prepared for the knee replacement,” Stur says. “Eric was a good candidate for knee replacement,” says Dhiman. “He was physically and mentally prepared. His age, physical shape, positive attitude, dedication to recovery and strong support system contributed to his positive outcome.” The positive outcome for Stur was getting back to life as he knew it without the constant knee pain. He now works out four times per week and leads a very active lifestyle as a professional personal trainer and real estate broker. Life is busy for Stur, who also plays golf at the competitive level. “Being physically active, playing golf—it’s a big part of my life. I am glad to have that back. My experience at St. Catherine Hospital was very positive and it took everyone to help me get there from Dr. Dhiman, the surgery staff, nursing staff, rehab and physical therapy,” Stur says. A LEADER IN ORTHOPEDIC CARE The hospitals of Community Healthcare System— Community Hospital, St. Catherine Hospital and St. Mary Medical Center—all offer unparalleled excellence in joint replacement and orthopedic care. At all three hospitals, joint and hand patients are supported by board-certiﬁed and fellowship-trained 52 Vim & Vigor · SUM M ER 2 010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010 - Community Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010 - Community Healthcare
Contents
Community Message
Community Briefs
Relieving Chronic Heartburn
A New Read on Patient Safety
Who Is Your Spark?
Ready ... Set ... Get Motivated!
Having Reservations?
Stressing Stress
Second Act
Adults at Play
In Good Hands
Think Again
No Kidding
Giving Is Great Medicine
EMTs Train to Be First Link in Survival Chain
Emergency Services Across the System
Graduating to an Active Lifestyle
From Crutches to Kickstand
To Train or not to Train?

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010 - Community Healthcare