Marshfield Clinic Health System

On March 22, the vascular surgery team at Marshfield Medical Center performed their 200th transcarotid artery revascularization, or TCAR, procedure. TCAR is a minimally invasive procedure that helps clear blockages and open a narrowed carotid artery. Congratulations to the team! Pictured is (L-R) Dr. Shameem Kunhammed, Dr. Tahlia Weis, Dr. Ayman Ahmed and Dr. Javariah Asghar.

Many of our pediatric centers offer books for children through Reach Out and Read Wisconsin. Reach Out and Read is a national organization that leverages pediatric well-child visits to distribute books and help foster early literacy. Pediatrician Dr. Patrick McCann at Marshfield Medical Center-River Region at Stevens Point was recently recognized for turning this handout holder into a book holder for the program.

Such an amazing story from the Cancer Care & Research team in Stevens Point! When Chet Przybylski met Barbie Gildenzopf as his oncology research nurse, he questioned why she wasn’t wearing pink as her name is Barbie . “When he met me the next time, he again mentioned that I wasn’t wearing pink,” Barbie said. “When we were ready to start the trial, I joked with the girls that I was going to buy pink scrubs for his first day of the clinical trial. My comments spread and a lot of the staff wore pink for Chet.” Chet was the first patient to be matched with a new clinical trial available at Marshfield Clinic Health System. Barbie said Chet was excited when he came in to start the clinical trial and saw the fashionably-dressed oncology staff donning pink scrubs. As his cancer has progressed and treatment options dwindled, the staff found it important to support Chet, who was willing to undergo additional steps through the clinical trial that may one day help other patients facing a similar medical situation. “This is very exciting for us in research, but it is a very emotional for Chet and the staff who have cared for him for many years,” Barbie said. “We are hoping to get more people interested in research and show them that we have a very supportive research and clinical staff. We not only treat the cancer, but we also treat the patient.”

A group of leaders from Marshfield Clinic Health System recently completed the Management Development Series 3 (MDS3). Participants engaged and applied their learnings of Franklin Covey’s 4 Essential Roles of Leadership: Inspire Trust, Create Vision, Execute Strategy and Coach Potential throughout the 5 month applied learning program. Completers of MDS3 include: Pictured: Kelly Jo Kraus, Ann Brasure, Melissa Mikelson, Sheri Socha, and program Leader Sponsor, JoAnn Weinfurter. Missing from the photo: Kate Schmutzer and Daniel Jalinski.   Organization Development congratulates this extraordinary group of leaders and thanks them for their commitment to their growth and dedication to the teams they lead.

Scientists at our Marshfield Clinic Research Institute are asking the public to submit ticks for a research study called the Tick Inventory via Citizen Science (TICS). The study is surveying the distribution of tick species in our area, including any new, invasive ticks that may be moving into Wisconsin. They will also identify the microbes carried by each tick, including pathogens that may cause diseases, such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis, and non-pathogenic microbes that may contribute to a tick's likelihood of carrying disease. Learn how to submit your tick -> https://lnkd.in/gXWwrW_G

Many of our hospitals will raise a Donate Life flag and Pause to Give Life this week. This annual event honors organ and tissue donors and encourages others to join the donor registry. Flags are raised to recognize that 1 organ donor can save up to 8 lives. The flag raising is followed by a 1 minute and 3 second moment of silence dedicated to the more than 103,000 patients who are still waiting to receive a lifesaving gift. We encourage you to take a little time out of your day to Pause to Give Life and register to be an organ and tissue donor: https://lnkd.in/eGb4PRB.

To better diagnose and treat current military and veterans, staff and physicians at Marshfield Clinic Health System are now asking patients about their military status. Military experiences and exposures are well-known factors that affect individuals' health and well-being, both in the short and long term. This is especially true when active military personnel and veterans mobilize and deploy to hazardous environments, whether that means combat or natural disaster responses. “They face a myriad of dangers – from the toxins of burn pits to enemy fire – both at home and abroad. Some of these exposures lead to immediate health issues, while others manifest over time, posing unique challenges to their health. It's crucial for us, as the health care team, to understand these challenges," said Corey Cronrath, M.D., medical director of Marshfield Clinic Health System's Occupational Health service line and veteran. Learn more -> https://lnkd.in/gtzTRexE #military #veterans

When you bring people together, you can really build something – like beautiful bird houses and connection between people. Minocqua registration staff for our hospital and clinic get together once a month for a team-building activity like this craft night. This was devised as a way to build teamwork and camaraderie between the Acute and Ambulatory Registration teams, bringing together diverse personalities and learning from each other – making it much easier to accept help and coaching from others.    We are proud of these employees for being examples of our Health System values. 

Join us in congratulating Dr. Shereif Rezkalla, cardiologist, on his upcoming retirement after 35 years later this month. After completing his fellowship in 1989, he chose to get right to work and had looked at places in warm areas, since he had always lived in the Midwest. He considered Tucson, Arizona, but a bolded ad for Marshfield Clinic caught his eye. “I didn’t know what Marshfield Clinic was or where Marshfield, Wisconsin was,” said Dr. Rezkalla. “But, the bold ad attracted me. I interviewed here and was impressed and shocked by the efficiency.” He can confidently say he made the right choice in clinic and location, due in large part to the patients. “The patients in the area are wonderful,” he said. “They appreciate our providers, are honest and listen to the suggestions. You don’t see that in many parts of the United States. That’s why I feel Marshfield Clinic has been the best place to practice medicine.”

In honor of AmeriCorps Week, we are shedding light on our AmeriCorps members. These photos are the AmeriCorps members serving at a Marshfield Clinic Health System location. AmeriCorps is a federal program often referred to as a domestic Peace Corps. It places individuals in community organizations for a year of service to address critical community needs. Marshfield Clinic Health System manages two AmeriCorps Programs in Wisconsin, Community Corps and Recovery Corps. In total, we manage 107 AmeriCorps members with several organizations. To learn more about hosting an AmeriCorps member call 715-221-8400 or visit: https://lnkd.in/gMM-gjnD