An Update from Vincent G. Capece, Jr., President & CEO of Middlesex Health
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Dear Friend,
I am grateful for your continued support as a Middlesex Health donor. Your generosity helps us meet the health care needs of people of all ages in our community.
This update is shared quarterly and includes important news and information.
Should you have any questions about our work, please contact our Office of Philanthropy at 860-358-6200 or donate@midhosp.org.
My thanks and best regards,
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Vincent G. Capece, Jr.
President/CEO
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Paxlovid, an antiviral drug that received an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the final days of 2021, has made headlines as a treatment for COVID-19, but is it an option for you?
Paxlovid, taken orally, stops the virus from multiplying, according to Dr. Alina Filozov, chief of Infectious Disease at Middlesex Health. If you begin using this medication within five days from the start of your symptoms, you decrease your chances of worsening symptoms and hospitalization by 88 percent.
You can get Paxlovid at many — but not all — pharmacies in Connecticut, along with another similar antiviral option called Legevrio. However, you do need a prescription from a medical provider.
All health systems in Connecticut, including Middlesex Health, also have Paxlovid available and can prescribe and dispense it to patients in Emergency Departments and doctor’s offices when needed.
Dr. Filozov says Paxlovid is prescribed if you are deemed high risk for severe COVID-19 and, like any medication, if there is no indication that the medication will be harmful. While Paxlovid is adjusted for a patients’ renal (kidney) function, those with severe kidney dysfunction cannot take it.
Conditions that put someone at high-risk of severe COVID-19 include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Being a smoker or having a history of smoking
- Having lung disease
- Having heart disease
- Carrying excess weight
- Having a compromised immune system
- Having a psychiatric illness
- Having a developmental illness
“The earlier you start taking this oral antiviral medicine, the faster you will get better,” says Dr. Filozov, explaining that those with severe immune deficiencies may be offered monoclonal antibody therapy instead of a medication like Paxlovid.
It is recommended that you take Paxlovid with food because it has a peculiar taste and aftertaste. Reported side effects include a low risk of nausea, diarrhea, headache and body aches. At this time, there is no data that indicates that Paxlovid is safe to take during pregnancy, but animal data does suggest that it is.
Antivirals for COVID-19, such as Paxlovid, have been purchased by the U.S. government and are available for free during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
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In 2018, LeeAnn Molnar was diagnosed with stage 3 estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. While she was scared, she was not entirely surprised. Cancer runs in her family.
“Five of my immediate family members were diagnosed between the ages of 57 and 60,” she says. “I was 60.”
LeeAnn, a wife and mother of two daughters, opted to have a mastectomy. Three years later, however, LeeAnn learned that the cancer had returned and that she would need chemotherapy.
An investigator by nature, LeeAnn, who worked for years alongside her husband in the insurance fraud business, set out to research where to get her treatment. After careful consideration, she chose Middlesex Health Cancer Center to treat her cancer.
During a conversation with her cancer care team, LeeAnn decided that she wanted an option that helped to reduce hair loss because she knew that this was a side effect of chemotherapy.
After reading as much literature as possible and consulting with her team of physicians, LeeAnn decided to try the Paxman Scalp Cooling System. This innovative system works by reducing the flow of blood to the hair follicles through the use of a custom cap. The cap is connected to a small refrigeration machine that regulates the temperature to cool the scalp to approximately 66 degrees Fahrenheit before, during and after chemotherapy.
LeeAnn says each treatment takes approximately two hours from start to finish, which includes placement of the cooling cap. At first, LeeAnn was concerned about putting the cap on herself and possibly placing it in the wrong position and missing a spot. However, she says the care team has been great about helping her with cap placement. LeeAnn shares that her hair is still growing and that she has confidence when going about her daily life. No one would know she is undergoing treatments, she says.
“I can’t say enough about the staff and team of caregivers, they are my cheerleaders and I can’t thank them enough,” says LeeAnn.
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The Middlesex Health Patient and Family Advisory Council is celebrating 10 years of service to the patients and families cared for by Middlesex Health.
Council members include patients and their family members, caregivers and health system staff. The council’s goals are to improve the patient and family experience; promote patient and family-centered care; to strengthen communication and collaboration between patients and their families and the health system; to educate patients and their families about the importance of taking responsibility for their own health and health care; and to provide input to achieve the highest level of patient safety.
Over the past decade, the Patient and Family Advisory Council’s projects have included the creation of checklists to help hospital patients know what to expect during their stay, collaborations with hospital staff to design patient-friendly hospital room white boards and supporting the implementation of a uniform policy that requires Middlesex staff members to wear a specific color uniform based on their department. This helps patients better identify who is caring for them.
Most recently, the Patient Family Advisory Council installed a plaque recognizing Middlesex Health’s staff for their bravery, compassion and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with a COVID-19 Memorial Garden, located across from Middlesex Hospital’s main entrance.
“We all came to the Patient and Family Advisory Council for our own individual reasons, but are grounded as one cohesive group by our passion for Middlesex Health,” says Sheila Daniels, a Middletown resident and co-chair of the Patient and Family Advisory Council. “We are a diverse group with one collective voice that speaks up for all of the patients and families served under the Middlesex Health umbrella. We feel fortunate and grateful for the seat we are allowed on this council and appreciate the value Middlesex Health sees in our work. We look forward to continuing our service for years to come.”
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There’s a new resource for golfers looking to prevent, or recover from, an injury and improve their game.
The Middlesex Health Center for Golf Performance, located in Middletown, will assess and address a golfer’s biomechanics. The goal is to keep them healthy and pain free.
Physical therapists who are Titleist Performance Institute level 1 and medical certified provide a multi-point physical assessment that focuses on specific body movements, such as body rotation and posture. They also conduct a swing analysis using a sophisticated motion device. A computer program gathers key data points and then creates graphs that illustrate the efficiency of a golfer’s swing.
Using this system, alongside the physical assessment, Middlesex Health physical therapists will help golfers learn their pain points and limitations and offer improvement plans that include follow-up sessions and at-home exercises and conditioning that are individually tailored to each golfer. For new golfers, they will learn what they need to do to be a successful, pain-free golfer.
Appointments, while affordable, are not covered by insurance. For more information about the Middlesex Health Center for Golf Performance, visit MiddlesexHealth.org/tpi.
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Middlesex Health Urgent Care, Old Saybrook
recently relocated. The urgent care office remains in
Old Saybrook, but moved from 1697 Boston Post Road to 154 Main Street — a space adjacent to Middlesex Health’s local primary care office.
This relocation will help to strengthen the link between primary care and urgent care and increase access to care for all. Middlesex Health takes great pride in being part of the Old Saybrook community, and it always does its best to make the health care process easier and more convenient for its patients.
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Our annual philanthropy report, Health & Prosperity, recognizes your generous support and highlights the innovative programs that you make possible. You can now view the 2021 report online.
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Middlesex Health | 28 Crescent Street | Middletown, CT 06457
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