6
doc • Summer 2015
Kentucky
Profile
Winchester and
the Clark Regional
Medical Center
By Lowell Quenemoen
M.D.
Winchester is the county
seat of Clark County named
for George Rogers Clark
and formed from portions of Fayette and Bourbon Counties,
parts of the original Virginia Land Grant.
Winchester was founded in 1792 and currently has a population close to 18,400
people with a county population of 35,620.
Winchester’s proximity to Lexington means
that a significant number commute to work
each day and use Lexington services as well
as medical services.
Within the county, medical services are
provided by a number of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and physician
assistants as well as local subspecialists and
visiting subspecialists serving outreach clinics. More than 100 providers are included
on the local hospital roster. Public health
issues are covered by a large county health
program which includes both the health
department as well as home health services,
The medical center for the community is
Clark Regional Medical Center, a new facility completed in 2012 and part of the Life
Point Health Group. Eight other Kentucky
hospitals are part of Life Point which is
headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee.
These include Versailles, Paris, Georgetown,
Mayfield, Somerset, Russellville, Maysville
and Lebanon. The local hospital was established in 1917 and was acquired in 2010 by
Life Point as a for-profit facility. In 2011 Life
Point joint ventured with Duke University
to form Duke Life Point, a service organization providing advanced academic medicine from non-profit Duke and operations
strengths and capital from Life Point. As a
national presence Life Point now is affiliated with 64 hospitals and Duke Life Point
with 11. The joint venture mirrors other
name brand facilities such as Mayo Clinic,
M.D. Anderson and Sloan Kettering who are
involved in similar partnerships.
CRMC is approved for 79 beds and provides essential services including Emergency
Care, Diagnostic Imaging, Surgery, Critical
Care and Rehabilitation. Women’s Services
has been expanding with additional Ob/
Gyn coverage and over 700 deliveries this
past year. CRMC CEO, Cherie Sibley, states
that two other areas cardiology and oncology are also enlarging.
In cardiology two local cardiologists,
Richard Dinardo and Charles Salters provide diagnostics and care with invasive
cardiology (caths and stents) performed
in Lexington at St. Joseph’s and UK. Dr.
Salters notes that chest pain and suspected
coronary insufficiencies can be monitored in
Winchester but protocol mandates that any
s/t wave elevations on EKG prompts emergent transfer to Lexington. Cardiac rhythm
disturbances are monitored locally with
in-hospital monitoring, followed by Holter
monitoring or longer duration event monitors. Pacemaker/defibrillator placements are
done in Lexington.
Future plans include
the addition of
another 45,000 square
foot addition which
will mirror the current
Medical Plaza Building
completed in 2012
In addition the new medical building
contains a 6 bed infusion suite where IV
chemotherapy can be provided in a local
community setting reducing travel time and
discomfort for patients.
In the ER emphasis has been placed on
prompt efficient care provided by Team
Health with 5 rotating physicians along with
experienced nurses, technicians and staff.
Current wait time averages 21 minutes with
average Within the ER tele-neurology is now
available for early stroke diagnosis.
Future plans include the addition of another
45,000 square foot addition which will
mirror the current Medical Plaza Building
completed in 2012. This will provide further
clinical space as well as consolidating other
hospital departments and services currently
located off campus.
Katy Hedge, Director of Marketing, also
pointed out the acquisition of a mobile
clinical unit which will service outreach
screenings and possibly clinical services on a
scheduled basis in some of the more remote
rural areas.
Inpatient mental health and substance
abuse/detoxification are available thru a sister Life Point facility, the Bourbon County
Community Hospital’s affiliated Stoner
Creek Behavioral Health Center.
Public health services are provided by the
Clark County Health Department which
includes the health department as well as
home health services and is directed by A.
Scott Lockard. Unlike traditional medical
services which focus on the health of the
individual patient these services are directed
at the health and quality of life of the community as a whole. The State Department of
Health which oversees local health departments is part of the Cabinet of Health and
Human Services. Local health departments
are one of three types: Independent, such as
Fayette, District ݡ