HEA

LTH

Y

FALL 2017

Having a mammogram

SAVED MY LIFE4

3

Living with diabetes?

Our Diabetes Resource Center can help you

manage your condition

6

Welcome to the team!

Join us in welcoming three new doctors to Sonora

HEALTHY LIVING is published quarterly as a community benefit from ADVENTIST HEALTH SONORA, 1000 Greenley Road, Sonora, CA 95370, telephone: 536-5000, website: adventisthealthsonora.org. For questions or comments regarding this publication, please call 536-5028.

Andrew JahnPresident and CEOLindsay BrewerDirector of Marketing & Public Relations

Information in HEALTHY LIVING comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider.

Models may be used in photos and illustrations.

2017 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Angels Camp Angels Camp Family Medical Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 736-0249Angels Camp Orthopedics . . . . 736-1147

Arnold Arnold Family Medical Center . 795-1270

Groveland Groveland Family Medical Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 962-7121

SonoraCancer Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-5155Cedarwood Internal Medicine . . . 536-5070 Center for Wound Care . . . . . . . 536-5196Foothill Pediatrics & Rheumatology . . . . . . . . . . . . 532-5524Foothill Specialty Group . . . . . . 536-5760Greenley Primary Care . . . . . . . 536-3320Hillside Internal Medicine . . . . . 536-5060Hillside Internal Medicine 2 . . . 536-5065Home Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-5700Hospice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-5685Imaging Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .536-5180Mountain Medical Family Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-5770Mountain Medical Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation . . . 536-3878Occupational Health . . . . . . . . . 536-3780Oxygen & Medical Supply . . . . 536-3760Rural Health Clinic•Dental Care . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-5140•Pediatric Care . . . . . . . . . . . 536-5120•Primary Care . . . . . . . . . . . 536-5100•Specialty Care, Suite C . . . 536-5135•Specialty Care, Suite F . . . 536-5110Sierra Cardiology . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-3240Sierra Internal Medicine . . . . . . 536-5790Sierra OB/GYN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-3750Sierra Orthopedic Institute . . . . 532-0126Sierra Vascular and General Surgery Associates . . . 536-5750Surgery Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .536-3790Yosemite Joint Replacement and Orthopedics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536-5780

Walk-In ClinicsPrompt Care • Angels Camp . . . . . . . . . . . 736-9130•Indian Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532-3167

Main Hospital Line 536-5000

SONORA NEWSSONORA NEWS

Counting our blessingsTHERE’S A LOT TO BE GRATEFUL FOR AT ADVENTIST HEALTH SONORA

THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE, and it can’t arrive soon enough for me. It’s my favorite holiday—for a variety of reasons.

It’s always great to gather around a table with family and friends and share the bounty of the season. And of course, Thanksgiving is a chance to reflect on all the ways each of us is richly blessed.

I have healthy children and a wonderful wife, and we feel fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the country where people from all over the world come to enjoy the breathtaking scenery.

I’m grateful for many blessings here at Adventist Health Sonora as well. For one, our hospital is on solid financial ground.

That means we have resources to invest back into our community, and that allows us to provide world-class health care right here at home.

It’s also a blessing to work at a faith-based hospital whose mission—living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope—is at the heart of everything we do. We’re blessed with the opportunity to inspire health in our community. And I want to extend my thanks to the roughly 1,500 caregivers and nearly 200 medical staff who dedicate their daily work to improving our community’s health.

I’m also thankful for our Adventist Health heritage, which has always valued whole-person health. A focus on healthy lifestyles is one of the things that helps set us apart. And we work hard to provide the tools, resources and education our community needs to live healthier, more vibrant lives.

As we move ahead toward another new year, I’m especially thankful to have your support. I know you care deeply about what happens at this hospital. We do too.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Blessings,

Andrew D. JahnPresident and CEO

2 Healthy Living • adventisthealthsonora.org

Take charge of diabetes With the Diabetes Resource Center, you’re not alone

Managing diabetes can be a challenge. There’s a lot to juggle, including your medicine, activity and diet.

That’s why Adventist Health Sonora has opened a new Diabetes Resource Center for you. We have a team of experts ready to help you live well with diabetes. You can meet with a nurse practitioner, diabetes educator, dietitian or exercise specialist. We can consult with your doctor and prescribe medicine if needed.

Whether you just found out you have diabetes or have had it for a while, this team can give you the support you need to get it under control and avoid serious complications.

We can help! The Diabetes Resource Center is inside the Live Well Be Well Center. Ask your doctor for a referral. Or call 536-3720 to learn more.

Community Pharmacy-Forest Road has moved!We have moved just around the corner, and our new name is Community Pharmacy-Stockton Street. We are located in downtown Sonora in the former Bertelli’s Pharmacy space at 220 W. Stockton Street. ✤

This relocation comes with purpose, as there are plans to convert our Forest Road location to an additional physician office to better serve our patients at our Rural Health Clinic. By opening that site as a clinic, we will be able to provide additional health care services to those in need, as well as reduce wait times and increase provider availability.

Parking is easy, and there is more room inside the new store. Soon, Adventist Health Sonora Oxygen and Medical Supply will join them in the new space!

“We’re excited to expand the pharmacy services we offer to the community,” says Andrew Jahn, president and CEO. “It’s about convenience.”

Center for Wound Care sets the bar high

When a wound is slow to heal, it takes a special kind of care to help you get well. And you can find that elite care right here in Sonora.

For the sixth time in a row, Adventist Health Sonora’s Center for Wound Care has received the Robert A. Warriner III Center of Excellence award. It recognizes the center’s high standards of care and excellent success rate.

The Center for Wound Care treats non-healing wounds related to diabetes and other vascular disorders. It also treats wounds caused by trauma, such as pressure ulcers.

Last year the center helped 96 percent of patients heal within 14 weeks. Some of those wounds had resisted healing for years.

If you have a chronic wound, call the Center at 536-5196. Or talk with your doctor.

adventisthealthsonora.org • Healthy Living 3

After years with Adventist Health Sonora, Tammy Burton experienced the other side of patient care

TAMMY BURTON thought she felt a lump in her breast. That’s why she made an appointment to have a mammogram. But that doesn’t mean she was prepared to hear that she had breast cancer.

“It was a shocker,” says the 57-year-old certified nursing assistant at Adventist Health Sonora. “I’ve been really healthy my whole life.”

Charting a course Suddenly a patient, Burton’s brain was swimming with questions: Should she have chemo? Surgery?

Luckily, her cancer was found early. So she had long talks with her health care provider, Shane Tipton, PA-C. The two of them reviewed her options and landed on a plan: Burton would have surgery, followed by three months of chemotherapy and one month of radiation.

“The transition from nursing assistant to patient was kind of hard on me,” Burton says. “I’m usually the caretaker. But everyone here at the Cancer Center was wonderful. I can’t say enough about the people in surgical services, radiation and chemo.”

All the staff looked after her, she says. “If I was a little slow making an appointment, they were on me to get in here and get it done. They even paid for a prescription I couldn’t afford.”

Tammy Dreuth, a co-worker and good friend, started a dinner train for Burton and her husband to keep them well-fed during her treatment.

“Make sure you get your

mammograms.” —Tammy Burton

When the caregiver becomes the patient

4 Healthy Living • adventisthealthsonora.org

‘If it wasn’t for the cancer…’The chemotherapy infusion treatments were the most difficult part of Burton’s experience.

“It didn’t make me sick, but nothing tasted good,” she says. She stopped eating for a while and lost 17 pounds. But when her appetite returned, “I gained it all back!” she says with a laugh.

Only a few days after her last series of radiation treatments, Burton was feeling good.

“I get tired,” she says, “but I’m back working eight hours a day.”When asked if she had any advice for other women, Burton

didn’t hesitate.“Make sure you get your mammograms,” she says. “I thought I’d

be fine, but I wasn’t.” She’s very grateful for all the support she received from her co-

workers and hospital staff. “The care I got was just wonderful. I am so thankful for

everybody,” she says. Then she adds with a laugh, “If it wasn’t for the cancer, I’d say it was a great experience!”

Adventist Health Sonora welcomes new cancer physicianBy the time Yousef Khelfa, MD, received his medical degree from Al-Quds University Medical School in Jerusalem, he had already decided he wanted to practice in the United States.

“This is where the best medicine is,” says Dr. Khelfa, who completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center at Cabell Huntington Hospital in West Virginia. He also trained at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, and observed at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Now Dr. Khelfa is the newest physician practicing hematology and oncology at Adventist Health Sonora Cancer Center. And he couldn’t be more pleased.

“Sonora is one of the most beautiful places in California,” Dr. Khelfa says. “And the new Cancer Institute that is going to be open soon was an important reason for me to come here.”

Dr. Khelfa moved here with his wife, Shurouq, and his three children: daughter Qamar, age 10, and sons Laith, 9, and Abdulkareem, 6.

“We have family here in California that we wanted to be close to, and being in Sonora was a great choice for me and my family,” Dr. Khelfa says. “The staff here at Adventist Health Sonora has been supportive from the day I came for my interview.”

To make an appointment with Dr. Khelfa, call the Cancer Center at 536-5155.

Tammy Burton with her co-workers at the Sierra Care Center, Unit 7. From left: Vanessa Noya, Social Services; Tammy Burton,

CNA; Laura Porovich, Activities Director; and Tammy Dreuth, CNA.

“This is where the best medicine is.”

Schedule a mammogram today! Call 855-551-8743.

adventisthealthsonora.org • Healthy Living 5

A world of experienceMeet Adventist Health Sonora’s globe-trotting family doctor

Why primary

care matters

Everyone needs a primary care provider

(PCP) to look out for them, says Michael

Portillo, MD. Your PCP helps you

stay healthy and checks for treatable problems

that may not have symptoms.

“There’s been a great need for family docs in this area. I’m glad to be filling a need,”

Dr. Portillo says.

FOR MICHAEL PORTILLO, MD, the commute in Sonora is much different from one he often had in medical school: buzzing down a country road in El Salvador on the back of a motorcycle. That was how he sometimes traveled to see patients in a remote village.

“If the pickup wasn’t there and they needed to get you somewhere fast, you would go on the back of a motorcycle,” Dr. Portillo says. “We’d have our bags, stethoscopes and reflex hammers. It was fun.”

Dr. Portillo is one of Adventist Health Sonora’s newest family medicine doctors. The year he spent caring for rural villagers was just one stop in a journey from California to Central America and back.

A dream of serviceGrowing up in the Bay Area, Dr. Portillo always wanted to be a doctor. His inspiration: his chiropractor father.

“I saw how his patients valued his care and the personal relationships he had with them,” Dr. Portillo says. “And I liked that he was able to be of service to other people.”

At 14, he moved to his father’s native El Salvador. After high school, he entered Dr. José Matías Delgado University. And as part of his final year of medical school, Dr. Portillo and another physician provided free care at a clinic in El Paisnal.

“We basically did everything—their vaccines, well-child checks, prenatal care and procedures,” he says. “You had to get comfortable quickly with your knowledge and clinical skills.”

A kind of homecoming After completing his residency in Merced last summer, Dr. Portillo was drawn to Sonora. His wife’s family is here. And Sonora was once Dr. Portillo’s home away from home. His grandparents ran the New York Dry Goods Store in Columbia, and he often spent summers here.

“We’d go to Pinecrest. Soft serve always sticks out in my mind—and swimming in the lake,” he says.

When he’s not seeing patients, Dr. Portillo enjoys exploring the outdoors with his kids—Sidney and Leroy, ages 5 and 7—and his wife, Carmel, a Belleview School teacher.

To make an appointment with Dr. Portillo, call 536-5770.

6 Healthy Living • adventisthealthsonora.org

Digestive doc finds a home in Sonora

It’s not often that someplace new feels like home right from the start. But that’s exactly what the Sonora community felt like to Neal Kaushal, MD, MBA, who specializes in treating digestive disorders.

He showed up with impressive credentials. Among them: a recently completed fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of California, Los Angeles. While there, he won the Joel and Barbara Marcus Research Award for innovations in health care mobile technology.

Dr. Kaushal turned down offers from major academic medical centers for the chance to practice here.

“This was where I felt the most welcome,” he says. “And I felt that I could be a part of something that truly makes a difference in people’s lives—and their whole community.”

The son of a doctor, he grew up inspired by his dad’s ability to build close ties with his patients. That’s an example he intends to follow here.

Dr. Kaushal arrives with his girlfriend, Stefani; two rescue dogs, Ruby and Rani; and a love for the outdoors. He’s a diehard Lakers fan too. But even if you root for another team, he looks forward to being your doctor.

Rheumatologist fills a crucial need

Anna Khananian, MD, CM, is as delighted to join our medical team as she is needed. She’s the first rheumatologist to practice in our area in several years. She treats diseases such as arthritis, lupus and gout. Without proper care, these conditions can cause significant pain and disability.

She calls Sonora “a perfect fit” for her—in large part because of the contribution she can make here. “Many of my patients come to me with chronic pain. And going away for care can be very disruptive, if not impossible,” she says. “Now they have somewhere to turn close to home.”

Dr. Khananian sees patients repeatedly—and develops close bonds with them.

She’s board-certified in both rheumatology and internal medicine. And she arrives here from Montreal, where she was in private practice for two years and finished her residency at McGill University.

When she’s not in her office, look for Dr. Khananian jogging on our beautiful trails or enjoying another of her passions: Latin dancing. She took her first class three years ago—and can’t get enough.

Give a warm to two new specialists

To make an appointment with Dr. Kaushal, call 536-5760.

To make an appointment with Dr. Khananian, call 532-5524.

“Now my patients have somewhere to turn

close to home for relief of chronic pain.”

“I felt that I could be a part of something that

truly makes a difference in people’s lives—and

their whole community.”

welcome

adventisthealthsonora.org • Healthy Living 7

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDWalla Walla, WAPermit No. 44

SONORA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER 1000 Greenley RoadSonora, CA 95370

Where is the Adventist Health Sonora Community Pharmacy-Forest Road moving to?

❑ a. Stewart Street ❑ b. Stockton Street ❑ c. Washington Street

The answer is hidden inside this issue! Look for this symbol. ✤

facebook.com/adventisthealthsonora

twitter.com/ahsonora

Physician referral line: 536-3344

adventisthealthsonora.org

Facebook “f” Logo C MYK / .ai

Live Well Be Well Event calendar

Support groups

Keep in touch with us

Join in the fun at group fitness classes! The LivingWell Fitness Center is located at 4 S. Forest Road, Sonora.Punch cards may be purchased at any class: $35 for hospital employees for 10 classes, $70 for 10 classes at regular price or $7 for each punch.

LivingWell Fitness Center

Health and wellness

For a complete schedule, go to adventisthealthsonora.org.

Adult Diabetes ManagementThird Tuesdays Managing type 1 and type 2. Call for information. 536-3728

CancerFor people to learn coping skills, share concerns and get emotional support. Call for information. 536-3717

Freedom From SmokingQuit for life! Call for information. 536-3726

LamazeHow to cope with pain in ways that also facilitate labor. Call for information. 310-694-4133

The Marvelous Mind For understanding and responding to depression. Call for information. 352-8776

Mended Hearts Third Mondays (call for times), Live Well Be Well Center, 19747 Greenley Road For heart patients, families and caregivers. Helps patients with emotional recovery. 536-3721

NeurologicalThird Wednesdays, 1 to 2 p.m., Medical Center Conference Room 3, 1000 Greenley Road For people who have experienced stroke, brain

For more information about LivingWell Fitness Center classes, please call 536-5030.

Fit CampTuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Interval TrainingTuesdays and Thursdays, 6:15 to 6:45 a.m.

Spin Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Registration required.

TRX (total body resistance exercise) Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. Registration required.

YogaMondays and Wednesdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

ZumbaMondays and Wednesdays, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

injury, Parkinson’s, Guillain-Barré or multiple sclerosis and for their friends, families and caregivers. 536-5046

Ostomy Second Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Medical Center Conference Room 1, 1000 Greenley Road For patients, families and caregivers. Helps patients improve their quality of life. 536-3283

Sierra Grief SupportCoping skills for adults who have lost a loved one. Safe, supportive environment facilitated by trained staff. Call to register (required) or for information. 536-5687

Chronic Disease Wellness ClassTuesdays and Thursdays, 9:15 to 10:15 a.m.Live Well Be Well Center19747 Greenley RoadFor those who haven’t exercised in a long time or are living with chronic disease. Call to reserve a spot. 536-3721

Heartsaver First Aid/CPR Two sessions, 5:30 to 9 p.m.$65 (Medical Center employees: $35)For those who have a duty to respond to a first aid or cardiac emergency or anyone who wants to learn. 536-3230

Living Well FitnessMondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 to 10 a.m.Tuolumne County Senior Center, next to the public library$4 per classInstructor: Kelly Fray. Improves endurance, balance, strength and flexibility. 536-3721

Live Well Be FitTuesdays and Thursdays, 9 to 10 a.m. Tuolumne County Senior Center, next to the public library$1 per class/$10 per monthInstructor: Krista Howell. Improves endurance, balance, strength and flexibility. 536-3721

Smoking Cessation Live Well Be Well Center, Pulmonary Rehabilitation Clinic, 19747 Greenley Road$125 for 8 sessions (Medical Center employees: free)Kick the habit for life. 536-3726

Can you guess?