Press Releases

The press releases below detail exciting recent developments.

Wyoming Medical Center receives quality health care award 30 October 2008

Wyoming Medical Center received the 2008 Mountain-Pacific Quality Achievement Award on October 2 in Cheyenne. This is the highest honor given to hospitals by Mountain-Pacific. Val Cady RN, BS, Katherine Murphy RN, ACM, and Cathy Petera RN, BSN, accepted the award for Wyoming Medical Center at an awards luncheon that took place during the annual conference of the Wyoming Hospital Association.

Wyoming hospitals that compete for the award must demonstrate excellent care in the treatment of heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and in protecting surgical patients from infection. Care is judged by consistent use of up-to-date and professionally recognized best practices, or treatments. Mountain-Pacific Medical Director Dr. Howard Willson, who presented the award, noted that Wyoming Medical Center was also being recognized for the strong leadership that supports hospital staff in making changes and creating systems where best care becomes routine.

"We’re extremely proud of this award," said Sandy Sienkiewicz, Director of Quality and Regulatory at WMC. "It’s the highest hospital award given by Mountain-Pacific and it recognizes our staff for the excellent work they do. We’re also glad to have this opportunity to tell our community about our commitment to continuous quality improvement and the best care possible for our patients."

Wyoming Medical Center is one of only three Wyoming facilities to receive the Quality Achievement Award this year; the award is the higher of two hospital awards given annually to hospitals in Wyoming.

For more information about these awards, contact Jan Pope at (307)436-8733 or jpope@wyqio.sdps.org

Mountain-Pacific is the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Wyoming, Montana, Hawaii and Alaska and works for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to promote proven best practices and transform the way health care is delivered.

###

WMC First to Offer Robotic Surgical System in Wyoming  23 October 2008

 

Casper – October 2, 2008 – Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America, affecting 1 in 6 men. In fact, 1 in 10,000 men under age 40 will be diagnosed this year, the rate shoots up to 1 in 39 for ages 40 to 59, and 1 in 14 for ages 60 to 69. However, promising new treatment options have been developed to help combat this threatening disease.

One of the most innovative forms of treatment is robotic prostatectomy using the da Vinci^® Surgical System. Wyoming Medical Center is the first and currently the only facility in the upper Rocky Mountain region offering this minimally invasive, state-of-the-art procedure.

The da Vinci^® Surgical System has arrived at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper. WMC surgeons will be trained with the robotic system covering urology, gynecology, and general surgery. Urologist Dr. Todd Hansen will begin performing prostatectomies in mid-October. Procedures in gynecology including hysterectomies will begin soon after.

Using the da Vinci Surgical System, the surgeon is seated at a console featuring a 3D image of the surgical field several feet away from the patient. Through small incisions in the patient’s abdomen, the surgeon manipulates the robotic arm as the system mimics the hand, wrist and finger movements of the surgeon into precise, real-time movements of surgical instruments inside the patient.

"For most patients, da Vinci prostatectomy offers less pain and a shorter recovery than traditional prostate surgery. It can also protect sexual function and reduce incontinence issues," said Dr. Todd Hansen, urologist at Wyoming Medical Center.

Other benefits can include reduced trauma to the body, reduced blood loss and need for transfusions, less risk of infection, shorter hospital stay, and less scarring.

###

If you can’t find the information you need here, please call the Community Development Office at 307-577-2388 or 800-822-7201, extension 2388 or e-mail info@wmcnet.org.