Hospital increases services

By Steph Slater, staff writer
Published on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 11:11 AM MST

Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center (MGRMC) continues to provide a high level of care for all patients, including new mothers and babies in labor and delivery.

In its ongoing efforts to offer the best quality of services, improve its facility and make health care experiences more pleasant for its patients, MGRMC now offers a new trend in pain relief for laboring mothers. A combination epidural and intrathecal can be administered upon request for mothers experiencing tremendous pain during labor.

"Over a period of years, the health care industry has fine-tuned epidurals to make things better for the mother and the baby," head anesthetist Cecil Evans said. "People have to remember you're dealing with two patients."

Evans said drugs such as Stadol and Demerol tend to affect the baby more; however, the drugs in epidurals have had fewer effects on babies. Because the nature of epidurals has changed, this effect is even less, Evans said.

He said the epidural and intrathecal are each administered in different places on the back. The painkillers are administered in doses that are less concentrated than those used in the past.

The intrathecal aids in relaxing the birthing muscles and speeding up labor, but it tends to wear off during long labors. Because the epidural is given through a tube or drip, it continually relieves pain for the duration of labor, Evans and fellow anesthetist Rich Hincha said.

"It's the best of both worlds," Hincha said.

Evans said although epidurals have been around since the 1940s, the lucrative cost and time needed to train people made the option difficult for all hospitals to offer. Evans said MGRMC spent time making epidurals feasible for its budget and for all patients.

"It was a vision, and then it became reality," Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Lori Buress said

The hospital is subsidizing part of the cost for epidurals, making them possible for everyone, Evans said.

"We're lucky the hospital administration wants to provide this service, and it should be commended," she said.

As if things weren't already financially difficult, he said there is a tremendous shortage of anesthetists and nurses in the country and that it's rare to have the labor analgesia program in a small, rural community like the Gila Valley.

"We are also lucky to have four anesthetists in this area," Hincha said. "It's very difficult to find trained people to come and do what we do."

Hincha said his staff of anesthetists mixes its different skills and works with doctors and other hospital staff to make the process of pain relief run smoothly.

"We draw on each other - whether we have the latest training or many years of experience," Hincha said. "Our newest anesthetist, Jason Underwood, may lack experience, but he is completely on top of everything he does."

Hincha also said their team is very cohesive and work together so techniques are uniform from provider to provider.

Buress said they polled 18 other hospitals and that 12 of them combine epidurals with intrathecals for a maximum effect. She also said Evans has been a driving source of stability in their hospital.

"Evans has been the anesthetist for 28 years, and he was the only one for 20 of those years," Buress said.

Evans has also played a key part in recruiting certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), Buress said.

Evans said some hospitals have encountered such tremendous difficulties in keeping anesthetists that they are unable to provide anesthetic services to their obstetrics departments.

The fourth anesthetist of the team, Lydia Palafox, has been at MGRMC for seven-and-a-half years, the second longest, according to Hincha. He said she also has about 20 years of experience in anesthesia.

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Comments

14 comment(s)

Genevieve wrote on Oct 22, 2009 7:59 PM:

" I visited this spot in 2001 and had a wonderful time, in the two weeks I was there I greatly enjoyed the spring, the people and hiking in the surrounding area. The time I spent here was the highlight of my winter adventure. I played dominoes, drank tequila and picked up pretty rocks (and soaked in the spring of course!) It sounds like some terrible things have happened since and it's a shame that it's now closed. I would have loved to have seen it again. "

Tricia Wenzl wrote on Sep 20, 2008 4:32 PM:

" Re: Eve Batchelder murder-2006. I personally knew Eve as did many of my other co-workers and we were appalled that her confessed murderer was allowed to plead to a lesser charge (obviously) to escape the death penalty. This was a pre-meditated murder and kidnapping, resulting in the death of a wonderful, gentle soul not to mention leaving her two children without their mother! Jason Martinez does not deserve to live at the expense of the taxpayers with the chance that he could be paroled! Society cannot afford to be "soft" for the fear of peer pressure. "

ciara wrote on Jul 17, 2008 9:06 PM:

" hi i would like to know what time the pool opens "

Warnar Moll Amsterdam The Netherlands wrote on Jul 14, 2008 11:20 AM:

" I agree with Rustom Kevala.
In literature there are many scientific indications that the preparation of the sacred liquid (Haoma),could not contain a Hallucinogen-Entheogen drug (cf publications of Harry Falk, Jan Houben, Frits Staal and the late Mary Boyce).
As a plant-physiologist and toxicologian, I did some study about the preparation of Parahom (as described in Avesta). From the scientic point of view it is impossible that the sacred drink is hallucinogen.
I do not understand the arguments of the Pima's Church of Cognizance.
It is as stupid as the assert: Jesus used Marihuana. "

tom wrote on Apr 19, 2008 3:15 PM:

" if having someone go through something like especially a child is not an invasion of privacy then nothing is but then thats the 9th circus for you "

F THE SYSTEM!!! wrote on Feb 14, 2008 9:15 AM:

" Who cares about ibuprofen anyways! its just a pill that peopel take for headaches and aches who cares about what the school system. If someone suffers from chronic headaches and stuff like that they should be allowed to carry it around. IT was a bad thing to distribute it around to others, but they should be able to keep it anyway. Its not like teachers are all that willing to let students out of the classroom just because of a headache!!! SMS should be sued. Strip searching a student like that should NOT BE ALLOWED!!!! "

LaVae McClellan wrote on Feb 5, 2008 1:51 PM:

" Eric and Kevin Yazzie are my brothers, they always will be. Yeah its true they had a history of fighting, but thats all u see. The Eric and Kevin i know are happy and fun loving, make everybody laugh. I miss kevin, but theres nothing we can do for him now. As for Eric they need to let my brother go already "

joe tapia wrote on Dec 9, 2007 8:05 PM:

" I have spent half of my life in this canyon along with my cusion juan luepke and I would like to know what threats to the public that our gate is causing. there is another way into the canyon then through our property. Just before you get to the cobra guest ranch on klondyke rd take the tully springs\old aravaipa town turn follow for about 4 miles there is a side road just after the second cattle guard the road turns east you have to open a few gates but there not locked. "

JOE TAPIA wrote on Dec 9, 2007 12:11 AM:

" THE ROAD THAT EVERY ONE HAS USED FOR THE LAST 20-30 YEARS, Is owned by my family. as I have been told to me by my father that the b.l.m and nature conseverency asked to use our road because their easement down by the river kept getting washed out by floods.So when norma put the gate up the b.l.m asked the conservency to redo the road by the river again conservency said no way. By,joe tapia "

Katelynn Nichols wrote on Dec 7, 2007 5:34 PM:

" Clifford Bea Fowler is My uncle ans my cousin Kelci's dad he may be a white supremeist but he still loves his daughter.But he should be held responsible for his actions. "

Stephen wrote on Nov 30, 2007 8:57 AM:

" My thoughts and prayer's go out to the late Bobby Bell's family. "

SMSmom wrote on Nov 9, 2007 12:11 PM:

" I will be notified if my child is in so much trouble that he may need to be stripped searched. "Depending on circumstances"--NO I WILL BE NOTIFIED!!! TRY ME!!! "

Keisha wrote on Oct 27, 2007 8:03 PM:

" I'm sure if these guys were a threat to society action would of been taken. I'm not condoning such behavior but Linda sounds like she's up to no good. "

linda wrote on Oct 26, 2007 11:59 AM:

" Is there any way to post the photos of these molesters "in" the schools so that the children and school staff may detect any possible molesters? After all they are the ones who would most likely see them. "

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