Methodist Sugar Land Hospital provides a wide range of services. Our areas of excellence include emergency care, cancer treatment, cardiovascular care, neurosurgery & more.
I'm glad they were there for me whilst on visiting family in Sugarland. We dont have healthcare like this in England! Let's hope Obamacare doesnt take it away.
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When Vernia Moore suffered a stroke she took full stock of her functions in the recovery room. Arms and hands moving? Check. Legs and feet okay? Check. Memory intact, with full comprehension? Check, check. All seemed good, but when the nurse asked her a simple question, the words would just not come. Though her brain was trying to speak, Moore was literally at a loss for words.
“This is not an uncommon situation and it is not just related to stroke victims,” says Brenda Abraham, a speech language pathologist at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. “It can be a result of a brain injury or other traumatic event and it can affect young and old. Too many people are left with cognitive ability intact, but without communication skills. These patients lack a practical way to ask for directions, express their feelings, or phone a friend — things we take for granted each day.”
Fortunately for Moore, her physician, Dr. Julie Hung, referred her to the Speech Pathology Department at MSLH for evaluation. Working with Moore, Abraham recognized that she was a good candidate for the Lingraphica, a speech-generating device that is easier to use and more understandable than many alternative communication (AAC) devices available on the market.
The Lingraphica is a speech-generating device that has been specifically designed for people with aphasia (impairment in the ability to use or comprehend words) and apraxia (difficulty executing the movement patterns necessary to produce speech even though there is no paralysis or weakness of speech muscles).
(Photo): Brenda Abraham, speech language pathologist at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital and patient, Vernia Moore.
The device is the size of a laptop. It has a touch screen with graphics relating to everyday life. There are frequently used phrases and words stored in each of the graphic folders so that when the user needs to communicate – say, for instance, to ask for a piece of toast – he or she simply touches the “kitchen” button to find or build the phrase. The device then speaks the words for the patient.
“There’s also an application that patients can download onto their iPods allowing them to carry certain phrases with them without the bulk of the bigger device,” says Abraham.
One of the most exciting things about the Lingraphica, according to Abraham, is that insurance coverage is often available for AAC devices.
“Before she received the Lingraphica, Vernia would have to find alternative ways to communicate and they weren’t always effective,” says Abraham. “For example, she was in our office and wanted to explain to the receptionist that her address had changed. She showed the receptionist her driver’s license, but the receptionist did not understand what Vernia was trying to tell her. With the Lingraphica, we have been able to build her a library of phrases to encompass those types of things.”
Most recently, Abraham helped her patient build phrases that would allow her to independently phone her doctor’s office.
“For the first time in three years, Vernia was able to schedule her own appointment,” says Abraham. “From the look on her face, you would have thought she had just won the lottery.”
Moore is not the only patient Abraham is assisting with the Lingraphica. MSLH neurologist Dr. Muhammad Khan recently referred stroke patient Bertha Silva to her for help with communication. Silva has quickly become accustomed to using the device. In fact, by the end of her first training session, she was already building a library of phrases with the help of her husband.
While the Lingraphica is an amazing tool for many, Abraham cautions that AAC devices are not appropriate for every patient. “Many of these people will recover full use of their speech,” she explains. “But for others with limited or slow return of their speech ability, a trial period with a device such as the Lingraphica can be very helpful.”
For more information or to schedule a speech therapy appointment, please call 281-274-7175.
Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s marketing team was honored with a Gold Award for the hospital’s Spine Center campaign. The campaign was ranked amongst the top 5% in the nation.
The Aster Awards, one of the largest national competitions of its kind, is hosted by Marketing Healthcare Today Magazine and Creative Images, Inc. This elite program recognizes outstanding healthcare professionals for excellence in their advertising/marketing efforts for the calendar year 2010.
The 2011 Aster Awards received approximately 3,000 entries from across the United States as well as Canada and South America. Participant’s entries competed against similar-sized organizations in their category.
Entries must score at least in the top 16% to receive an award. Judging criteria includes creativity, layout and design, functionality, message effectiveness, production quality and overall appeal.
(Photo): Affiliated Spine Center Physicians
“It was an honor to have the number of Healthcare organizations and agencies that participated in the 2011 Aster Awards Competition. The quality of this year’s entries went well beyond the judges’ expectations,” said Melinda R. Lucas, Aster Awards Program Coordinator.
“As health care marketing professionals, it is crucial we communicate within our communities what services are available to them so close to home.” said Leena Taneja, Director of Physician Relations and Marketing at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. “We’re honored to receive this recognition for the hard work and dedication our team puts forth to ensure the continued communication to our community about the Spine Center and other services provided by Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. I would like to personally thank our Spine Center physicians and the Methodist Sugar Land marketing team who made this award happen.”
Awards were issued based on the following scores:
Gold Awards – Score of 95 to 99 (top 5% in the nation)
Silver Awards – Score of 90 to 94 (top 12% in the nation)
Bronze Awards – Score of 85 to 89 (top 16% in the nation)
All winners are posted on the Aster Awards website (www.AsterAwards.com), as well as published in Marketing Healthcare Today, a national healthcare marketing magazine.
For more information or to schedule an appointment at Methodist Sugar Land Spine Center, please call 281-313-BACK (2225), email SpineCenter@tmhs.org or visit www.MethodistSugarLand.com.
Hand pain can affect anyone but is particularly common among baby boomers. Traumatic injury accounts for some pain, but arthritis is a factor for many people. It’s estimated that one out of every five people in the U.S. has at least one joint with arthritis symptoms. Because of their complex structure and the high demands we place on our hands, they are vulnerable to injury. And some sports, activities, hobbies and jobs (including hair stylist, dental hygienist and musician) are particularly hard on them.
“Chronic, or every day, hand pain can make it difficult to perform ordinary tasks,” says Peggy Boineau, certified hand therapist. “However, specialized hand therapy can help you protect and strengthen your hands so that you can use them for those tasks that are so important to you, with less pain and for longer periods of time.”
(Photo): Peggy Boineau, certified hand therapist, with patient.
Most people wouldn’t think of going on a long walk without wearing proper shoes, yet we often fail to protect our hands when we participate in hand-intensive activities. To protect your hands, be conscious of ergonomics (the way things are arranged so that you can move more efficiently and safely) at home and in the office. Remember to use good posture and proper positioning, and avoid overly using one hand in activities that require repetitive motion. Protective gloves and tools can help you complete tasks while lessening impact on your hands.
“Hand therapists receive specialized training that enables them to teach patients how to perform activities in ways to help decrease pain and protect their hands,” Boineau shares. “Hand therapists also help patients use better ergonomics, including repositioning hands and arms to reduce strain and repetitive-motion injuries.”
OTHER HAND TREATMENT/THERAPIES
To schedule an appointment with a hand therapist at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s two state-of-the-art Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab locations, please call 281-201-0405.
I recently had an ultrasound done at Methodist Sugarland hospital and I was very pleased with my entire experience. The girl at the front desk was very helpful and the person who actually did the ultrasound was even better. They really helped calm me down by explaining everything slowly so I could understand it. I will def go back to this...
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