Meadville, Pennsylvania

Health Systems

Meadville Medical Center (MMC) is one of 2 hospitals in Crawford County http://www.mmchs.org/ . According to the Department of Health the hospital is licensed for 217 beds. Of those beds 204 are set up and staffed, MMC also has 12 licensed beds for well infants (Department of Health web page, 2006). MMC is a not for profit facility. The hospital has an award winning obstetrics program. In 2003 MMC was awarded the Premier Q award for excellence in obstetrics and pregnancy related conditions. In 2001 the hospital was also named by Solucient a top 100 hospital in performance improvement leadership (Meadville Medical Center web page, 2006).

MMC service area covers the approx 35,000 Meadville residents, 75,000 residents of Crawford County, and the 150,000 residents in surrounding areas in NW PA. The hospital has annual admissions of 9100 inpatient visits, and 139,000 out patient visits a year. The Emergency room alone receives 32,325 visits annually. Approximately 650 babies are born at MMC yearly. MMC employees approx 729 full time, an 354 part time employees based on fiscal year 2002 (Meadville Medical Center web page, 2006).

MMC offers a multitude of services. The services include inpatient, diagnostic, specialized, and home care services. The services include (Meadville Medical Center web page services-alpha, 2006):

• ABBI Breast Biopsy System

• Admissions/Registration

• Alcohol and Drug Unit

• Anesthesia Services

• Ambulatory Care

• Asthma Clinic

• Audiology Center

• Billing/Business Office

• Breast Care/Mammography

• Cancer Care

• Cardiac Heart Catheterization Lab

• Cardiac Rehab

• Cardiology Services

• Central Processing

• Children's Health Fair

• Chemotherapy

• Communications/Switchboard

• Community Health Services, Inc.

• Community Needs Assessment

• Community Relations

• Comprehensive Pain Care Department

• Conneaut Valley Health Center

• CT Scan

• Dental Center, Valley

• Diabetic Care

• Dialysis Services

• Early Intervention Program

• Echocardiogram (EKG/ECG)

• Education Services

• Emergency Department

• Employee Assistance Program

• Eye Room

• Facility Engineering Department

• Family Planning Services

• Food Service

• Foundation

• GI Lab

• Guest Services

• Holter Monitoring - 24 Hours

• Hospice of Crawford County

• Housekeeping

• Human Resources

• Infectious Disease

• Intensive Care Unit

• Joint Replacement

• Laboratory

• Lithotripsy

• Living Through Loss Support Group

• Lymph Node Mapping

• Maintenance Department

• Mammotome

• Medical Assistance

Transportation Program

• Medical Library

• Medical Records

• Medical Staff

• Medical Staff Office

• Mental Health

• Mind Body Wellness

• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

• New Life Unit (OB)

• Nuclear Medicine

• Nuclear Stress Testing

• Nursing Units

• Nursery

• Obstetrical Department

• Occupational Medicine

• Occupational Therapy

• Oncology Service

• Osteopathic Internship

• Outpatient Surgery

• Pastoral Care

• Patient Accounting

• Pediatrics Unit

• PET Imaging

• Pet Therapy

• Pharmacy

• Phlebotomy Services

• Physical Therapy

• Physician Practices

• Post Anesthesia Care Unit

• Pre-Anesthesia Visits

• Quality Care

• Radiation Therapy

• Radiology

• Recovery Room

• Registration

• Rehabilitation

• Respiratory Therapy

• Residency

• Safety/Security Services

• Sleep Lab

• Social Service

• Speech Therapy

• Sports Medicine

• Stress Testing

• Support Groups

• Surgery

• Telemetry Services

• Transitional Care Unit

• Tumor Registry

• Ultrasound

• Utilization Management

• Urology Services

• Vascular Lab, Non-Invasive

• Volunteer Services

• VNA - Visiting Nurse Association

of Crawford County

• WIC (Women, Infants

and Children) Program

• Women's Services

• Wound Recovery Department

MMC has a medical staff over 100 physicians. There are 37 medical surgical specialties, and an extensive primary care network (Meadville Medical Center web page physicians, 2006).

The hospital offers many educational classes for expectant parents. They classes range from birthing and infant care to breast feeding, nutrition and sibling preparation. Fees for the classes range from free to 40$. MMC also offers a breast feeding support group for mothers. Other educational programs offered by MMC include drug and alcohol services, mind and body wellness programs, and mom and babies education (Meadville Medical Center web page Edu, 2006).

MMC also offers support groups for many different areas. Ranging from Alzheimer’s disease support groups, cancer or stroke support groups. The following is where and when the groups meet (Meadville Medical Center web page Support groups, 2006):

Alzheimer's Association (Northwestern PA Chapter)

110 West 10th Street, Suite 212, Erie, PA 16501. Telephone 814-456-9200. Meets the 3rd Monday of each month at the Community Center, 1034 Park Avenue, Meadville at 6:30 PM.

Amputees & Families Actively Caring Together

Bayfront Classroom, 300 State Street, 4th Floor, Erie, PA. Meetings held every fourth Monday evening from 6-8 PM. Parking will be validated and provided by Bayside Pharmacy. Questions or concerns, please call Donna Rapheal, RN at Hamot (814) 877-6423.

Arthritis Foundation (Erie, Crawford, Mercer and Warren Counties)

406 Peach Street, 2nd Floor, Erie, PA 16501 – Contact the Foundation at 814-455-0672 or arthritis@erie.net. for information on support group meetings.

Arthritis Water Classes

Meadville YWCA, 378 Chestnut Street, Meadville. For details call Rita Frisina at 814-337-4279.

Bereavement Support Group

Meets the second Tuesday of each month from 1-2 PM at the St. Brigids Social Hall. For more information contact Kathi Burns at 814-333-5413 or Hospice of Crawford County at 814-333-5403 or 800-727-7610.

Compassionate Friends

Group is for parents who have lost children through death. Meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at the MMC Grove Street Facility (Annex Conference Room 3) at 7 PM. For more information contact Jean Shanley at 814-724-3819 or 814-724-6370.

Empty Arms

Group is for parents who experience still births, miscarriages or baby death before hospital discharge. Meets the third Monday of the month at the MMC Grove Street Facility at 7 PM. For more information contact Patty Doubet at the New Life Unit at 814-333-5433.

Big Brothers and Sisters

Big Brothers & Sisters is a non-profit organization geared toward matching trained adult volunteers who will offer friendship and guidance, mostly on a "one-on-one" basis, with children primarily from single parent homes, therefore enhancing their growth and development. For more information call 814-724-8589.

Breast Feeding Support

Contact Woman & Infants in Crisis Supplemental Feeding Program (WIC) at 814-333-7080-Meadville office or Titusville office at 814-827-9166. Support group meets at 7 PM on the 4th Tuesday of each month in the ground floor conference room at Meadville Medical Center Liberty Street. Support group sessions are free. Parents who have experience breastfeeding are encouraged to come, as well as those currently breastfeeding. Attend as often as you'd like and babies are welcome.

Cancer (Breast) Support Group

“Reach to Recovery.” Meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7:30 PM at the Meadville YWCA. For more information contact the American Cancer Society at 814-337-8300.

Crohns Disease Support Group

Meets the second Monday of each month from 7-9 PM at the MMC Liberty Street Facility, Conference Room A. For more information contact Jeanne Wilson at 814-724-2471.

Diabetes Support Group

Meets the second Thursday of every month from 7 – 8:30 PM at the Mind Body Wellness Center. Learning to live a more independent and fulfilling life are only some of the benefits of participating in the Meadville Medical Center Diabetes Support Group. Support, friendships and answers to questions are some of the other things you will find. The group is designed to provide education and support to those with Diabetes, their families and their friends. There is also time for discussion, refreshments and the exchanging of ideas with other group members. For more information contact the Mind Body Wellness Center 814-333-5060. For more information on Diabetes Education Programs – check out this link.

Domestic Violence Support Group

Meets every Monday and Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at Women's Services, Spring Street, Meadville, PA 16335. Support Group for Children of Domestic Violence also available at the same time and place. For more information call 814-724-4637. Child care is provided during support group meeting.

Fibromyalgia Group

Meets the fourth Wednesday of each month except for November and December at 7 PM at the Millcreek Community Hospital, Erie, PA. For more information contact Joanne Gregory at 814-866-5922.

Fibro/Chronic Fatigue Support Group

Meets the last Tuesday of the month at 7 PM at the Titusville United Methodist Church at 302 West Walnut Street, Titusville. For more information contact Nancy Lingo at 814-827-7017 or Dianna Vosburgh at 814-827-3683.

Gastric Bypass Support Group

Meets the fourth Monday of month at 12 Noon at the Mind Body Wellness Center. Call 814-333-5060 for more information.

Lupus Foundation of Northwestern PA.

P.O. Box 885, Erie, PA 16512. Contact Kathy Heim at 814-455-3455. Meets fourth Tuesday January-October at Hamot Staff Board Room in Erie, PA.

Lyme Disease Support

Meets the 2nd Tuesday of the month in Greenville. Call for directions - Tim Vesonder at 724-962-7553 or 724-588-2630 or e-mail at tgv@infonline.net.

Mental Health/Mental Retardation Case Management Services

For more information contact Crawford Care Management at 814-336-4351, ext 0.

Multiple Sclerosis Support Group

For more information contact Christine Summers at 814-763-4571. National Multiple Sclerosis 1-800-344-4867.

Parents Anonymous Support Group

This group addresses various issues involved in parenting skills. For more information contact Kandy Foote at the Center for Family Services at 814-337-8450.

Meadville Area Parkinsons Support (MAPS)

Meets the second Wednesday of each month at 1:30 PM at the Wesbury Cribbs Education Center at 31 N Park Avenue, Meadville. For more information contact Cathi Hanson at 814-332-9705.

Overeaters Anonymous

Meets every Thursday from 7:15 to 8:30 PM at Trinity Lutheran Church, 649 Park Avenue, Meadville, PA 16335. Link to national organization

Penncrest Thurston House Support Services

Support group for students on dealing with pregnancy, parenting and fatherhood. For more information call 814-724-6768.

Parents Group for Children with Special Needs

Meets 6:00 PM the first Monday of every month at the Community Center of Crawford County at 1034 Park Avenue, Meadville. You are welcome to bring the kids if you need to.

Physical Disabilities Case Management Services

For more information contact Crawford Care Management at 814-336-4351, ext 0.

Prostate Cancer Support Group

Meets the second Thursday of each month at 7 PM at the Mind-Body Wellness Center. For more information call 814-333-5060.

Easy Breather's Club - Pulmonary Support Group

Meets the third Thursday of each month from 3-4 PM at the Mind-Body Wellness Center. For more information call 814-333-5060.

Reflex Sympathetic Syndrome

Meets the first Tuesday of April, June, August and October at the Hamot Health Connection at 330 Peach Street, Erie, PA from 11 to 1 PM. For more information contact Evelyn Porter at 814-796-3842.

Stroke Support Group

Meets first Tuesday of each month at 2 PM at the Grove Street Annex Conference Room 1. For more information contact Kate Chaffee in the Occupational Therapy Department at 814-333-5691

Weigh to Be Renewals Support Group

Meets at the Mind Body Wellness Center the second Friday of each month from 12-1 PM; third Tuesday from 7-8 PM; and fourth Thursday 4-5 PM. Contact the Mind Body Wellness Center for more information – 814-333-5060.

Woman & Infants in Crisis Supplemental Feeding Program (WIC)

This program includes nutritional education, breast feeding support, food assistance and prenatal care. Call for more information at 814-333-7080-Meadville office or Titusville office at 814-827-9166.

Affiliated with MMC is the Meadville Medical Center Transitional Care Unit (MMC-TCU). It is located on Grove Street. MMC-TCU is a licensed 32 bed hospital based not for profit, skilled nursing unit which is Medicare certified. The unit utilizes as restorative and interdisciplinary approach to rehabilitate its residents. Functions of the unit include(Meadville Medical Center web page services/tcu, 2006):

• Restorative nursing goals

• Resident and family education and support

• Rehabilitative support services including

• Occupational, Physical, and Speech Therapies

• Daily activities such as spiritual support, crafts, bingo; recreational therapy in general

• Pet Therapy

• Beautician services

• TCU Social Services and Discharge Planning

• Respiratory therapy and respiratory care

• Short-term home ventilator care

• Tube feedings

• Chemotherapy and outpatient radiation services

• Blood administration

• Peripheral and central intravenous therapy

• Outpatient hem dialysis and inpatient peritoneal dialysis

• Pain management and support

• Skin and wound care

• Terminal care support

• Whirlpool tub bathing

• Restorative training facilities

• Residential dining/activities facilities

During its last survey by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Hospitals the MMC-TCU scored 100%.

Located within Meadville there are two other skilled nursing facilities. The largest of those facilities is called Wesbury United Methodist Community which is a not for profit organization http://www.wesbury.com/ . Wesbury offers a range of living accommodations on their 110 acre campus. Anything from total independent living to a fully skilled nursing unit. Wesbury campus houses over 300 people in its various levels of care (Wesbury web page, 2006).

Wesbury offers the only adult day care service located in Meadville. They do offers hours Monday thru Friday 7am thru 5pm. At this time they don’t expect to offer longer or weekend hours due to a lack of need based on surveys they received back (C. Conn, personal communication, 10-26-06).

Wesbury offers independent housing for those who want to live in the community. There are 2 choices of houses that are offered, you can pick a two or a three bedroom house with one or two car attached garages. They have house that are already built or they will build one for you. They also offer one or two bedroom apartments. You can choose a multitude of assistance that is offered from the facility like housekeeping and meal preparation to housing maintenance and snow removal, or live totally independent. They offer an integrated emergency response system and direct dial smoke/fire systems. The resident can choose the see the on campus physician or remain with their primary physician (Wesbury web page independent, 2006).

If independent living is no longer feasible for the resident Wesbury offers an assisted living unit called Wesbury Hillside Home (Hillside Home web site, 2006).

If independent care and assisted living is no longer an option and increased skilled care is needed Wesbury offers a 210 bed skilled nursing facility. All of the skilled nursing units beds are Medicare/Medicaid certified. They do have a dedicated Alzheimer’s unit also in the facility. Wesbury offers a multitude of health care team members and services for their skilled nursing residents which includes (Wesbury web site health, 2006):

• Physicians

• Registered Nurses

• Licensed Practical Nurses

• Certified Nursing Assistants

• Licensed Rehabilitative Therapists: Occupational, Speech, Physical

• Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

• Accredited Social Workers/Discharge Planners

• Certified Activity Director and Staff

• Full-time Chaplain and Assistant Chaplain

• Delicious meals served daily in a beautiful central dining room

• Daily housekeeping service, weekly linen service and personal laundry facilities

• Opportunities to participate in recreation, craft, exercise and daily activity programs

• Access to all Wesbury staff including the Medical Director, licensed nurses, a registered dietitian, Chaplain, security personnel, Activity Director and Volunteer Program Coordinator

• In-home emergency response system

• Scheduled appointments and annual physical with Wesbury's Medical Director

• Transportation for local medical appointments and Wesbury events

• On-campus access to public transportation

• All essential utilities including local telephone service

• Access to private meeting rooms, recreational room, exercise room, library, computer room, card rooms, chapel, beauty/barber shop and other common areas

• Enclosed courtyard, nature trail, gazebo, picnic pavilion and outdoor gardening areas

• Priority access to Wesbury's skilled nursing unit within the memory support center

• Local ambulance membership

• Direct-dial smoke and fire system

• Complete interior and exterior maintenance

• Residents' Council membership Recreation, craft and daily activity programs

• Planned outings and trips

• 110-acre private, beautifully landscaped campus

• Enclosed courtyard, nature trail, gazebo and picnic pavilion

• Public and facility transportation services

• On-campus security

• Personalized shopping services

• Support and visitation from an organized volunteer staff

• Chaplaincy programs and support

• Beauty/barber shop

• Gift shop

• Residents' Council membership

• Private living suites

• Telephone and cable television

• Meeting rooms

• Proximity to banking, shopping and church facilities

• Medicare/Medicaid approved facility

• Discounted catering for special gatherings

• Affordable guest accommodations and free parking

• Availability of Hospice care

Beverly Healthcare Meadville is the third and final skilled nursing facility in Meadville. It has 88 licensed beds all of which are Medicare and Medicaid certified. Of those 88 beds 17 are able to be used for ventilator dependent residents. There are a variety of services offered at this facility also which include (Hospital data web site, 2006):

• Activities services are provided onsite to residents

• Clinical laboratory services are provided offsite to residents

• Dental services are provided offsite to residents

• Dental services are provided onsite to residents

• Dietary services are provided onsite to residents

• Housekeeping services are provided onsite to residents

• Mental health services are provided onsite to residents

• Nursing services are provided onsite to residents

• Occupational therapy services are provided offsite to residents

• Pharmacy services are provided offsite to residents

• Physical therapy services are provided offsite to residents

• Physician services are provided onsite to residents

• Podiatry services are provided offsite to residents

• Podiatry services are provided onsite to residents

• Social work services are provided onsite to residents

• Speech/language pathology services are provided onsite to residents

• Diagnostic x-ray services are provided offsite to residents

Beverly does provide all the modern medical services to its residents which include Physical and Occupational therapy by its in house staff. Speech therapy is also provided in house. They also have their own social worker who provides needed help to its residents. They do contract with a medical director, dentist and podiatrist to provide the needed care for the residents of the facility. A dietitian is on hand to help provide the proper physician ordered meals for its residents (Hospital data web site, 2006).

Meadville also has a couple of personal care homes. One is called Cordia Commons of Meadville.

In Crawford County there are approx 2,000 individuals affected with mental retardation. There is an organization based in Meadville that assists these individuals. That organization is called ARC of Crawford County http://www.arcofcrawfordcounty.org/ . It is a volunteer organization devoted to improving the welfare of children and adults with mental retardation. ARC provides services to parents, individuals, organizations, and communities to meet the needs of those with mental retardation. Services and opportunities offered are case worker services, family advisory counsel, life skills classes, OASIS club, summer teen camp, life skills instructor, adaptive equipment, sitter/companionship, in home therapies, home modifications, counseling, respite care, family education, and emergency fund (ARC web site, 2006).

Meadville has two home health agencies that service the city and surrounding area. The first agency is the Visiting Nurses Association of Crawford County which was established in 1907. These are the services it offers (Meadville Medical Center web site services/vna, 2006):

• Nursing Care

• Intravenous Therapy and Nutrition

• Maternal/Infant Care

• Wound and Stormy Care

• Personal Care (Certified Home Health Aides)

• Medical Social Work

• Nutrition Consultation

• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy Services

• Volunteer Services

• Care Mates Program (Private Duty Services)

• Telemonitoring at Home

The care mates program and the telemonitoring programs are newer programs for the agency. The care mates program puts a care giver in the home to help with daily tasks such as getting dressed and washed in the morning, taking medications and preparing meals. This service is available on a shift basis. The telemonitoring program is a system that an individual uses daily that checks their blood pressure, weight, heart rate, temperature and oxygen saturation. It also checks any symptoms of the pt. The information then is transmitted to the VNA and a nurse reviews the information and then notifies the pt and their doctor if something needs addressed. The VNA will provide care for any individual regardless of their ability to pay (Meadville Medical Center web site services/vna, 2006).

The other home care agency in Meadville is called Heartfelt Home Healthcare. It offers several types of services. The skilled services include specialized nursing services, pediatric care services, IV therapy, wound care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy. The assisted services include bathing and dressing, housekeeping and laundry, attendant care, meal preparation, transportation, medication reminders. The agency also offered 24 hour on call service. They do accept multiple different insurances and also self pay (Heartfelt web site, 2006).

Crawford County has two hospice agencies one based in Meadville and the other in Titusville. Hospice of Crawford County offers care to individuals who are diagnosed with having a limited life expectancy, and live within Crawford County or its surrounding counties. There is an interdisciplinary group of professionals that provide the care. The group consists of doctors, nurses, social workers, spiritual counselors and volunteers. The main focus of hospice is to help the individual maintain their highest possible quality of life. They do this by educating the individual, family and caregivers on the disease process, symptoms and treatment, pain control and the grieving process (Meadville Medical Center web site services/hospice, 2006).

There is a Regional Cancer Center located in Meadville. This office offers medical oncology, hematology and radiation oncology services to the surrounding area. It also provides the mobile mammography service which visits twenty five different sites in Erie and Crawford Counties (Regional Cancer Center web site, 2006).

For those patients who have renal failure and require hemodialysis Meadville does have an outpatient dialysis center. Gambro Health Care provides dialysis treatment for residents of Meadville and surrounding Crawford County. MMC also provides hemodialysis services for it’s inpatients during their admission to the hospital (Meadville Medical Center web site services/dialysis, 2006).

Meadville has a unique program to help transport individuals who are seeking medical services. The program is called Medical assistance transportation program. The services are free to eligible individuals. Those individuals must be Crawford County residents and medical assistance eligible. They can then get free transport to the following types of appointments, physicians, dentists, podiatrists, chiropractors, midwives, optometrists, general hospitals, public psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, independent laboratories, pharmacies, medical suppliers, independent medical/surgical clinics, drug and alcohol clinics, family planning clinics, home health agencies, rural health agencies, mental health/partial hospitalization, nursing facilities, health maintenance organizations, renal dialysis centers, EPSDT providers, early intervention programs, women, infants & children programs, counseling, county assistance offices, social security offices (Meadville Medical Center web site services/medtransp, 2006).

Meadville has multiple dental offices located throughout the city offering every type of dental procedure. Meadville also offers five different locations offering physical therapy to the cities residents. Within the city there are also eight different chiropractic centers. There are four separate psychologist practices in Meadville offering services to the residents of the city (Yellow book web site ,2006). Acupuncture is offered in Meadville at the Mind and Body Wellness Center (Meadville Medical Center web site, 2006). In Meadville there is also a satellite Veteran’s Affairs Clinic which sees patients for routine medical needs, exams, and physicals (VA web site, 2006).

There is a program in Meadville dedicated to assisting children with developmental delays. It is called the Crawford County Early Intervention Program. It is dedicated to provide care for children age’s birth to three who are showing developmental delays or disabilities (Meadville Medical Center web site services/cceip, 2006). Services provided include:

• Family Education including Fun Family Activities

• Special Instruction - Cognitive and Fine Motor

• Infant/Toddler Teaching

• Physical Therapy - Gross Motor

• Speech/Language Therapy - Speech, Language, Feeding, Swallowing

• Hearing Impairment Services

• Nutrition Counseling

• Psychological Services

• Assistive Technology

• Vision Services

• Occupational Therapy

• Rehabilitation Nursing

• Specialized Toys, Books and Resource Lending Library

Meadville also offers a Family Planning Services program. It offers multiple services to its patients. Those would include exams, pap smears, STD screening and education on prevention, instruction on breast self exam, and methods of contraception education. Payments for services provided depend on the patient’s ability to pay, income level, family size, and patients age. Due to these factors rates may be reduced (Meadville Medical Center web site services/family planning, 2006).

In Meadville is a drug and alcohol detoxification unit. It is called Crawford County Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission Inc which was established in 1973. They provide inpatient, outpatient, detoxification, and halfway house, and hospital services. It has an inpatient capacity for 40 patients and an out patient capacity of 275 (Crawford County Drug and Alcohol web site, 2006).

Crawford Counties satellite office of the Department of Health (DOH) located in Meadville. The department is responsible for multiple items a primary responsibility is health promotion and disease prevention. They help do this by providing drug and alcohol prevention programs. Help control and monitor the spread of communicable disease such as HIV/Aids prevention programs. Testing for Tuberculosis and treat those infected. Counsel and test for sexually transmitted disease. Another aspect of the DOH is to update the community on the current childhood and adult immunization programs. Another aspect the DOH is involved in is risk reduction for diseases which include diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and stroke (PA Dept of Health web site, 2006).