If you’ve been inside one of Princeton Community Hospital’s first floor public restrooms lately, you’ve likely noticed the absence of the usual “handles” for flushing, running water and paper towels.

“What’s up?” you ask. Exactly. It’s “what’s up” on the surfaces of these levers and faucets that carries the bacteria and viruses responsible for all manner of illness, including MRSA. If the handles are absent, so is one major source of infection.

Studies have demonstrated that the water pressure entering a commode during flushing can splash contaminated water onto the flushing mechanism, according to Cindy Belcher, infection control practitioner. “The contaminated water will contain all the bacteria and viruses that may be present in the bowl,” said Belcher. “It’s the reason we’ve always stressed handwashing after bathroom use,” she explained. “The flusher is also contaminated by organisms transferred by the hands after self-cleansing. In addition to assuring that the toilet is flushed, hands-free toilets keep you from touching what others have left on the handle. The same is true for self-operating water faucets and paper towel dispensers. If you’re not touching these surfaces, you’re avoiding at least one potential source of infection.”

The physicians and staff of PCH take great pride in the advanced technologies they use to find and treat disease. Now PCH is using a different kind of technology to help prevent it in the first place.


January 2008

Nuclear Medicine Technologist Dave Lester demonstrates the capabilities of the cardiac camera in the cardiopulmonary department. The camera was formerly housed at St. Luke's Hospital.



Specials Technologist/Mammographer Delores Atkins shows off the new digital mammography equipment in the medical imaging department.

Recent acquisitions of medical imaging technology are improving Princeton Community Hospital’s diagnostic services in two critical areas.

The highly anticipated arrival of digital mammography technology is giving area women the best in quality and convenience. With one unit located in the Women’s Center and another in the medical imaging department, the much faster examination time is reducing a long- standing scheduling backlog, according to Steve Curry, director of networking and diagnostic imaging services. “The quality of the images is exceptional,” said Curry. “This state-of-the-art equipment makes our department completely filmless in all its operations, improving the flow process for interpretation and reporting of the images. That means the physicians get the reports they need faster, and patients get expedited treatment.”

The nuclear medicine camera formerly housed at St. Luke’s Hospital is now serving as a cardiac camera in PCH’s cardiopulmonary department.

The camera, or “gamma detector,” is used to scan hearts and shows how well tissue is receiving blood, said Dave Lester, nuclear medicine technologist. “The scans tell us if a patient is a candidate for cardiac catheterization,” Lester explained. “Having a dedicated camera for heart patients allows for a better coordinated process, since all parts of the cardiac exam are now performed in the same department,” said Curry.





Along with state-of-the-art digital technology, PCH mammography patients are enjoying a newly decorated dressing area in the medical
imaging department.


November 2007

Representatives of the Women’s Leadership Council present a check to PCHA Board President Tom Lilly. Left to right: Betty Brockmeier, Loretta Lintz, Mary Frances Williams, Susie Pace, Tom Lilly, Gaynell Steuber, Esther Piconi, Delores McCormick, Darlene Hall.

Its mission from the very beginning has been to support the hospital in providing health care to area residents, and this year the PCH Foundation found several meaningful ways to do just that.

The foundation’s Women’s Leadership Council recently presented the hospital with the proceeds of its 2006 and 2007 gala fundraisers totaling almost $270,000. The money will contribute about one third of the funds needed to pay for the hospital’s recently acquired state-of-the-art digital mammography equipment.

In August, more than $41,000 was donated to PCH’s charity care program from the foundation’s participation in the WV Development Office’s 2007 Neighborhood Investment Program. In September, the foundation turned over almost $50,000 for patient care services from its 2006 and 2007 charity golf tournaments.

And now the Hearts of PCH, a group of employees working under the auspices of the foundation, is striving to raise money for a fund that will be used to help PCH patients with needs from prescriptions to transportation.

The group is currently conducting bake sales, raffles and a craft show to raise money to seed the fund. Once established, the fund will provide prescriptions, gas cards and other forms of assistance to qualifying patients, insured or uninsured, who simply lack the resources needed to complete the treatments their physicians have recommended.

The PCH Foundation is a not-forprofit charitable organization created to support the mission of the Princeton Community Hospital Association. Established in 1989, the
foundation’s role is to solicit, manage and invest endowment funds, gifts, grants and bequests, and to distribute the funds according to each donor’s wishes. The PCH Foundation assures that all gifts remain in the community to support the hospital’s mission of providing a broad range of highquality health care services. For more information, please contact the foundation at 487-7586.

November 2007

New ED process speeds patient care

Recent changes in the check-in procedure for ED patients are assuring that more acutely ill patients are seen as quickly as possible and making the flow of patients and charting more efficient.

Each patient is assigned a severity level and seen in the order of the level of need. As a result, patients are moving more quickly through triage (the assessment of how critical the illness or injury is) and directly into a treatment room. The change enables each patient to
get into a bed faster and see a doctor sooner, so needed tests can be ordered and treatment expedited.


October 2007

PCH campus to go smoke-free

The year 2007 will draw to an end with a final puff of smoke for Princeton Community Hospital, as the organization adopts a campus-wide smoke-free policy for all its buildings.

PCH has been smoke-free within its walls since 1991. Beginning January 2, 2008, smoking will be banned outside all buildings owned and operated by PCH, including sidewalks, parking lots, company vehicles, and personal vehicles parked on PCH property. PCH will join hundreds of hospitals nationwide and several in West Virginia when it implements the new policy.

Long known to cause disease and premature death in smokers, tobacco smoke also causes respiratory problems for those who inhale it secondhand. U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona’s 2006 report leaves no doubt about the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

Annually, exposure to secondhand smoke is estimated to kill approximately 3,000 adult nonsmokers from lung cancer, 46,000 from coronary heart disease, and 430 newborns from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Secondhand smoke also causes other respiratory problems in nonsmokers such as coughing, phlegm and reduced lung function. Carmona’s report concludes that there is no riskfree level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Recognizing the hospital’s role as a health care provider, PCH leaders are taking the final step to make its facilities and grounds completely smokefree. The action helps to assure that patients, employees and visitors are no longer exposed to secondhand smoke as they enter and leave the facility. “Our first obligation is to our patients,” said PCH CEO Wayne B. Griffith.

“It’s our responsibility to encourage healing and protect them from further harm while they are residents of our hospital. Our second obligation is to our employees and community. It is incumbent upon us to provide a clean and healthy environment for them.”


July 2007

PCH observes National Hospitality House Week



Princeton Community Hospital employees joined volunteers and staff of more than 155 hospitality houses and other programs in communities around the nation to observe National Hospitality House Week July 22 - 28. Hospitality houses provide family-centered lodging and support services to the patients and families of loved ones receiving treatment for serious illnesses, injuries or birth defects at hospitals and clinics far from home.

The PCH Hospitality House, a project of the PCH Foundation and Mercer County's only such facility, celebrated its sixth anniversary April 1, 2007. Since its opening in 2001, the house has provided a home away from home for 1,568 people belonging to 735 families from states across the nation and as far away as Bulgaria. The house has accommodated patients and families 2,072 nights since its opening, and is seldom unoccupied.

Many of its patients were traveling through the area when an accident or illness brought them to PCH. Some of its long-term occupants were cancer patients in need of extended treatment, or family members who needed to remain near loved ones who were hospitalized with serious conditions.

The house is located adjacent to the hospital, within a short walking distance for those who may lack transportation. It features four private bedrooms (one of them handicapped accessible), kitchen, dining, and laundry facilities, as well as a spacious living room where patients and families often rest and chat with one another.

The house was a godsend for Juanita Growe, a Pineville resident whose husband was hospitalized in PCH's critical care unit for several weeks. It saved her a daily three-hour round trip drive to be with her husband during his treatment. "I'm so grateful for the Hospitality House," she said. "I couldn't have wanted a better place to stay."

The PCH Hospitality House was established with the hospital's donation of a house for the project. PCH employees and community supporters raised more than $78,000 to renovate and furnish the house. Several community groups have "adopted" rooms or specific renovation and maintenance projects to fund.

Although the project is well-established, its continued operation relies on community support. If you are interested in sponsoring a patient or family stay, or in any other aspect of the project, please contact the PCH Foundation at 304/487-7586.


February 2007

PCH upgrades CT technology

Princeton Community Hospital has strengthened its arsenal of diagnostic technology with the recent addition of the world’s fastest and most advanced computed tomography (CT) system. The hospital spent most of last month installing and providing staff education on the Siemens SOMATOM® Sensation 64 CT system, a powerful, cutting-edge tool for pinpointing disease earlier and giving physicians detailed images of the human body unmatched by previous technology.

The new 64-slice CT system can capture thousands of images in seconds and is much quicker than the average CT technology currently employed across the country.

“We can see things in the human body that we simply could not see before without invasive surgery,” said David Groten, M.D., diagnostic radiologist. “We can obtain incredibly detailed anatomical images that allow us to diagnose certain diseases earlier and more precisely than ever before.”

Computed tomography uses radiation to allow physicians to see inside the human body into areas that cannot be visualized by standard x-ray examinations. Scanning is a computer-controlled electronic procedure comparable to digital photography. As the patient lies inside the opening of the unit (the gantry), the x-ray beam rotates 360 degrees around the patient’s body taking extremely detailed cross-sectional images. With the data acquired by the scanner, the computer generates the images that show the physician the presence or absence of disease in the body.

Since its introduction in the 1970s, CT has taken a quantum leap from a “single slice” cross-section to the 64-slice scan of the Siemens technology. The new system dramatically increases the amount of data acquired from a single scan, obtaining 64 views in a single rotation around the body while reducing the amount of radiation for the patient. “In fact,” Groten said, “this technology is so advanced that CT may have future roles in medicine that we can’t even imagine today.”

The Siemens system offers patients a more comfortable experience with the best possible combination of low radiation exposure and short examination times. “We can now scan geriatric, pediatric and trauma patients in a single breath-hold,” Groten explained. “And the open design of the new unit alleviates the closed-in feeling some patients experience with CT scans. It’s a win-win situation: we can make a better diagnosis, and the patient is more comfortable, too.”



February 2007

Saunders joins PCHA

Crain W. Saunders has joined Princeton Community Hospital Association as director of business development and physician liaison. Saunders will be responsible for physician recruitment and will focus on business opportunities beneficial to PCHA and the medical community, according to PCHA CEO Wayne B. Griffith. “Crain brings new vitality and opportunity for growth to PCHA,” said Griffith.

Saunders most recently served as clinic administrator for the Appalachian Regional Hospital Daniel Boone Clinic in Harlan, Kentucky, a multi-specialty medical practice comprised of 20 physicians and other health care providers. Prior to his work with ARH, Saunders acted as chief operating officer for Huntington Internal Medicine Group in Huntington, West Virginia. Earlier in his career, he was affiliated with Piedmont HealthCare in Statesville, North Carolina; the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia; and the Ledbetter Clinic Association in Houston, Texas.

Saunders holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, and a master’s degree in business administration from Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina.

“I’m excited and privileged to be a member of the team at PCH,” said Saunders. “I see the many great things that are happening in the medical community, and it makes me very enthusiastic about being part of the future.”

Saunders has been married for 13 years to a native West Virginian, and they have three children ages 11, 9 and 6. “My family and I are thrilled to come back to West Virginia where we have many close friends and family members,” said Saunders. “We’re eager to become part of the community.”


January 2007

PCH bond rating raised

The PCHA Board of Directors received good news during their November/ December meeting: a press release from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services reported that its rating on the hospital’s revenue bonds series 1993 and 1999 was raised to B from B-, “reflecting PCH’s dramatic improvement in operating income and increasing liquidity.” The press release gave PCH a “positive outlook.”


September, 2006

PCH offers a kinder, gentler mammogram

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the perfect time to remind women of the importance of regular mammograms in early detection of the disease. The American Cancer Society reports that women can greatly reduce their risk of death from breast cancer if they receive regular mammographic screenings. Unfortunately, nearly 40 percent of American women don’t get the recommended mammograms, largely because of the pain and discomfort associated with the exams.

Princeton Community Hospital is working to improve those statistics by offering a softer, warmer mammogram. PCH has become a certified Softer Mammogram Provider with its addition of the FDA-cleared MammoPad®. This single-use, adhesive-backed foam cushion attaches to the compression plates of the mammography device. The recyclable breast cushion is invisible to X-rays and does not interfere with the image quality of the mammogram.

This innovative concept was developed by Stanford University breast surgeon Gale Lebovic, M.D., who understood mammography discomfort from both a physician’s and a patient’s point of view. Clinical studies in the United States and Sweden found that about 70 percent of the 1,300 patients evaluated experienced a significant reduction in pain when the cushion was used.

“The discomfort women feel during mammography compression is widely known to be one of the primary reasons that some don’t get their regular screenings,” said Sherri Snead, chief medical imaging tech. “In addition to the compression, the cold surfaces and hard edges of the mammography machine make the experience uncomfortable for many of our patients. The MammoPad® provides a soft, warm cushion for the exam, and because women are more relaxed, it’s easier to get the best possible image.”

Both the American Cancer Society and the American College of Radiology recommend that women 40 and over receive yearly mammograms. “Early detection of breast cancer can make the critical difference between life and death,” Snead noted. “Mammograms identify lumps that a woman’s self-exam wouldn’t find until an average of almost two years later. That’s why regular mammograms are so important. We hope the MammoPad will help women overcome their aversion to the exams and get them on a regular basis.”


June 2006

PCH’s Cancer Center Ranks High in National Study

Princeton Community Hospital’s Cancer Center of the Virginias topped the performance of the nation’s community hospitals in its treatment of stage III colon cancer, according to a recent study by the American College of Surgeons. PCH’s program ranked first in the state, first in the mid-Atlantic states, and among the top performers in the nation.

“We are thrilled with the study’s results,” said PCH CEO Wayne Griffith. “We owe this distinction to the work of our cancer committee, especially Dr. Chambers, Dr. Duremdes, Dr. Pardasani and Melinda Perdue.”

Princeton’s performance in the study demonstrated 99.3 percent concordance with the national standard of care for stage III colon cancer. The study, completed in January, was designed to determine how well the nation’s ACOS-approved community hospital-based cancer programs complied with the standard of care for the disease. The protocol for care of stage III colon cancer calls for the use of chemotherapy.

“The effort to achieve this level of excellence goes back a long way,” said Dr. Rowena Chambers, chairman of the hospital’s cancer committee. “We hold weekly tumor board meetings where we discuss each and every case,” she explained.

“It’s a team effort,” added Dr. Generoso Duremdes, PCH’s cancer liaison. “We appreciate the support of the medical staff and the administration.”

First approved in 1995, PCH’s Cancer Center of the Virginias is one of only 12 programs in West Virginia approved by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, and is the only approved program south of Charleston.
The study’s results were released in May by Andrew Stewart of the American College of Surgeons and announced at a symposium of the National Cancer Registrars Association in Washington, D.C.


May 2006

New MRI Technology Increases Quality, Speed, Comfort

PCH marked a long-awaited milestone April 18 with the delivery and installation of the revolutionary Siemens MAGNETOM Avanto magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The new MRI technology enables radiologists to obtain the highest resolution full-body images faster and helps referring physicians diagnose and treat patients more effectively. The fixed-site system will replace the traveling MRI unit that visits the hospital several times each week.

The 13,000 pound, 1.5 Tesla magnet offers the superior imaging quality and speed traditionally available only at large medical centers, according to Dana Olson, M.D. “This system gives radiologists the opportunity to conduct advanced applications, such as metastasis evaluation,” said Olson. “It also provides a wealth of clinical applications including neurology, angiography, cardiology, oncology, orthopedics and pediatrics.”

In addition to enhanced image quality, the new scanner’s design provides a more comfortable examination for the patient. Its feet-first entry and faster scanning time helps decrease anxiety for patients who are uncomfortable in small spaces. It also reduces noise by up to 97 percent, making ear protection no longer mandatory for many routine examinations.



“This is a red-letter day for the medical imaging department,” noted Steve Curry, director of networking and diagnostic imaging services. “I’ve been working on various phases of this project for almost 15 years.” The phases Curry directed began in 1992, when PCH converted its x-ray film technology to digital imaging; x-ray images were captured, read and stored on computers. With the installation of the picture archiving communications system (PACS) in 1998, PCH eliminated its film files. In 2003, all the hospital’s images except mammograms were captured without film, and referring physicians gained access to medical images and reports on computer monitors in their own offices. In 2005, space became available for expansion to accommodate the fixed-site MRI.

“Today, we are no longer a typical community hospital,” Curry declared. “We have the system university medical centers have. We are truly a state-of-the-art facility.”


September 2005

PCH Names New CEO

Princeton Community Hospital’s board of directors has named a veteran administrator of several health systems, including two West Virginia hospitals, as its new chief executive officer.

Wayne B. Griffith, who has more than three decades of experience in health care administration, will join Princeton Community Hospital on September 26.

Griffith’s responsibilities as a hospital administrator have included operational and strategic leadership, financial oversight, and medical staff, employee and community relations.

Griffith most recently served as chief executive officer for Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc., where he provided leadership for five hospitals near Hazard, Kentucky including Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center, Whitesburg ARH Hospital, Morgan County ARH Hospital, McDowell ARH Hospital and ARH Psychiatric Hospital.

Prior to his position with ARH, Griffith acted as chief executive officer for St. Joseph’s Hospital of Buckhannon in Buckhannon, West Virginia. He has also served as regional vice president for the SunHealth Alliance, a group that coordinates healthcare support services to approximately 300 hospitals, and as senior vice president at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina. Earlier in his career, Griffith served as CEO for Memorial General Hospital Association, Inc., in Elkins, West Virginia.

“It is clear that the board, the medical staff and the employees have worked hard to achieve a tremendous improvement in the hospital’s situation,” Griffith said. “I plan to build on that success and take Princeton Community Hospital to the next level.”

Griffith holds a master of hospital administration degree from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond and a bachelor of science degree in business management from Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia. He has been active in the West Virginia Hospital Association, holding several board and committee positions, including president.

“Wayne is a terrific leader and a great person to work with,” said Steven Summer, executive director of the West Virginia Hospital Association. “He is recognized as a leader on the national level. He’s been very active on the WVHA Board of Trustees, and we’re looking forward to having him back to help with some of our future challenges.”

“Princeton is a beautiful part of West Virginia,” Griffith exclaimed. “My wife and I are looking forward to relocating and becoming a part of the community. We met so many extremely nice folks during our visit…the warmth of West Virginia is evident in the people here. I was born and raised in Baltimore, but my wife and my three sons were born and raised in West Virginia. I’ve spent half my life in this state, and I consider myself a West Virginian.”

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