Milford Regional: Looking Back and Ahead

Editor's Note: leaders reviewed programs begun in the past year and spoke briefly about new initiatives being considered for 2012, at the annual meeting of the hospital corporation. The following is based on statements , and the hospital's annual report, released Monday.

The following programs were begun in 2011:

• Brachytherapy for prostate cancer: "A minimally invasive, highly effective prostate cancer treatment was introduced this year. Called brachytherapy, it is recognized as a standard of care in early stage prostate cancer."
• New cardiac pacemaker: "Over 200,000 U.S. patients annually have to forego an MRI scan due to a pacemaker... Milford Regional became the second hospital in the state to implant the revolutionary Revo pacing system by Medtronics, a new pacemaker that received FDA approval for MRI use in 2011."
• Transradial cardiac catheterization: "Every month more than 30 cardiac catheterizations are performed at Milford Regional ... This procedure provides the clearest look at the arteries that supply the heart muscle. Now, Milford Regional offers a new type of cardiac cath, called transradial artery catheterization. This allows the cardiologist to guide a tiny, flexible tube through the artery in the wrist, rather than the larger femoral artery in the groin. The new procedure provides far greater comfort and shorter recovery time for patients."
• New role in the breast center: "The Breast Center at Milford Regional provides an entirely unique multi-disciplinary, holistic approach to breast health that includes continuing education ... [and] awareness of best practice standards. In 2011, the team expanded to include a nurse navigator — a critical new role in the Breast Center model of care. [The] nurse navigator is the liaison between the patient and all of the Breast Center services and providers."
• New approach to hospital dining: "When you're not well, your appetite is unpredictable. With this in mind, Milford Regional put patients in charge of their eating schedules, rather than letting meals be dictated by the clock. An exciting new program called "At Your Request" allows patients to order food anytime between 7 a.m. and 6:30 p.m."

The following programs are being planned, or considered, for 2012:

• Palliative care: "To relieve suffering and provide the best possible quality of life for people facing the pain, symptoms and stresses of serious illnesses."
• Robotic surgery: "To provide patients with the very latest surgical techniques that enable surgeons to perform extremely delicate and precise, minimally invasive surgery."
• 3-D Mammography: "To further our reputation for providing the gold standard in women's health diagnostics."
• Bariatric surgery: "To provide significant, long-term loss of weight, recovery from diabetes and improved cardiovascular risk factors for those struggling with obesity."