Free public event to focus on treatments for urinary incontinence

Wednesday 16 October 2024: Bermuda Hospitals Board is partnering with Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Optimum Wellness and the Bermuda College Division of Nursing & Allied Health to offer a free, public panel discussion about the latest treatment options for male and female incontinence.

The free event will take place from 3pm to 5pm on Saturday 19 October in the Bermuda College Lecture Hall H-100. The goal is to share the latest treatments for urinary incontinence and improve understanding about this common issue. No registration is required; people can just turn up.

The following experts will provide short presentations, followed by a Q&A panel discussion in which attendees can ask questions.

• Dr Jonathan Makanjuola, Urology Consultant, Bermuda Hospitals Board
  Learn how your family doctor can assess you for lower urinary tract symptoms,
  and become familiar with questions you can ask about your urinary habits.

• Dr Jessica Mandeville, Director of Endourology, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center
  Learn about medical and surgical treatment options for an enlarged prostate.

• Dr Arthur Mourtzinos, Vice Chair Division of Urology, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center
  Learn what the current surgical options are for managing urinary incontinence for men and women.

• Michelle Monk, Registered Physiotherapist and Pelvic Floor Provider, Optimum Wellness
  Learn more about the pelvic floor, treatment approaches, common misperceptions,
  what the common dysfunctions are and how to treat them early.

Dr Makanjuola comments: “In the UK it’s estimated that at least 7-10% of the population have urinary incontinence, but this could well be under-reported as people feel embarrassed. If the same is true in Bermuda, that translates to over 6,000 people. Women are five times more likely to experience it, but men are impacted too. We will be sharing some great information that will help people know what to ask their doctor, for example, as well as what the latest treatment options are available.”

Dr Mourtzinos comments; “Lahey is excited to help share the latest treatments available for incontinence for men and women.  Lahey is dedicated to helping care for the Bermuda community. Our specialist urology services along with the treatments and care available on island give patients not just hope but effective treatments when dealing with incontinence.”

Ms Monk adds: “I’m looking forward to sharing some of the physiotherapy options available to improve pelvic floor health and bring relief from urinary incontinence. If you or a family member is experiencing an issue, however minor, it’s a great opportunity to learn more about the latest treatments and therapies available. In fact, there are early treatments that can make a big difference so people shouldn’t wait.”

BHB and Lahey are also partnering to deliver a physician continuing medical education symposium in the morning providing an update on urology. Details about the morning session for physicians can be found on the BHB website under CME events. BHB delivers a year-round educational calendar for free to all local physicians on various medical topics in partnership with leading hospitals from overseas.

Watch on YouTube

Caring for patients at KEMH

Tuesday 15 October 2024: Bermuda Hospitals Board has posted a frequently asked questions (FAQ) on its website that explains how patients are cared for and by whom at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH).

CEO & President Scott Pearman says: “We want to demystify as much as possible how care works at KEMH. BHB follows the same quality standards as the UK, US, and Canada, with inpatient acute care led by onsite hospitalists on our acute care inpatient units, with other specialists leading in critical and emergency care units. We often get questions from patients about their inpatient care, especially about the role of their general practitioners (GPs) while they are in the hospital. We hope the factsheet posted on our website will help.”

Acting Chief of Medicine and Director of the Hospitalist Programme Dr Nevin Williams explains: “A common question is about the role of a patient’s GP while they are in hospital. In KEMH, a patient’s care is led by the ‘most responsible physician’ (MRP) and this will be the main contact for the patient and family. At KEMH, your most responsible physician may vary depending on the area you are in, but it will always be an on-site physician specialist with the most appropriate training for your care.”

• In the Emergency Department, the MRP is an emergency physician.
• For a patient admitted after planned surgery, the MRP will be the surgeon.
• Patients admitted to an inpatient unit from the Emergency Department will have a hospitalist as an MRP.
• If a patient becomes critically ill and is moved to the Intensive Care Unit, the MRP will be one of the anaesthetists trained in critical care.

Click here for a factsheet and click here for a short animation about the role of hospitalists on the inpatient acute care units.

The MRP directs the clinical team of nurses, allied health staff (such as physiotherapists and dietitians), and other doctors who might need to advise on a patient’s care, like a cardiologist (heart specialist) or geriatrician (a specialist in senior care). A BHB physician is only the MRP while the patient is in the hospital.

Dr Williams continues: “There are over 3,100 inpatient acute care admissions to KEMH each year, mostly cared for by hospitalists. Hospitalists are doctors with special training in internal medicine and hospital care. They are on site 24/7, so they can quickly respond to any sudden issue a patient experiences.

“The hospitalist’s key focus is providing acute care until a patient is discharged home to their GP. For over 60% of our patients, the hospital stay is under seven days. The relationship between the hospitalist and GP is therefore very important. The patient’s GP is notified by email when the patient is admitted to an inpatient acute care unit under a hospitalist’s care and information is sent when they are discharged to ensure patient care is coordinated when they leave the hospital. We are working to improve this communication, especially using our electronic medical record, PEARL.”

Chief of Family Practice Dr Burton Butterfield, the GP representative on the BHB Medical Staff Committee, acts as the link between community-based GPs and BHB.

Dr Butterfield explains: “As GPs we know our patients well since we see them over long periods of time. Our expertise is in caring for patients with illnesses and injuries in the community, managing chronic illnesses, and knowing when a patient needs hospital care or a specialist. It is important that GPs get timely and accurate information when a patient is admitted. We may speak with the hospitalists in cases where our understanding of the patient’s history may help in making decisions, but most critical for us is getting the discharge summary so we can smoothly coordinate the patient’s care back in the community.”

Dr Williams notes: “BHB is responsible for sending a patient’s discharge summary to the GP listed on the patient’s admission file, but it’s very important patients confirm their most current information, including their primary GP. They should do this when they come to the Emergency Department or are admitted. It is not uncommon for members of our community to sometimes have more than one GP or change their GP over time. Making sure we have the right details ensures the information goes to the right GP.”

Currently, GPs receive BHB discharge summaries by fax, email or by having read access to the BHB electronic medical record, PEARL. BHB is planning to follow the lead in the UK by discontinuing the use of fax in the future due to issues of reliability and confidentiality . This requires collaboration between BHB and community physicians. The chief medical information officer position, held by Consultant Anaesthetist Dr Simon Morton, is being expanded to lead the work required, and a physician committee that includes GPs is already meeting to help optimise the use of PEARL in sharing secure and confidential patient information.

Baby Sarai born in the eye of Ernesto

Sunday 18 August 2024: Hurricane Ernesto brought more than wind and rain on Saturday, with the birth of a baby girl, Sarai Bailey, at 8am to proud parents Stephanie and Keenan Bailey. Sarai is a new sister for 18-month-old brother, Kaden.

Stephanie and Keenan were at home when Stephanie’s contractions started at 4am, four days ahead of the baby’s due date.

“Thankfully the contractions started just as the eye of Hurricane Ernesto was coming over so the winds had died down,” said Stephanie. “Even though we live close to the hospital, however, we had to navigate roads blocked with trees to get in. I was surprised at how fast Sarai was born. Just four hours after contractions started.”

“Sarai was here before I could get back to the hospital from dropping Kaden off at my mother’s,” Mr Bailey added. “When I walked back in, there Sarai was.”

Mr Bailey was unable to stay long as the hospital was in lockdown and the second half of the storm was beginning to be felt, but he was able to return later that night.