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Pediatrican Dr. Paula Brito Joins RiverView Health RiverView Health is pleased to announce the addition of pediatrician, Dr. Paula Brito, to its staff. Dr. Brito will sees patients at RiverView Family Clinic in Crookston and RiverView Clinic in Red Lake Falls.
Dr. Brito received her medical degree in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She completed residencies in pediatrics and pediatric nephrology in Rio de Janeiro, as well as a fellowship in pediatric nephrology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Brito is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. As a pediatrician, she specializes in the physical, emotional, and social health of children from birth to young adulthood. “Pediatric care encompasses a broad range of health services, from preventative health to the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic diseases,” said Dr. Brito. “Children change so quickly, they need to be approached with an appreciation for their stage of physical and mental development,” she added. Dr. Brito has a unique appreciation for adolescents. She is very passionate about adolescent education and looks forward to expanding that role in the communities she will be working in. Dr. Brito comes to RiverView from MeritCare Thief River Falls, where she had practiced since 2008.
“We are looking forward to the addition of Dr. Brito to our medical staff as we continue to enhance the services available to local communities,” said RiverView Clinic Manager Larry Laudon. “It’s very clear that she is passionate about children of all ages, and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.”
Dr. Brito and her husband Dr. Justin Conley, have three children and reside in Thief River Falls.
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Ross Matlack Named CEO of RiverView Health
Ross Matlack has been named the new Chief Executive Officer at RiverView Health. Matlack replaces Debra Boardman who resigned in December. He will begin his new role in late July.
Matlack, a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and an experienced health care executive, has a diverse background in finance, leadership, and physician relations. Prior to accepting the position at RiverView Health, Matlack served as President of Holzer Medical Center-Jackson, a 24-bed Critical Access Hospital, in Jackson, Ohio for nearly six years. Prior to his position at Holzer Medical Center, Matlack was the Chief Operating Officer at Saint Michael Hospital, part of the University Hospitals Health System in Cleveland, Ohio.
Matlack is a graduate of George Washington University, where he earned Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Health Services Administration degrees. He later earned a Juris Doctor from Cleveland Marshall College of Law in Cleveland and is admitted as a member of the Ohio Bar.
"The RiverView Board of Directors is very pleased with the outcome of the search process," said board chair Bill Erickson. "This has been a well thought-out process by the board with the hard work of a lot of people in our organization and I sincerely appreciate everyone's efforts. We had many qualified candidates who fit the profile our board felt was necessary to move RiverView ahead in these challenging times. With Ross' experience and genuine passion for our mission, we're excited about what lies ahead."
"I am passionately committed to achieving excellence, to ensuring that the communities RiverView serves have strong connections with the organization, and to creating an environment in which compassionate and talented caregivers can achieve professional fulfillment," said Matlack. "RiverView has achieved many great things. I am impressed by its strong Board and exceptional staff, and I am honored to be joining such a fine organization. I am confident that my background, drive and commitment will help it continue on its path to excellence, and position it to become the best rural healthcare organization in the country."
Matlack and his wife Lori have four children, ages 8, 6, 3 and 8 months. They are looking forward to getting their family moved before the start of the school year, and to becoming involved in a wide array of activities.
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RiverView Health Acquires New Rapid Test System for MRSA and Other Infections
RiverView Health is the first hospital in the area to acquire a new advanced molecular laboratory testing system designed to provide quick results in identifying the presence of MRSA or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, as well as other types of infections. Until recently most laboratories, including Riverview’s, have tested for MRSA by performing a culture to see if MRSA bacteria were present in a patient’s sample. Unfortunately, growing bacteria in a culture can take up to two days to produce results.
“We now have a new test, known as Real -Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing, that gives us results to the presence or absence of MRSA in about 70 minutes,” stated Pat Fall, RiverView Laboratory manager. With the quicker test results, patients can now be treated with the most effective treatment within about an hour and a half. “This is a major benefit when dealing with surgical patients or patients at higher risk for MRSA, as we can rule out an infection almost right away. Until now, we have had to treat these patients as if they were MRSA positive just because we did not have the test results back.” In those cases, hospitals keep patients in isolation or use infectious precautions until they can positively confirm the patient does not have MRSA.
“It has been a difficult thing for our patients to understand,” stated Merleen Knott, inpatient unit supervisor. “They don’t understand that we need to treat them as if they have an infection when we don’t have anything that proves they do. Finding out if our patients are positive for MRSA or some other types of infections will now only take a matter of minutes, instead of days. It will be a major satisfaction boost for our unit,” Knott added.
Bacterial infections that do not respond to treatment with common antibiotics have been in the news a lot as of late. MRSA is a type of Staph bacteria that is resistant to many frequently prescribed antibiotics. Because of this resistance, MRSA can be difficult to treat and can lead to life threatening blood or bone infections if not treated properly. Many people carry MRSA on their bodies and do not have symptoms of infection. These people may never know they carry MRSA nor have any problems related to it. MRSA, however, can be significant for individuals undergoing surgical procedures or when admitted to the hospital, as risk for infection increases with a weakened immune system. Therefore, rapid identification of patients being admitted to hospital or having a surgical procedure can aid in decreasing the infection risk for the patient, and prevent the spread of MRSA to others. Fortunately, the new technology available in Riverview’s laboratory can identify carriers rapidly and if needed, precautions can be immediately taken to ensure the patients’ well-being and a decreased transmission risk to other RiverView patients and staff.
Other tests that can be performed using this new rapid test technology include Group B streptococcus testing in expectant mothers, and clostridium difficile toxins (c-diff) testing. H1N1 Influenza testing is expected to be approved by the FDA using this cutting edge equipment by early 2010.
For more information or questions regarding this new technology or MRSA testing, contact Pat Fall, RiverView Laboratory manager at 218-281-9423 or toll free 1-800-743-6551, extension 9423.
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