Amherst News-Times, 2000-03-29

              New coach at baseball helm — Page 8  I Scholastic team in semifinals — Page 10.
Amherst News-Time
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Wednesday, March 29, 2000
New pain
center
to unveil
at hospital
by KEITH GRIBBINS
News-Times reporter
Amherst Hospital is eyeing new
treatment that will not only get its
patients healthy and moving again
pain free, but get the medical center
and its resources back on its feet and
running along with the competition.
Radiofrequency (RF) lesioninp is
the technology that the local medical facility is using to put the hospital back on the map for pain
management
Quick, easy, safe, and long lasting are the adjectives used when referring to the top-of-line technology
that uses radio signals to stop nerves
from sending messages of pain to
the brain.
The convenience of the procedure
is simply a reflection of the type of
niche that the hospital is aiming to
comer, according to operations analyst and consultant Robert Capretto,
dispensing quality care and education as conveniently as possible.
"The advantage of this facility is
its small size. It's compact and convenient, and that's to the benefits of
the patients," explained Capretto about the hospital. "Admitting, lab, X-
Rays, and emergency services are
all situated together. With the lower
volume of people, we move them
through the system faster. It's not a
factory environment here."
The local hospital has recently
stepped up its efforts to utilize the
unused portions of the facility, especially in the east wing, to re-invent
the hospital as a premiere specialty
center. Elyria Memorial Hospital
purchased the medical facility five
years ago while the hospital was
suffering financial losses, and since
has been looking for a way to upgrade its clientele.
"The newest part of the facility
(east wing) is empty and our principle focus is to concentrate our efforts on utilizing that facility. The
area has tremendous potential," Capretto stated.
And RF lesioning is the first step
in sending new life into the ambulatory section of the east wing. The
procedure is not only bringing the
latest technology to the Amherst facility but it is the only facility that
will carry the specialized procedure
in Lorain County, explained
Capretto.
" RF lesioning is a safe, proven
means of interrupting pain signals in
the pain management process, according to Capretto. The lesioning
procedure is performed by a physician in an operating room setting,
but the patient is still lucid during
the operation and actually aids in
the procedure. A local anesthesia
and a mild sedative are still used to
reduce discomfort for the patient
"Patients are awake and alert
They will need to relay to the physician where the actual pain spots
are,"   stated  Amherst   Hospital
Licensed Practical Nurse Georgia
Roberts.
. During the procedure the patient
lies on either the stomach or back,
depending on the approach the doctor will take. After the local anesthesia has been admitted, the doctor inserts a small needle into the general
area where the patient is experiencing pain. Under the guide of X-
Rays, the patient will guide the needle to the exact target area.
Then a microelectrode is then inserted through the needle to begin
the stimulation process, and insure
the electrode is in the optimal area
for treatment
Once the needle and electrode
placement is verified, the actual
treatment begins. A small RF current is sent through the electrode
into the surrounding tissue, causing
the tissue to heat and eliminate the
pain pathways. The operation is
simple and short, usually taking up
to a half an hour or hour to finish,
.recording to Roberts.
"It creates a lesion on the nerve
bundles where the pain is occurring.
CONTINUED on page   5
Amherst, Ohio
Full-time AF7
job gets ser
to committee
for more review
Summer break
The summer-like weather of last week brought
the kids and their parents out to Maude Neiding
Park for a little fun in the sun. Above Brandon
Culig gets a big push from his mother, Joy,
Thursday on the swing set. Below, it was so
bright Thursday afternoon that Nora Pi lion, 3,
needed sunglasses to balance her trek across
the balancing bars in Maude Neiding Park.
(News-Times photos by Keith Gribbins)
by KEITH GRIBBINS
News-Times reporter
Council members, meeting in
committee discussion last week,
agreed to consider a request for the
fire chief to be made a full-time position in front of city council.
In council Monday evening,
March 20 members decided to send
the position back to committee
meetings to deckle whether or not
the job was classified or unclassified
with the Civil Service Commission,
determining if the applicants for the
job could be appointed or would
have to test for the position.
The request passed by a narrow
margin last week, 4-3 — Nancy
Brown, Steve P'Simer, and Ed
Cowger voting no — with council
members differing on the need and
information involved with the full-
time position. The vote was 7-0
from council to send the item back
to committee meetings.
Council has tabled die item several times before, citing the need for
change in the request and more exact information detailing the
position.
"This doesn't mean I don't want a
full-time fire chief. I just don't agree
with all of this," stated P'Simer
pointing to different parts of the ordinance. 'Too many questions still
ne«4 to Le ai..wcred."
During the meeting Director of
Law Kenneth Stumphauzer indicated that the position was a classified position. If the position was unclassified a fire chief candidate
could be appointed. If the position is
classified a candidate can still be appointed, but the person would need
to test for the position. Other candidates would be allowed to test with
the candidate, according to Civil
Service Commission member John
Dunn.
P'Simer indicated that he knows
of at least one other person in the
department that would want to test
for the position.
"There are other people out there
that are just as qualified as Mr.
Zilch. Why can't they have the opportunity to test for the position?"
asked P'Simer.
Part-time Amherst fire chief
Ralph Zilch, in line for the position,
visited the committee meeting last
week to answer council questions.
Fire ratings, insurance, and salary
and benefits issues were discussed
at the meeting.
Questions and concerns were also
raised then in regards to whether
Zilch could be appointed to the position or if he must test for the
position.
While some council members
were unsure last week at committee
meeting if the full-time position
should move to the floor of council,
other city officials said they feel the
need for the position and moved to
push it in front of council.
"We have to have a full-time fire
chief if we plan to move ahead and
support the growth of our city,"
council member Jennifer Wasilk
stated after committee meetings.
City council's Terrance Traster
simply looked at the numbers. Avon
Lake, Wellington, Sheffield Lake;
Oberlin, Carlisle Village, and Sheffield Village all have populations
well below Amherst's and each
community has at least three full-
time positions, most with many
more, including a full-time chief,
pointed out Traster.
"The population deems it (the
full-time chief position) and the
workload deems it" explained Traster last week. "It's for the safety of
the people."
Dunn cited that the Civil Service
Commission would be having an
emergency meeting to discuss the
matter this week. The full-time chief
position is slated to be discussed •
Monday, March 27 at the executive
committee meeting.
Fire Chief Zilch had no comment
Monday evening on the position being sent back to committee
meetings.
Nordson, union
$&- agree on package
" for laid-off force
The Nordson Corporation announced Friday that it has reached a
severance package agreement with
Lorain County employees that will
be laid off in the company's Action
2000 Plan.
Nearly a month after the exact
numbers were outlined in Nordson's
Action plan to let go 155 union and
35 non-union positions in the company's Elyria and Amherst plants,
Nordson agreed to severance pay
last week and extended benefits to
qualified employees.
An agreement was reached with
the leadership committee of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM),
Local 1802, who represent the
workers. The severance package
will be extended to workers let go
during the period beginning Match
27 and ending Nov. 5. The agreement will also cover employees who
were laid off in 1999.
"Although the current contract
with the union does not provide for
severance benefits in the event of
CONTINUED on page 2
Church is site of public
health fair on April 2
The Congregational United Church of Christ 379 S. Main St.
will be the site of a health fair on Sunday, April 2, that is open to
tte{riblic.
I¥ee blood pressure checks and healthy snack samples will be
available. The fair will be held from 12:15 p.m. to 3 pm.
At 1 p.m., cardiologist John Schaeffer will discuss "Heart
At 1:45 pm.. Tina Honnell of Body Gerties Fitness Salon for
Women will present "Benefits of Exercise Regardless of Age.'
At 2:15 pm., Janet Vectfaelis of Far West Center, an outpatient
facility serving the needs of the mental health community, will
discuss "Caring. Sharing, Untastanding."
The church is accessible lo she physically challenged.
For move information about the health fair, call the church at
98S-914*.