Aiken Physicians Alliance

While Tressa may have said goodbye to being Practice Manager for Aiken Physicians Alliance Urology, she is staying with Aiken Physicians Alliance in a new role! We are excited to celebrate Tressa as she begins the next step of her career with Aiken Physicians Alliance as Revenue Cycle Specialist.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Reserve Club at Woodside last week to meet the Aiken Physicians Alliance team and get hands-on with the da Vinci Xi® Robotics System! Dr. Jill Enter, Dr. Frank Chase, and Luis Valdes, PA-C, of Aiken Surgical Associates had a great time meeting everyone and showing them how they use the da Vinci Xi® during surgery. For more information on Aiken Surgical Associates and the services they provide, visit aikenphysicians.com or call their office at (803) 648-1318.

The Aiken Surgical Associates team had a blast last week getting to share the capabilities of the da Vinci Xi® Robotics System at Aiken Regional Medical Centers! Dr. Jill Enter, Dr. Frank Chase, Dr. Lorenzo Sampson, and Luis Valdes, PA-C, who all use the robotics system during procedures, spoke on how they use it and how it aids in procedures with members of the public as well as Aiken Regional and Aiken Physicians Alliance employees who don't normally get to interact with the system. Additionally, both a simulator and an actual da Vinci Xi® were available for people to try their hands at the system! Thank you to everyone who came out to this event. To learn more about the general surgeons with Aiken Surgical Associates, visit aikenphysicians.com.

In order to better serve and understand our patients, the team at Aiken Physicians Alliance Pulmonology all did a mock-pulmonary function test (PFT) using the same PFT machine that we use when administering the test to patients. To learn more about PFTs at Aiken Physicians Alliance Pulmonology and to request an appointment, call the office at (803) 643-1090.

Members of the Aiken Physicians Alliance Primary Care team had a wonderful time at the ACO Provider Meeting at the Willcox last week! Kristin Haddock, FNP, Primary Care Practice Administrator Felicia, Primary Care Southside Practice Manager Stephanie, Dr. Adam Bruckner, Dr. Marie Cesa, Primary Care at Graniteville Practice Manager Leeann, Market Director Gennia, and Dr. Christopher Joachim all posed for a photo while an enjoying an evening meeting with other ACO providers in the area. An ACO, or Accountable Care Organization, is a group of healthcare providers who come together voluntarily to give coordinated, high quality care to the Medicare patients they serve. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, coordinated care helps ensure that patients, especially the chronically ill, get the right care at the right time, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary duplication of services and preventing medical errors. To learn more about Primary Care at Aiken Physicians Alliance, visit aikenphysicians.com.

Congratulations to Dr. Jesus Castillo, who recently completed the first two BEAR® Implant procedures at Aiken Regional Medical Centers! The BEAR® Implant, developed by Miach Orthopedics, is the first medical advancement that allows your body to heal its own torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Traditionally, ACL tears have been treated through ACL reconstruction, in which the torn ACL is removed and replaced with a graft from another part of your leg. The BEAR® Implant acts as a bridge between the torn ends of the ACL to help a clot form and naturally heal the ACL, which is normally impossible as the synovial fluid that reduces the friction between the bones of your knee prevents clotting. To learn more about this procedure or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Castillo, call Aiken Physicians Alliance Orthopedics & Sports Medicine at (803) 761-9191.

On Fridays, we rep Pulmonology! Dr. Stroman and the team at Aiken Physicians Alliance Pulmonology wore matching tee shirts to show off their practice pride!

August is Gastroparesis Awareness Month! Gastroparesis is a chronic disorder characterized by delayed gastric emptying, and, according to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders, affects approximately 5 million Americans. Some of its common symptoms include early satiety (feeling full quickly), nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and weight loss. People with gastroparesis also often suffer from malnutrition as a result of the disorder. At the Center for Digestive and Liver Disease, Dr. Ayaz Chaudhary diagnoses and treats gastroparesis, as well as a variety of other gastrointestinal disorders. For more information, call the Center for Digestive and Liver Disease at (803) 226-0073 or visit aikenphysicians.com.

The newest class of residents has started at the Family Medicine and Internal Medicine Continuity Clinics! As part of the program, they see patients, attend lectures, and work under Aiken Physicians Alliance doctors to hone their skills. Here they are attending a training at the Family Medicine Residency Continuity Clinic.

August is the month of robotics here at Aiken Physicians Alliance! Meet our surgeons and get hands on with the da Vinci® Robot on Wednesday, August 14, at the Reserve Club at Woodside and on Thursday, August 15, at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. Aiken Physicians Alliance doctors Dr. Chase, Dr. Enter, Dr. Sampson, and Dr. Mack will all be taking part in this demonstration. You won't want to miss this!