Harrison Hospital continues to innovate and bring the latest in technology and care — not always the same thing — to Kitsap Peninsula residents. Following are some of the latest changes:

Newborn hearing

The world of a newborn promises an array of sound: voices, music, and the flurry of activity home and family bring. But can a baby hear what takes place in this new world? A simple test — given to all newborns at Harrison — can tell.

Hearing loss is the most frequently occurring birth defect; three in every 1,000 newborns are affected. Left undetected, such loss can impact basic language, social and thinking skills. If detected and treated, however, these negative impacts can be lessened and even eliminated.

The Bio-logic hearing test is one where a tiny probe is inserted into a baby’s ear canal screens the hair cells, telling how well the inner ear is working. The test takes place in a quiet room when baby is calm or sleeping.

If a hearing loss is detected, the next step is intervention. A number of professionals are available to support you and your family. Their goal will be to work together to limit the effects of hearing loss on your baby’s development. It’s important that help begins as soon as the diagnosis is made—and before six months of age if possible.

This Universal Newborn Hearing Screening test is important for families, because much can be done if hearing loss is caught early. In fact, babies who are identified and receive treatment by six months of age have the opportunity to develop speech and language skills close to their peers. Without screening, the average age at which hearing loss is identified is between 2 and 3.

The free screening is made possible by generous funding from the local Lion’s Club.

Hospitalist program

Harrison joined hospitals across the nation recently, including renowned Cedars Sinai and Mayo Clinic, in offering a hospitalist program. Some 5,000 hospitalists practice today at US hospitals, where patients and physicians alike give the programs high praise.

Patients, whose physicians take part in the voluntary program, receive care during hospitalization from an inpatient specialist — or hospitalist — for any condition their physician would normally treat. Harrison hospitalists are board-certified internal medicine specialists. They have no clinic affiliation and practice only within the hospital. A team of six provides care 24 hours a day.

Hospitalists communicate along the way with physicians about patient treatment and progress. At discharge, physicians resume follow-up care, continuing to see their own patients for office visits and overseeing their care as usual. Just as hospitalists only treat patients in the hospital, these participating physicians focus on the care of patients outside the hospital.

The program, in place at Harrison for three months, is well received.

“Physicians who choose to utilize the hospitalist service feel that spending their time in the clinic rather than making hospital visits enables them to serve their patients better at office visits,” according to Dr. Mel Belding, Harrison’s vice president of Medical Affairs. “At the same time, patients also find more appointments available during the day because this is where the physicians spend their time.”

Sixty Harrison primary care and family practice physicians have opted to utilize the hospitalist program; they have sent letters to their patients announcing their part in the new service.

Body rehab programs

Harrison’s new work conditioning program has only one goal: to get people back to work safely after injury.

In the four-week customized program, patients team with physiatrist Arnel Brion, MD, who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. With the help of physical and occupational therapists, patients are guided in exercises and simulated work activities specific to their job description.

Significant attention is given to posture, proper body mechanics, and pacing. The program takes place at Harrison’s Green Mountain clinic in Bremerton. Physician referral is necessary.

In the program, patients complete a two-hour session each day, five days a week. Each session includes one hour each of physical therapy and occupational therapy. Daily attendance — critical to success — is mandatory. Once a week for these four weeks, patients also meet with Dr. Brion for evaluation and progress review.

The program’s effectiveness is determined by weekly assessment towards the goals identified — objective measures directly related to each patient’s job-specific tasks. In addition, the patient and therapists review a weekly video of the patient’s body mechanics taken during the program. The visual review helps to improve the patient’s performance and safety.

In addition, the hospital also operates outpatient clinics in Silverdale and Port Orchard. Both offer comprehensive rehabilitation services including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, and social work for the treatment of Neurological disorders, (including stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis); Orthopedic injuries; Lymphedema management; dizziness/balance problems; and voice and speech disorders.