Fisher Titus

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  • Fisher-Titus Medical Center Recognized by Chartis as a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital

    Fisher-Titus Medical Center Recognized by Chartis as a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital

    Fisher-Titus Medical Center has been named among the 2025 Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. Chartis’ annual Top 100 award program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®.

    Chartis

    “We are honored to be recognized as a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital by The Chartis Center,” said Dr. Brent Burkey, President & CEO of Fisher-Titus. “This achievement reflects our staff’s unwavering dedication and the exceptional care we provide. As a local independent healthcare facility, we take pride in our long-standing tradition of service and look forward to continuing this legacy long into the future.”

    Fisher-Titus was one of seven Rural & Community Hospitals in Ohio to be recognized with this national award:

    • Fisher-Titus Medical Center, Norwalk, OH
    • Mercer County Community Hospital, Coldwater, OH
    • Mercy Health – Defiance Hospital, Defiance, OH
    • Mercy Health – Tiffin Hospital, Tiffin, OH
    • OhioHealth Obleness Hospital, Athens, OH
    • Parkview Bryan Hospital, Bryan, OH
    • Wood County Hospital, Bowling Green, OH

    “We are proud to be in the company of these great rural and community hospitals in Ohio,” said Dr. Burkey. “We look forward to continuing our efforts to ensure that rural healthcare remains vibrant and accessible to our patients. Together, we remain committed to providing exceptional care and support to our communities.”

    “The Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals award program elevates the very best performers and helps create a roadmap for those seeking to improve financial and operational performance while continuing to care for the communities they serve,” said Michael Topchik, Executive Director, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “This is our 10th year recognizing the Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals and we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate this milestone with this year’s winners.”

    The INDEX is a tool used to evaluate how well rural hospitals are performing. It uses publicly available data to provide an objective and comprehensive assessment. Rural hospitals, health systems, hospital associations, and state offices across the country use the INDEX to track and improve their operations and finances.

    About Fisher-Titus

    Fisher-Titus is a non-profit health system serving Huron County and the surrounding communities. Fisher-Titus operates a 99-bed acute care hospital; Norwalk Memorial Home, a 69-bed skilled nursing facility; Carriage House, a 48-unit assisted living facility; a Home Health Center, emergency transport through North Central EMS; and an employed primary and specialty care physician group.

    Established in 1917, Fisher-Titus provides comprehensive medical services, including cardiovascular; oncology; neurological; orthopedic; women and children’s services, including a birthing center and pediatric care; surgical services, including robotic-assisted; and emergency services with a dedicated Primary Stroke Center and a verified Level III Trauma Center.

  • Fisher-Titus Reminds Medicare Patients to Schedule Annual Wellness Visits

    Fisher-Titus Reminds Medicare Patients to Schedule Annual Wellness Visits

    Fisher-Titus wants to remind their patients with Medicare coverage to schedule their Annual Wellness Visit before the end of the year. Patients may receive a text message reminding them to schedule their visit with a link to make that appointment online.

    The Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a yearly appointment with a representative of your primary care provider (PCP) to create or update your personalized prevention plan that will help you prevent illness based on your current health and risk factors.

    Medicare Part B covers the Annual Wellness Visit if:

    • You have had Part B for over 12 months
    • And, you have not received an AWV in the past 12 months

    You cannot receive your AWV within the same year as your Welcome to Medicare preventive visit.

    During your AWV, you and your provider will:

    • Complete the health risk assessment (HRA), capturing demographic data, self-assessment of health status, psychosocial risks, behavioral risks, activities of daily living, and more.
    • Establish a family and medical history including medical events of your parents, siblings, and children; your past medical/surgical history; a list of all current medications and supplements from all your providers; and more.
    • Create a list of current providers/suppliers that regularly provide medical care for you.
    • Take measurements including height, weight, BMI or waist circumference, blood pressure, and more.
    • Complete cognitive, depression, and everyday living and safety assessments.
    • Create a preventive screening and immunization schedule/checklist for the next 5-10 years.
    • Create a list of your risk factors and conditions with an intervention plan.
    • Go through your personalized health advice and appropriate referrals including fall prevention, nutrition, physical activity, tobacco cessation, weight loss, cognition, and more.
    • Go over advanced care planning including future care decisions, informing others about care preferences, caregiver identification, and explanations of advance care directives.

    If you are a current Fisher-Titus patient, you can schedule your AWV online at fishertitus.org/schedule. You can also call (419) 660-2900 to schedule your appointment. If you do not have a primary care provider, visit fishertitus.org/find-a-doctor to find a provider at one of our five primary care locations.

  • Early Detection Saves Lives: The Importance of Mammograms

    Early Detection Saves Lives: The Importance of Mammograms

    By: Karla Meisner, RT(R)(MR), Director, Imaging Services & Connie Hernandez, RT(R)(M), Mammography Technologist II

    If you are a woman over age 40 you are probably very familiar with the word “mammogram.” But, if you’re not, you may have heard the word without knowing what it’s all about. Either way, mammograms are important for everyone, especially women, to understand. This breast cancer awareness month, familiarize yourself with screening mammograms and talk to your doctor to see if it’s time for you to get one.

    What are Mammograms?

    Mammography is imaging of the breast tissue designed to detect tumors and other abnormalities. There are two purposes for a woman getting a mammogram: screening or diagnostic.

    A screening mammogram is used in the early detection of breast abnormalities in women that have no symptoms. The goal is to detect breast cancer before there are any noticeable signs. When detected early, breast cancer is 99-100 percent curable within 5 years of diagnosis.

    You will usually receive results within a few weeks. If your screening mammogram comes back normal, you will continue to get regular mammograms. This will allow your doctor to compare them as time goes on and look for subtle changes in your breast tissue.

    If your mammogram is “abnormal” that does not necessarily mean you have cancer. Your doctor will likely recommend additional mammograms, tests, and exams to help determine what may be going on. They may also refer you to a specialist or surgeon, not because you have cancer or need surgery, but because they are experts in diagnosing breast problems.

    The other purpose of a mammogram is to diagnose a breast change such as a new breast lump, breast pain, and unusual skin appearance, nipple thickening, or nipple discharge.

    Who Should Get a Mammogram?

    While guidelines for starting regular mammograms vary, most experts agree that women with average risk can choose to be screened starting at age 40. Many women begin them at age 40 and continue having them every year or every two years.

    Women with a higher risk of breast cancer may benefit from starting screening mammograms before age 40. Risk factors such as family history of breast cancer or precancerous breast lesions may indicate a benefit to getting screening mammograms earlier. If you have an increased risk for breast cancer, your doctor may recommend breast MRIs in addition to screening mammograms.

    Have a conversation with your doctor about your own risk factors, your preference, and the benefits and risks of screening. Together you can decide the screening mammography schedule that is best for you. You should also check with your insurance provider to determine your coverage for screening mammograms.

    What to Expect

    When you arrive for your regular screening mammogram, you will be asked to remove your shirt and put on a gown that opens at the front. You will stand in front of a special X-ray machine and the technologist will place your breast on the plate. Another plate will move down from above and compress the breast, holding it still while the image is taken. You will feel some pressure in the breast and it may be uncomfortable for a few seconds. These steps will be repeated to take a side image and images of the opposite breast.

    After all four images have been taken, you will wait while the technologist checks them to make sure they don’t need to be re-taken. Remember, the technologist cannot tell you your results so they will be sent to your doctor who will review them and call you.

    Mammograms at Fisher-Titus

    Fisher-Titus offers 3-D mammography and curved paddles for increased patient comfort. To schedule your mammogram, call the Fisher-Titus Imaging department at 419-663-1975 ext. 6205.

    In honor of breast cancer awareness month, Fisher-Titus is offering walk-in mammograms throughout October. During these designated times, patients can walk in through the emergency entrance, let admitting know they are there for a walk-in mammogram, and have their screening mammogram done at that time. Walk-in mammograms will be offered:

    • Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
    • Saturday, October 8 and Saturday, October 22 from 7-10:30 a.m.

    It can be scary to think about breast cancer, but a regular screening mammogram can be your best defense, and learning more about mammograms can help ease your fears.

    Karla Meisner is the Director of Imaging Services at Fisher-Titus and Connie Hernandez is the lead mammography tech. Fisher-Titus offers 3-D mammography and curved paddles. We also offer Breast MRI services should you need further breast imaging. Talk to your doctor to see if you should be getting a regular screening mammogram.

  • Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

    Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

    While prostate cancer education is important year-round, September is a special month for Prostate Cancer Awareness. It is a time of year when the community, health care experts, and health advocates make an extra effort to raise awareness about prostate health and cancer.

    What is Prostate Cancer?

    The prostate is a small, walnut-sized gland found only in men below the bladder, responsible for producing seminal fluid. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among men—about 34,500 deaths estimated this year—and there are often no symptoms. Some more facts about prostate cancer:

    • It’s the second most common form of cancer in American men after skin cancer.
    • About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.
    • About 268,490 new cases of prostate cancer are estimated this year.
    • Prostate cancer is more likely to develop in older men and in non-Hispanic Black men.
    • About 6 cases in 10 are diagnosed in men who are 65 or older, and it is rare in men under 40. The average age of men at diagnosis is about 66.

    Many men do not experience symptoms with prostate cancer but for those who do, symptoms may include:

    • Trouble urinating
    • Decreased force in the stream of urine
    • Blood in the urine
    • Blood in the semen
    • Bone pain
    • Losing weight without trying
    • Erectile dysfunction

    Prostate cancer can be a serious disease, but most men diagnosed with prostate cancer die with it, not from it. In fact, more than 3.1 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive today. At 5 years, over 99% of men with localized or advanced prostate cancer survive. Once it has spread to other parts of the body, the survival rate decreases but men being diagnosed now have a better outlook due to significant advancements in treatment.

    Early Detection

    Early detection is so important with prostate cancer because so many men do not experience symptoms and it is very treatable when found early. However, prostate cancer screening recommendations can vary. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends obtaining a baseline PSA and digital rectal exam in average risk men 45-75 years of age. In those at higher risk (family history of certain cancers, African-American, exposure to Agent Orange), screening should start at age 40. Shared decision making with your provider is important when determining whether to screen for prostate cancer. Talk to your doctor about prostate cancer screening options so, together, you can determine what the best decision is for you.

    One of the most common screening tests for prostate cancer is a PSA blood test. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein made by prostate gland cells (both normal cells and cancer cells). PSA is mostly found in semen, but a small amount is also found in blood. Although PSA levels can rise due to prostate cancer, they can also rise for non-cancer reasons such as an enlarged prostate (called benign prostatic hyperplasia), older age, infection/inflammation, ejaculation, or prostate stimulating activity such as riding a bicycle. Certain medications can also lower your PSA artificially, so it is important your doctor knows what medications you are taking.

    Depending on your PSA level/trend, digital rectal exam, and risk factors, further testing may be recommended. This may include additional urine or blood biomarkers to determine your cancer risk, imaging such as a prostate MRI to evaluate for suspicious lesions, and/or a prostate biopsy, which can be done in the office or under sedation in the operating room for your comfort.

    The Long-term Effects of Prostate Cancer

    Despite the obvious benefits to diagnosing and treating prostate cancer, there are unfortunate downsides to its treatment. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy can all lead to erectile dysfunction (ED).

    Whether men experience sexual dysfunction after treatment is most dependent on pre-treatment potency and the type of treatment they had. Anywhere from 25-85% of men report sexual dysfunction after cancer treatment, however these rates have improved with better treatment technology and techniques.

    Thankfully, there are options to improve erectile function after your cancer has been cured. These include oral or injectable medications, and surgery to implant a penile prosthetic with excellent patient satisfaction.

    Erectile dysfunction is not just a physical symptom, but one that deeply affects a man’s mental health, confidence, intimate relationships and general quality of life. If you want to learn more about overcoming ED, contact your local Urologist and start the conversation.

    About Dr. Lue

    Dr. Kathy Lue is a Urologist with Executive Urology of Fisher-Titus in Norwalk, Sandusky, and Bellevue. Providing patient-centered care is Dr. Lue’s primary focus when treating all areas of Urology, including oncology, sexual medicine, and minimally invasive surgery. If you think you might be experiencing erectile dysfunction or another urological concern, learn more by calling 419-627-0363.

  • We Help Mend Broken Hearts: Charlotte’s Story

    We Help Mend Broken Hearts: Charlotte’s Story

    It was a regular day with nothing seemingly out of the ordinary when Charlotte and her husband, Willard, ventured out for their morning walk at the park. However, this walk was about to take an unexpected twist that would impact Charlotte and her husband’s lives forever.

    “We’ve always walked a lot,” said Charlotte. “So, it was like any other day. We just went out to take our walk, and I felt good. I wasn’t tired. I wasn’t short of breath. We finished our walk, backed out of the parking lot, and my chest started burning.”

    Unknown to Charlotte at the time, her main artery was 100% blocked causing her to begin having a heart attack.

    “At first, I didn’t know what was happening. It kept getting worse and worse. It was a ten-minute drive to back our house. When we got home, I went in and laid down on the couch,” recounted Charlotte. “By that time, it was burning all the way up my throat, and my arm started hurting. So, my husband called 9-1-1, and I made him hang up. They called right back and sent EMS.”

    Having maintained a healthy lifestyle throughout her life, Charlotte, a 77-year-old resident of Greenwich, never thought she would experience a heart attack and, like most people experiencing heart attack symptoms, brushed them off, expecting them to subside with some rest. Luckily, cardiologist, Dr. Daniel Newton and his team at the Synder/White Heart & Vascular Center at Fisher-Titus were ready and waiting for Charlotte when she arrived.

    “We had a STEMI called from the field, which means someone is having chest pain out in their home or in the field,” said Dr. Newton. “The squad was called, and they did an EKG right there at her house and found that she was having a heart attack. They radioed that in and sent in the EKG. We confirmed that, which is extremely helpful. So we knew right away that the person was having a heart attack and mobilized our the lab immediately, even before she got here.”

    The cardiovascular team in the heart center consists of a cardiologist, registered nurse, circulator, documenter, and scrub tech.

    Mobilizing the cath lab before the patient arrives allows the cardiovascular team to prepare anticipated medications, prep for chest x-rays, and clear the lab for the incoming patient. The mobile EKG program has been instituted in many heart centers across the United States over the last several years to help notify cardiovascular teams of incoming heart attacks. This program helps decrease the amount of time a patient is experiencing a heart attack versus waiting to come to the Emergency Room, then getting an EKG, which is the trigger by which cath labs are typically activated for an emergency angioplasty.

    “With this patient, we actually broke our door-to-balloon time because we were forewarned about her heart attack out in the field,” recalled Dr. Newton. “We were able to get her to the cath lab emergently and open up the artery, at that point, in record time.”

    During a heart attack, time is heart muscle. The sooner the team can intervene, the less damage is done to the heart. The door-to-balloon time national average is 65 minutes. It took the cardiovascular team only 23 minutes to get the balloon inflated in her artery from the moment Charlotte passed through the door. Since then, the record has been broken again with a new door-to-balloon time of 20 minutes. Each case provides the team an opportunity to fine-tune certain parts of the process to be even faster for our patients so they can be confident they are receiving great care right here in their own community.

    “I was really calm. I was never nervous or scared. I just felt like I was going to be okay,” said Charlotte. “They were great. When I arrived, and they unloaded me, the doctor and 8 to 10 people were standing there waiting… As soon as they got me in the little room, they all started working on me, and it was like each one knew exactly what they were supposed to do. They all just did their thing, and in what seemed like 2 or 3 minutes, they were on our way to the procedure room with me. When I was there, one of the nurses told me to not be scared because they were working so fast. They always work like that.”

    When a STEMI is activated, it is paged overheard in the medical center. The patient is brought into the emergency department where the team, which is made up of ER staff, nurses, doctors and the cardiovascular team, is ready and waiting.

    “We work as a unified force, as a unified team. Almost like an Indy pitstop,” explained Dr. Newton.  “Where everyone is working together for one goal, for one purpose, and that’s to save the patient’s life.”

    Since February 14, 2019, Fisher-Titus has been designated as a Level II Adult Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory by the Ohio Department of Health. This designation means that Fisher-Titus can do interventional catheterization procedures in addition to the diagnostic ones they have been doing since the Snyder/White Heart & Vascular Center opened in 2009. With recent donor support through the Fisher-Titus Foundation, the medical center has been able to renovate Cath Lab 1 and Cath Lab 2 with new, state-of-the-art technology.

    “Being able to help patients during a heart attack is a very rewarding experience because you assist the patient in intercepting what is a life-threatening situation,” said Dr. Newton. “And when you do that, not only the patient, but the whole team celebrates that. It was extra rewarding for her case because, although at the time we did not know this, she was the mother of our director of laboratory services, which made it even more meaningful to myself and the cath lab team.”

    After the procedure, Charlotte was released from the hospital and able to return home. With some outpatient cardiac rehab, she and her husband are able to return to doing the things they love, including their routine walks in the park.

    “I can’t thank Fisher-Titus enough for giving me a second chance and letting me be with my family,” said Charlotte. “The cardiovascular team at Fisher-Titus was great.”

     

    The Fisher-Titus Heart and Vascular Team is dedicated to providing highly experienced cardiovascular knowledge, expertise, and care. To schedule an appointment with one of our heart and vascular experts, call (419) 660-4707 .