Board certification, CDC Accreditation and an award: Seacoast health news
Dr. James Dinulos earns Advanced Mohs Surgery Board Certification
PORTSMOUTH — Dr. James G. Dinulos is among the first in the United States to be board-certified by the American Board of Dermatology in the newly created sub-specialty of Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology.
Dinulos is one of 1,677 active Mohs surgeons the US to pass the board-certification exam. Mohs surgery is a sophisticated technique used for precision removal of cancerous skin cells while preserving healthy tissue. The newly advanced sub-specialty ensures the recipient is current with standards and proficiently skilled in the specialized technique and analyzing pathology.
Dinulos said “Advancements in medical science for treating skin cancers is both exciting and hopeful… Mohs surgery is no exception. Being able to deliver the highest possible cure rate for most skin cancers in a single outpatient visit is a true benefit for everyone in our community.”
Dinulos founded Seacoast Dermatology PLLC in 2014 and serves as the practice Medical Director and Mohs surgeon. Throughout his extensive career, Dinulos served as Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Chief of Dermatology and Residency Program Director. Currently, he is Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of Connecticut.
Affiliated with several top academic centers, Dinulos continually shares his dermatology knowledge by lecturing extensively in the US and abroad. A respected clinical investigator, he authors and publishes internationally recognized medical reference books including Habif's Clinical Dermatology, 7e, Dermatology DDx Deck, 2e and Skin Disease, 3e. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, and the American Society for Mohs Surgery.
Contact Seacoast Dermatology at 603-431-5205 or visit SeacoastDermNH.com for more information about Dr Dinulos.
Wentworth-Douglass Diabetes Program earns full CDC Accreditation
DOVER – Wentworth-Douglass Hospital’s ‘Prevent Type 2 Program’, which targets those most at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, has received full accreditation from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Prevent Type 2 Program is a 12-month lifestyle change program that Wentworth-Douglass launched in 2018 as part of the CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program. Wentworth-Douglass offers the program as a free community health benefit that targets individuals with prediabetes.
“It’s really all about increasing awareness in our community that prediabetes is real,” said Christine Wyrsch, manager of the Wentworth-Douglass Patient and Family Learning Center, which runs the program. “We want to catch those patients before they get diabetes.”
Participants in the program are sometimes referred by their physicians or accepted after taking a short quiz from the National Diabetes Prevention Program that determines an individual’s risk for type 2 diabetes.
The program is taught by hospital lifestyle coaches certified by the CDC, diabetes educators and dieticians. Through multiple courses, the instructors work with participants to develop better lifestyle habits and achieve body weight and activity goals.
According to the CDC, one in three Americans have prediabetes, but those who participate in CDC lifestyle programs and lose 5-7% of their body weight and add 150 minutes of exercise per week, can cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 58% (71% for people over 60 years old).
Wentworth-Douglass worked its way of through multiple levels of accreditation with the CDC before being granted full accreditation. Full accreditation by the CDC will allow the hospital’s program more opportunities for growth in the future, according to Wyrsch.
“It really shows people coming into the program that we’ve done all the work,” Wyrsch said. “We’re crossing our t’s and dotting our i’s, our coaches are fully trained and we’re doing everything well that the CDC wants us to.”
Wyrsch gave credit to the coaches, educators and dieticians who worked tirelessly over three years to help the hospital reach the CDC standards for full accreditation.
“It has been such a great collaboration and I think that’s what sets us apart from other programs in the area, is that we’re a hospital-based program that is run by content experts,” Wyrsch said.
Those interested in learning more about the Prevent Type 2 Program can visit www.wdhospital.org/wdh/staying-well or contact the Wentworth-Douglass Patient & Family Learning Center at 603-609-6027 or PFLC@wdhospital.org.
Dartmouth Health Children’s Pediatrician selected for 2022 Van Scoyoc Award
CONCORD — Charles Cappetta, MD, FAAP, Dartmouth Health Children’s pediatrician and children’s health advocate, has been selected as the recipient of the 2022 Sandi Van Scoyoc Legacy Award by the New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation. The foundation is a leading funder to improve the health and wellness of children in the state.
Cappetta, or simply “Dr. Chuck” to the countless patients and families, schoolchildren and others who have had the good fortune to encounter him, has been practicing pediatric and family medicine in Nashua, N.H. for more than 30 years. Cappetta was honored in a ceremony at Dartmouth Health’s regional administrative office in Bedford on Monday, June 6, where Gail Garceau, president of the New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation, presented him with the award and a $2,500 check, which he donated to Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children New Hampshire.
Cappetta completed his pediatric residency at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon in 1993 and joined the pediatric practice at Hitchcock Clinic in Nashua, now Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics Nashua, in 1993, where his practice has thrived since. He will celebrate his 33rd anniversary with Dartmouth Health on June 26.
“From the beginning of his career, Dr. Chuck’s practice has been guided by his belief that each child is unique and special. His passion for helping children thrive has helped countless children become well-rounded, healthy and thoughtful adults,” said Keith Loud, MD, Dartmouth Health Children's Physician-in-Chief, Chair Department of Pediatrics, and Board Vice Chair for the New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation. “I was thrilled when my colleagues at the New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation informed me that they had voted Dr. Chuck recipient of this year’s Sandy Van Scoyoc Legacy Award.”
“Although he has received many, many accolades throughout his career, Dr. Chuck’s greatest achievement is the profound positive impact he has had on thousands of children and families throughout New Hampshire,” said Garceau. “It is with great appreciation and respect that the New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation honors Dr. Chuck Cappetta with the Van Scoyoc Award for his tireless and far- reaching work with children and families,” she added.
The award ceremony, held at Dartmouth Health’s offices in Bedford, was attended by some of Cappetta’s Dartmouth Health colleagues, and his children, Andrew, Kate, Kelsey and Alyssa, who surprised their father by joining virtually.
DHMC awarded Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification
LEBANON, – Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, a member of Dartmouth Health, has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification.
DHMC underwent a rigorous onsite review on March 15 and March16. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with related certification standards, including everything required to care for patients with ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. This was done in coordination with the regional Emergency Medical Services, special interventions, advanced imaging and neurocritical care. Joint Commission standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. The reviewers also conducted onsite observations and interviews.
“This was a rigorous inspection of all aspects of our program from top to bottom, and getting through it is a testament to our dedication to provide excellent, comprehensive care,” added Timothy G. Lukovits, MD, medical director of the Cerebrovascular Disease and Stroke Program at DHMC.
The Joint Commission enterprise is a global driver of quality improvement and patient safety in healthcare, which helps organizations across the continuum of care lead the way to zero harm.
Through comprehensive data management, performance improvement initiatives and education throughout our system, DHMC was able to meet national performance measures required by The Joint Commission to provide the best possible outcomes for our patients. For more information, please visit www.jointcommission.org.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Board certification, CDC Accreditation and an award: Seacoast health news
