News Release Great Plains Health
Great Plains Health Pain Management now offers ketamine infusions in the clinic setting, allowing greater capacity in same day surgery for more services. The transition also provides patients the opportunity to receive treatment in a more relaxed environment.
Ketamine is an alternative to opioids for pain relief and a treatment that Dr. Aleeta Somers-Dehaney, medical director of interventional pain management, is actively researching. For some patients, ketamine is effective when no other treatments have eased pain.
“I’ve tried everything out there and it never worked for me,” Susan Carr, who battles degenerated disc disease, said. “I am lucky to have Dr. Aleeta Somers-Dehaney in pain management as my doctor. She suggested these infusions and, almost immediately, they started working. I cannot believe the pain relief that ketamine infusions have given to me.”
The Great Plains Health Pain Management team made the transition to a clinic setting for ketamine infusions in the fall of 2021. The clinic location is more efficient for doctors and offers patients a peaceful environment for treatment.
“Patients like the setting. It is quiet. You don’t see call lights going off or hear nurses walking past the doors. It almost seems like a nice spa,” Kallie Shepherd, nursing manager of the Great Plains Health Pain Management clinic, said.
Hospital employees say that the ketamine infusions, as well as active research that Dr. Aleeta Somers-Dehaney is conducting on the treatment, is having a significant community impact.
“This research is exciting. This service is going to expand the opportunities we have to fight the opioid crisis,” Jason North, pharmacy director, said. “Ketamine helps reduce the dependence on opioids, so that’s been a huge tool in this community now. Dr Somers-Dehaney has really brought this to the forefront to help our community.”
“I’ve seen patients where this treatment changes lives,” Laura McWha, physician liaison, added. “This treatment is happening here because of a great staff that makes it
possible. It is a whole team of people who work together to bring this option to Greater Nebraska.”