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One Man's Bout with Skin Cancer When the heart-shaped birthmark on Gary McClain's shoulder became raised in 2011, he knew something was wrong. The 65-year-old was well acquainted with danger. In his 20 years working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gary had trapped and transported bears, bobcats and timber wolves. But melanoma was a beast he knew he couldn't face alone. After an appointment with his primary care physician, Ann Pollock, MD, internist with Internal Medicine Associates of Frankfort and Frankfort Regional Medical Center, a biopsy was conducted. Dr. Pollock referred Gary to Bryan Shouse, MD, board-certified general surgeon at Capital Surgical Clinic and Frankfort Regional. Dr. Shouse performed a wide local excision and found that the cancer was thicker than they originally thought. "Because it was thicker, we needed to perform an additional test to see if it had spread to the lymph nodes," Dr. Shouse says. He removed two lymph nodes with a minimally invasive technique, and fortunately, the nodes showed no evidence that cancer had spread. Today, Gary is enjoying retirement cancer-free. "I've always been an outdoors person, but I had never consistently used sunscreen," Gary says. "Needless to say, I'm now a religious user." DETECTION IS KEY Despite being the most aggressive form of skin can- cer, melanoma is highly treatable when found early. "Alert your primary care provider immediately if you notice any changes in your skin," Dr. Shouse says. Â If you need help finding a provider, go online to FrankfortRegional.com or call Consult-A-Nurse toll-free at 877-376-2631. Bryan Shouse, MD General Surgery Why Wait? Pre-Register Online Take some of the unease out of your upcoming medical procedure—pre-register online. This service of Frankfort Regional Medical Center offers more convenience in preparing for your visit. To encourage faster, efficient services for our patients, Frankfort Regional now offers Online Pre-Registration. Patients are able to visit our Web site and select "Online Pre- Registration" to fill in information prior to an appointment. "Patients who register online will receive first priority in the registration process," says Angie Miller, Patient Access Director at Frankfort Regional. "This tool can help us reduce the overall wait time for everyone." Benefits of pre-registering online include: • 24/7, secure online access • Fast registration, with minimal information required • Shorter wait time upon hospital arrival 7 Who can pre-register? The tool is available for patients who already have a procedure or mammogram scheduled. OTHER WAYS TO REGISTER Whether you're making an inpatient or outpatient visit, we want the check-in process to go smoothly and quickly to better serve you. The registration office is open from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can also contact the Central Scheduling staff at 502-226- 1665, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to make arrange- ments for your upcoming visit. Â To pre-register online, visit FrankfortRegional.com and select "Online Pre-Registration," or call 502-226-1665 to speak to a representative who can assist your registration needs.