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Grand Rounds April
Orlando Regional Healthcare Hosts 3rd Annual ONE NIGHT SM Presented by Broad Street PartnersORLANDO — What if ... the unimaginable happened, unexpectedly leaving you or your loved one’s life at risk? For nearly 25 years, doctors and clinicians at the Orlando Regional Level One Trauma Center have been ready and waiting to answer “what if?” with life-saving trauma care. To support the commitment of the region’s only Level One Trauma Center, the Orlando Regional Healthcare Foundation will host ONE NIGHT To Celebrate Excellence In Trauma Care on Sunday, April 13, 2008 in the Grand Court of The Mall at Millenia. Presented by Broad Street Partners, the reception and silent auction will begin at 6:15 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 8 p.m. The program features a powerful multi-media presentation using the mall rotunda’s unique video screens along with live interaction to convey the impact of the trauma center. Answering “what if?” on a daily basis is a team of 15 to 20 doctors and other medical professionals already prepared to make the most of the golden hour - the first 60 minutes after a traumatic injury occurs when surgical intervention can greatly decrease mortality rates and significantly improve quality of life. Surgical intervention within the golden hour has been shown to lower mortality rates by 20 to 30 percent and improve quality of life by as much as 85 percent. Last year’s event sold out to 700 people and netted $275,000 for trauma care. This year’s black-tie optional event will include a silent auction and seated dinner, along with an educational and inspirational presentation. For sponsorship information or to reserve your table, contact Alan Bounville at (321) 841-5836 or alan.bounville@orhs.org. For more information on the trauma center or to arrange a tour, contact Jeremy Gamble at 321-841-8870 or jeremy.gamble@orhs.org
KISSIMMEE — Osceola Regional Medical Center has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers. Osceola Regional Medical Center earned this distinction after the Joint Commission conducted an on-site review in January 11, 2008. Each year about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, which is the nation’s third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke ever 45 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today. The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association’s statements/guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program — the nation’s first — in 2003.
SANFORD — Graduates of SCC’s Registered Nursing Program well exceeded state averages on their licensure exams, according to results released recently by the Florida Board of Nursing. Last year, 89.47 percent of SCC graduates passed the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX, exceeding the state average of 82.97. SCC also out-performed all other Central Florida nursing programs. NCLEX is the state-required exam that determines whether graduates are prepared for entry-level nursing practice. Last summer, SCC used grant funding to launch a pilot program to use video podcasts and iPods to ensure success rates. The technology allows students to review lectures and supplement their classroom instructions on their time.
Dr. Vinicio Hernandez and Sand Lake Cancer Center are pleased to announce the addition of a new partner, Dr. Alka Arora. A board certified oncology physician, Arora completed her internal medicine residency at the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Jamaica, New York, where she served as Chief Resident during her final year. She then completed her hematology and oncology fellowship at the Brookdale University Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. In her new role, Arora will provide the diagnosis and management of cancer and blood disorders.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Orlando Orthopaedic Center hosted a continuing education program to benefit the University of Central Florida Student Athletic Trainers’ Organization (UCF SATO). The 2008 4th Annual Cutting Edge Concepts in Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine seminar was hosted on the campus of Oviedo High School in February. And once again, attendance at this year’s program shattered the previous record held last year. A total of 400 registrants were in attendance. The increased attendance also meant an increase in proceeds, and $1700 was donated to the UCF SATO which will put the funds towards scholarships and assisting with the costs of sending athletic training students to meetings and conferences. The program was not only educational, attendees enjoyed the exhibit area as well as door prizes featuring autographed memorabilia from several NFL teams.
ORLANDO — Nemours, one of the nation’s largest children’s health systems, recently announced that it has joined bioOrlando, a program managed by the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC). This alliance of corporate and community supporters was founded to promote regional health care improvement, as well as life science and biotechnology growth that will help make Metro Orlando an international destination for medical care. Many of bioOrlando’s objectives, such as creating environments for knowledge bridging, shaping public policy and identifying areas of partner collaboration, are in line with Nemours’ core mission to deliver pediatric research, advocacy and educational health and prevention programs to the community. AHCA approved Nemours’ Certificate of Need (CON) application in June 2007 that set forth a comprehensive plan for conducting clinical research, graduate medical education, allied health training, and specialty clinical services delivered through a pediatric hospital and comprehensive children’s clinic. Nemours recently reached a state approved agreement with the two community hospitals to drop their appeals of the agency’s June decision, allowing the organization to move forward with the establishment of a top-tier pediatric health care system in Lake Nona.
ORLANDO — During the last 25 years, healthcare has shifted from a physician-driven world to one where patients, as consumers, increasingly hold the power. Medical marketing specialist and author Andrea T. Eliscu’s latest book, A+ Marketing: Proven Tactics for Success, focuses on how to successfully market medical practices and healthcare organizations in this new climate. Published by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), A+ Marketing moves beyond the “four P’s” of marketing — product, price, place and promotion — to what Eliscu hails as the cornerstone to survival and effective marketing in 2008 and beyond: the “four A’s” — access, availability, accountability and accommodation. Tailored to the specific needs and challenges of the healthcare industry, A+ Marketing provides practical ideas, action plans and real examples from successful medical organizations to help readers identify cost-effective marketing opportunities in their individual communities. A registered nurse with 42 years of healthcare experience, Andrea Eliscu serves as president of Medical Marketing Inc., the consulting firm she co-founded in 1984, and has authored two other books – Ready – Set – Market! and Position for Success! Strategic Marketing for Group Practices. A graduate of Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center School of Nursing, and the Holt School at Rollins College, she serves as a national resource on healthcare marketing, speaking at seminars and conferences throughout the country. ORMC Employs Dr. Robot to Provide Anytime Anywhere Expertise and Care RP-7 Robot Uses Interactive Technology to Treat Patients RemotelyORLANDO — Along the path of today’s medical frontier, a new high-tech robot known as RP-7 equipped with medical tools is helping doctors at Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) to be in two places at once. RP-7 features Virtually There™ interactive technology that allows doctors to project their expertise from one location to another — minutes away locally or even miles away worldwide. ORMC is the only hospital in Central Florida with the RP-7 robot. ORMC’s RP-7 robot has a human-like stature with a video monitor acting as a face, and is located at the hospital’s ICU. Using a special laptop in another location, a doctor points and clicks to use the robot’s digital cameras to zoom and focus on a patient. Cameras can even capture bedside monitors and equipment. Audio microphones allow the doctor to speak to the patient and hear feedback from assessment questions. Special software makes it possible for the doctor to remotely maneuver the robot through the hallways of a patient care area, obtaining vital clinical information in real-time. Clinicians at the patient location are also able to interact with the doctor via RP-7 during patient care. “RP-7 takes basic telemedicine technologies to another level,” said Dr. Edgar Jimenez, medical director, ORMC ICU. “We can now leave the conference room tables and chairs and take a virtual walk down the hallways of another hospital to the bedside and treat patients as we would in person.” ORMC will begin its use of RP-7 in critical care environments. Even while doctors are on-call away from the hospital, they are practically, instantly at the bedside 24/7.
ORLANDO — The University of Central Florida (UCF) College of Medicine recently appointed Florida Children’s Hospital physician Dr. Mehul Dixit to its Volunteer Faculty. As a faculty member, Dixit will present lectures, lead small groups, serve as preceptor, instruct students in clerkships, advise and mentor students, and serve on an academic advisory committee. Dixit is a pediatric nephrologist at Florida Children’s Hospital and is part of Kids’ Docs, the largest panel of pediatric specialists in Orlando. He completed his pediatric nephrology fellowship and residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Dixit is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Florida and currently serves as the Medical Director for the Florida Children’s Kidney Center and Florida Hospital Pediatric Renal Transplant. He was instrumental in identifying the Spring 2005 outbreak of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) among children in Central Florida. To date, approximately 300 volunteer faculty members have been appointed to the UCF College of Medicine from Central Florida, and many more appointments are in process.
ORLANDO — In recognition of his experience and expertise in sports medicine, Dr. Craig Mintzer, board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with Jewett Orthopaedic Clinic and Team Physician to the Orlando Magic, Orlando Predators and Rollins College has earned a Subspecialty Certificate in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Inc. Mintzer was one of the first to earn this new national certification which is designed to promote a universally high standard in the field of sports medicine. Mintzer graduated from Princeton University and received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He then served his internship in general surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard and his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Program – Boston. Mintzer also completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopaedics at Children’s Hospital – Boston and a second fellowship in sports medicine at Tufts University, School of Medicine at New England Medical Center in Boston. He joined Jewett Orthopaedic Clinic in 1997 where he specializes in arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder and knee as well as sports medicine.
ORLANDO — The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Performance and Practices of Successful Medical Groups: 2007 Report Based on 2006 Data identified Florida Heart Group, PA as a “better performer” because of superior operational performance compared with similar medical group practices nationwide. Recognition for providing superior operational performance in both areas, accounts receivable/collections and patient satisfaction, exemplifies the work of our physicians, staff and our Mission, stated Joan Bryan, Practice Administrator. In the areas of accounts receivable and collections Florida Heart Group, PA recently changed their practice management system to athenahealth Revenue Cycle Management Solution which has provided them with better reporting capabilities and helped to achieve their collection goals. Patient satisfaction is a top priority and the entire staff is focused on providing quality patient service.
At a press conference in Berlin, Germany recently, Florida Hospital and German Hospital Krankenhaus Waldfriede announced a partnership to exchange research and expertise. Florida Hospital President Lars Houmann and Krankenhaus Waldfriede Chief Executive Officer Bernd Quoss signed the agreement in front of reporters, guests, and dignitaries, including the Director of Health and Human Services from the American Embassy. The two hospitals, which also share a Seventh-day Adventist heritage, are agreeing to exchange scientific data and research, equipment, benchmarking in administration and nursing, and medical work experience. These areas include surgical methods, pain management, and treatment approaches for gynecology, hand and ankle surgery, anesthesia, breast and colon cancer, general surgery, colorectal medicine, diabetes, and internal medicine. Doctors will also do rotations at the partnering hospital and refer patients to the other facility.
ORLANDO — Nemours Children’s Clinic in Orlando (NCCO), a division of one of the nation’s largest children’s health systems, recently announced the creation of a mentorship pilot program that will begin with last night’s recipients of the Nemours Student Award for Excellence at the 2008 Dr. Nelson Ying Orange County Science Fair. The new program is designed to encourage middle and high school students to continue their interests in medicine, as well as behavioral and social sciences. Nemours decided to sponsor an award and mentorship for each of the junior and senior sections at the 2008 science fair in the categories of Medicine and Health as well as Behavioral and Social Sciences. Nemours doctors from a variety of subspecialties volunteered their time to judge the student projects. Each submission was scored on creative ability and scientific thought that is consistent with the high standards in health care, research, advocacy and education promoted by Nemours. The four winners were announced at the awards ceremony held last evening in the Howard Middle School auditorium. They are: Behavioral and Social Sciences Category: Junior section,Sam Benjamin; Senior section, Rebekah O’Brien; Medicine and Health Category: Junior section, Katie Truluck, Senior section: Allie Huggins Each winner received a plaque and will be given $100 to continue on in their educational pursuits and science fair competitions. All recipients will also be given the option of entering into the Nemours mentorship pilot program that will consist of a lunch meeting with a specialty doctor to discuss the many health related fields and career opportunities.
LEESBURG — The Board of Directors of Central Florida Health Alliance (CFHA) announced today that Lee S. Huntley has accepted an offer to become the health care system’s president and chief executive officer. The Central Florida Health Alliance is the parent corporation of both Leesburg Regional Medical Center and The Villages Regional Hospital. Huntley is a well-known administrator with more than 30 years of experience in the health care industry, most recently with Covenant Health System in Knoxville, Tenn., and Baptist Health South Florida in Miami. Since 2006, Huntley has served Covenant as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Covenant is a regional not-for profit system comprised of five acute care hospitals and a psychiatric facility with more than 1,500 beds. For more than 20 years prior to joining Covenant, he held senior level positions with Baptist Health, the last eight of which were as chief executive officer of Baptist Hospital in Miami, the company’s flagship facility. The Baptist Health system is one of the nation’s most respected health care providers and is the largest faith-based, not-for-profit health care organization in the region. Huntley replaces Louis Bremer, who served CFHA for over two years and resigned to pursue business opportunities that would allow him to be closer to his family in Texas. Huntley holds a Master of Hospital Administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
BREVARD COUNTY — Wuesthoff Health System will debut their bloodless medicine and surgery program next month. According to Wuesthoff officials, bloodless medicine can offer the most advanced care to patients while minimizing blood loss before, during, and after surgery, reducing or eliminating the need for blood transfusions. “By offering bloodless medicine, we become part of an elite group of hospitals across the country, and one of only four healthcare systems in the state of Florida to offer this medical program,” said Dr. Guillermo Sanabria, FACS, FCCP, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon at Wuesthoff Medical Center Rockledge.
For the fifth consecutive year, Health First has been named as a Top 100 Integrated Healthcare Network (IHN) by Verispan. Verispan’s report, regarded as the nations premier rating system, evaluates IHNs on their performance and degree of integration. Health First’s 2008 ranking of 45th in the nation is based on performance, degree of integration, and critical success factors. Based on Verispans IHN Rating System, each network is evaluated on its ability to operate as a unified organization in each of eight categories: integration, integrated technology, contractual capabilities, outpatient utilization, financial stability, services and access, hospital utilization, and physician participation. The annual Verispan IHN Survey is a primary data source for healthcare systems across the country and allows Verispan to use a standard methodology for collecting data to rate IHNs. “The IHN ranking recognizes the successful standardization of information technology and patient care processes across the Health First system. This strategy has enabled us to improve productivity, maximize operational efficiency, and enhance care delivery to our patients,” said Rich Rogers, Health First’s Senior Vice President Support Services/Chief Information Officer. Verispan, a healthcare informatics joint venture of Quintiles Transnational Corp. and McKesson Corp., provides a broad array of information products and services to the healthcare industry.
DELAND — Stetson student Joey Biondolillo has logged more than 160 hours volunteering in the Florida Hospital DeLand Emergency Department since October 2006. Joey is just one of many students who has taken advantage of the volunteer opportunities that Florida Hospital DeLand provides to local students. Volunteer opportunities are open to both high school and college-aged students. The program affords students the opportunity to learn more about the medical field and help them with career selection. As a Stetson University pre-med student in his junior year, Joey has spent his volunteer time shadowing emergency physicians including Drs. Knight, Tucker, Gupta, and Frommann. The opportunity has allowed him to obtain first-hand experience in his medical field of interest.
Former Tampa resident and noted author Connie May Fowler will speak at the Annual Child Abuse Awareness Luncheon, a fundraiser for Joshua House, Friday, April 25, 2008. The event takes place at the Marriott Waterside in Tampa at ll:30 a.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling (813) 263-3469. Connie May Fowler wrote of her life as an abused and impoverished child growing up in Tampa in her book “Before Women Had Wings.” Her compelling story included motel life on Nebraska Avenue in the mid-1960’s, alcohol abusing parents, an abusive father, domestic violence and the kindness of an eccentric woman, Ms. Zora, who gave Fowler the confidence to spread her wings. She will share that story at the Joshua House Luncheon on April 25th.
Dr. Fernando Vale and Dr. Juan Uribe, both neurosurgeons with Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida are using a new surgical technique that offers some patients a chance to maintain motion in their necks following surgery for cervical degenerative disc disease. The new artificial disc, called the PRESTIGE® Cervical Disc, is inserted into the neck using a similar procedure to the technique surgeons use when performing a spinal fusion. The PRESTIGE Cervical Disc, used in a procedure called cervical disc arthroplasty, showed superior neurological and overall success outcomes in a recently concluded clinical trial that compared the clinical outcomes of cervical artificial disc replacement (PRESTIGE Cervical Disc) to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (spinal fusion) procedures. It is the first artificial disc approved for the cervical spine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In the U.S. clinical trial of the PRESTIGE Cervical disc, patients who received the disc showed improved neurological success at 24 months and improved overall success. The clinical trial is the largest, completed, prospective randomized controlled study of its kind in the cervical spine enrolling a total of 541 patients.
Before Vegas, there was Havana! Tampa General Hospital Foundation 11th annual Moments in Time Gala will recreate an elegant nightclub in lush tropical gardens redolent with the sights, scents and sounds of exotic Cuban nightlife on Saturday, May 10, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Tampa. Together with presenting sponsor, JPMorgan Chase, the Foundation will journey back in time to the late 1950’s in Havana during the heyday of pre-revolutionary Cuba, and pull back the curtains to reveal a night of rhythm and rhapsody. Mary Jane Campbell serves as this year’s Gala Chairwoman. Sponsorships begin at $500 and range up to $15,000. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Lynn Fluharty, special events manager for the TGH Foundation at (813) 844-7273.
LARGO — Morton Plant Mease Health Care is improving access to emergency care services in central Pinellas County with the opening of the Tampa Bay area’s first freestanding emergency room (ER). Located at 8839 Bryan Dairy Road in Largo, Bardmoor Emergency Center is on the first floor of the newly constructed three-story medical office building immediately adjacent to the Bardmoor Outpatient and Surgery Center. Freestanding ERs are those are separate and not attached to an inpatient hospital structure. Bardmoor Emergency Center is a 15,000 square foot, 15-bed facility that includes: Radiology testing services such as digital x-ray equipment and a computed tomography (CT) scanner; Laboratory testing and on-site pharmacy services for patient testing and care,; Plasma TV screens displaying a tracking system of patient care throughout the ER; and Three ER beds that are part of a 23-hour observation unit for patients who need additional medical evaluation, but do not need to be admitted to a hospital.
TAMPA — Gresham, Smith and Partners, a leading national architecture, engineering and interior design firm, announces that Dr. Sheila Bosch, LEED® AP, has joined the firm as a director of research. Bosch brings more than 17 years of professional experience to the firm, including green building research and consulting, and recent project work at the Georgia Institute of Technology developing tools and resources to promote evidence-based design among healthcare administrators and decision makers.
TAMPA — The Miles for Moffitt Board of Directors presented $75,000 to three cancer researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center to support their work toward the prevention and cure of cancer. The $75,000 Milestone Award, which came from proceeds of the 2007 SunTrust Miles for Moffitt event at the University of South Florida, will be shared equally by Jia Fang, Ph.D., Prakash Chinnaiyan, M.D., and Susan T. Vadaparampil, Ph.D. The recipients will use the funds to advance research in their areas. Fang is studying how changes at the chromosome level affect cellular function and contribute to the molecular events that underlie cancer and its progression. Chinnaiyan is studying the use of inhibitors of a certain class of protein to increase tumor cell sensitivity to radiation treatment. Vadaparampil is examining the impact of genetic counseling on patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
SAFETY HARBOR — Mease Countryside Hospital has been named as a “Top 100” hospital as part of a national study of hospital-wide performance. The 2007 Thomson 100 Top Hospitals National Benchmarks for Success study recognized Mease Countryside for its overall organizational achievement. This is the seventh time that Mease Countryside has been recognized for its overall performance by the 100 Top Hospital study.
SAFETY HARBOR — Mease Countryside Hospital is now offering the local community more comfortable and less invasive treatment for prostate cancer, gynecological cancers and other conditions with the addition of the da Vinci Surgical System’s advanced robotic technology to the hospital’s surgical suite. The da Vinci robot system consists of a surgeon’s control console, a surgical cart with four robotic arms, and a binocular-like monitor positioned close to the patient that magnifies the surgical area 10 times larger. One robot arm holds a camera displaying internal organs, with the other three maneuvering surgical tools. Mease Countryside becomes the second hospital in the Morton Plant Mease system to add the da Vinci robot to its surgical suites, after Morton Plant Hospital first offered the procedure in 2005.
Sarasota joins nation’s first ever National Healthcare Decisions Day 2008. On Wednesday, April 16, Local medical and legal bioethicist experts will present a FREE community event to answer questions and help educate people how to complete reliable advance directives and living wills, appoint healthcare surrogates and proactively make other critical healthcare decisions should they become hospitalized and unable to speak for themselves from 1-3 p.m at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, first floor auditorium, 1700 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasot Featured speakers include: Bruce Robinson, MD, medical director of Sarasota Memorial’s geriatric services; Ed Boyer and John Griffin, elder law attorneys; Pat Duncan, Sarasota Memorial’s Intensive Care Unit social worker; Kathleen Houseweart, coordinator of Sarasota Memorial’s Memory Disorder Clinic; and Kathy Black, assistant professor, School of Social Work University of South Florida at Sarasota. To register call: Sarasota Memorial HealthLine at 917-7777. Seating is limited so please RSVP by April 9, 2008. April 2008 Tags:NoneBookmark:
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