Local Physician Helped Lead Successful “Florida Youth Tobacco Education and Prevention Bill” Campaign

TAMPA — Local cardiologist, Rao Musunuru, M.D. served as the Board Secretary for the “Floridians for Youth Tobacco Education”, a coalition of the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and American Lung Association, which campaigned for successful passage of this year’s Florida Constitutional Amendment 4.

Governor Charlie Crist signed the ‘Florida Youth Tobacco Education and Prevention Bill’ into law, reinstating a nationally recognized tobacco prevention program in Florida. This program will receive a budget of more than 50 million dollars a year, funds allocated from the tobacco settlement money.

Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death. Smoking (including second hand smoke) is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases, which includes coronary heart disease and stroke, the nation’s number 1 and number 3 killers, in addition to causing emphysema and cancers.

Teenagers are at an especially high risk of taking up smoking, influenced by the advertisements, and most of them will continue to smoke for the rest of their shortened life.

Orange County Medical Foundation Launches Campaign to Support UCF College of Medicine Charter Class Scholarship

ORLANDO —The Orange County Medical Foundation is entering into a historic scholarship partnership with the University of Central Florida’s new College of Medicine. Deborah German, MD, Dean of the UCF College of Medicine, has come up with a novel approach to grant a scholarship to every admitted medical student in the inaugural class. The scholarship will cover tuition and living expenses for the length of the program, giving students the opportunity to study without worrying about debt. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, UCF is the only college in the nation to embark on full scholarships for the entire inaugural class of 40 students.

As the philanthropic arm of the Orange County Medical Society, the OCMF is organized exclusively for charitable, educational and scientific purposes.

Broad And Cassel Honored As “Fit-friendly” Company By American Heart Association

ORLANDO — Broad and Cassel’s Orlando office was recently recognized by the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Recognition program. The Firm is one of four local companies to receive the prestigious, inaugural designation, which honors health, fitness and wellness in the workplace.

The First Central Florida Electronic Medical Records Conference

ORLANDO —The Orange and Seminole County Medical Societies co-hosted the first Central Florida Electronic Medical Records Conference on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the University of Central Florida.

David Kibbe, MD, MBA, Senior Advisor from the Center for Health Information Technology for the American Academy of Family Physicians in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was the Keynote Speaker. Other guest speakers were Helga E. Rippen, MD, VP of Health Information Technology for HCA, and Christopher Sullivan, PhD, Senior Management Analyst Administrator for AHCA. The Conference program included presentations on the current state of EMRs & IT, how to choose an EMR, implementation considerations, hardware & software options, and a discussion of local EMR experiences.

Arnold Palmer Hospital For Children First In Florida To Use New FDA Approved GORE HELEX Septal Occluder For Treatment Of Common Congenital Heart Defect

ORLANDO — The Congenital Heart Institute at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children became the first site in Florida and the third in the nation on Thursday to implant the new GORE HELEX Septal Occluder for treatment of atrial septal defect (ASD). The new device was approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on September 28.

ASD, a common congenital heart defect, is an abnormal hole in the wall between the upper chambers of the heart causing blood to improperly flow from the left side of the heart to the right, forcing the right side of the heart and lungs to overexert to compensate for the problem. The GORE HELEX Occluder seals the defective hole restoring normal circulation of blood in the heart. Left untreated, an ASD can cause the heart to enlarge, or weaken, leaving the patient at risk for serious conditions like atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, heart failure or stroke.

Michael R. Lowe, P.A. Welcomes Local Attorney Anna Tarr Spencer

LONGWOOD — Michael R. Lowe, P.A., a Central Florida law firm focused solely on healthcare law, is pleased to announce that Orlando native Anna Tarr Spencer recently joined the practice as an associate. Based in Longwood, the firm concentrates on the representation of physicians and physician group practices in business, transactional, litigation, professional licensure, regulatory, operational and administrative matters, including Stark II, fraud and abuse, HIPAA, managed care contracting and medical malpractice defense. In addition, Ms. Spencer has experience in trademark and copyright work, including state, federal and international registrations.

Ms. Spencer received her law degree from Barry University School of Law (J.D., 2007). She also holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from the University of Central Florida (B.S., 2002). Ms. Spencer is a member of the Health Law Section and Young Lawyers Division of both the American Bar Association and The Florida Bar.

New Surgeon Joins Vascular Institute of Central Florida at Florida Hospital

ORLANDO — Vascular Institute of Central Florida , located in the Florida Hospital Orlando Medical Plaza, is pleased to welcome Dr. Mark E. Ranson to its medical staff. Ranson joins Dr. Alan R. Wladis in the practice of Vascular and Endovascular surgery.

Ranson received his medical degree from the West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown, West Virginia and completed his General Surgery residency at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington , North Carolina. Ranson completed a
Vascular and Endovascular fellowship at the NYU Medical Center in New York, New York.

During his residency, Ranson was the Administrative Chief Resident and also participated in Vascular Surgery Medical Student Lectures at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at New York University he received his carotid, thoracic, and abdominal aortic stent qualifications which enables him to offer premier therapeutic patient care. Ranson is board certified in General Surgery and board eligible in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery.

Heathrow Imaging Opens Outpatient Facility In Lake Mary Florida

HEATHROW-LAKE MARY — Heathrow Imaging, Central Florida physician’s choice for quality diagnostic imaging, announced today that it is open. The 7500 square foot facility, which is located in the Lake Mary Professional Campus, offers the very latest in diagnostic imaging technology.

Dr. Chanhi Park is a board certified radiologist with fellowship training in Body and Women’s Imaging. She founded Park Radiology LLC in 2006, and has now partnered with HCA Healthcare to pursue her passion and vision at Heathrow Imaging for a comprehensive, diagnostic approach to patient care that she has championed over the years. With an emphasis on family, Dr. Park, Medical Director of Heathrow Imaging & President of Park Radiology LLC., has developed an environment that invites a close relationship between the radiologist, patient, and their physician. Dr. Chanhi Park is well known in Central Florida for her dedication to service, passion for excellence, and commitment to quality patient care for the patients she serves.

Local Infertility Specialist First in Southeastern U.S. to Perform New Robotic Tubal Reversal Surgery for Women

ORLANDO — Dr. Samuel E. Brown, a local infertility specialist with the Center for Reproductive Medicine, is the first infertility surgeon in the southeastern U.S. to perform a minimally invasive robotic surgery for the reversal of tubal sterilizations. The decision to reverse tubal ligations (or tubal sterilizations) are very common in women who remarry or those who simply want larger families after having their tubes tied. A new less invasive procedure — called the da Vinci Tubal Reversal — is giving women new hope for realizing their dreams of further parenthood.

The da Vinci Tubal Reversal (robotic fallopian tubal reconnection) uses the state-of-the-art surgical system, the da Vinci S™, to perform a more precise and less invasive procedure. The difference is a shorter hospital stay, less pain and scarring, less blood loss, and faster recovery times for patients. “Patients can now go home the same day as surgery and essentially be back to work within a couple days where as the traditional tubal reversal surgery involved a large C-Section type cut and a four to six week recovery,” says Brown who performed the surgery at Florida Hospital Orlando.

Dr. Samuel E. Brown is a recent addition to the Central Florida community and to the Center for Reproductive Medicine (CRM) where he lends his extensive experience in male infertility and fertility preservation. Brown joins CRM from Jacksonville, where he was involved with resident education at the University of Florida Health Sciences Center. He completed his fellowship at the renowned Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School and in 2006 received the Florida Medical Association’s Distinguished Physician Award. Most days Dr. Brown can be found seeing patients at CRM’s new location in Celebration

Free Educational Course for CE’s And Networking Event!

All Social Workers are invited to attend on Thursday, November 8th, 2007 6:00 pm. Program will air 6:30-7:30 pm. Refreshments will be served! Good Samaritan Society, Kissimmee Village, Educational Resource Center

Topic: Behavior’s Related to Pain. This free educational program will provide information on how levels of pain can affect behavior. Objectives are for participants to:

1) Describe how persons who experience physical pain may manifest that pain by exhibiting certain behaviors;

2) Explain how care plans can be written to address pain and behaviors; and

3) Identify ways to approach and intervene with those who are experiencing pain and exhibiting behaviors as a result. Primary target audience is staff in nursing, activities and social work, and the information is considered valuable for this group.

Presenters will be Dorrie LaPlant, Margaret Hemauer, and Marya Burns, Care Management Consultants.
CE credit will be available for social workers.

Contact: Denise Lang, BA
Staff Development Coordinator
407-933-2128, 407-933-3753
dlang@good-sam.com
RSVP Highly recommended; seating limited to 25

Florida Hospital is the First Hospital in the Southeast to Perform Visually Guided Catheter Ablation for Irregular Heartbeats

ORLANDO — Sixty-year-old Royice Rasnake has been suffering from periodic episodes of irregular heartbeat, dizziness, and fatigue for nearly six years. Diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, an electrical disturbance of the heart caused by a “short circuit” involving the upper chambers of the heart, now Rasnake is one of the first patients in the Southeast to undergo a minimally invasive investigational procedure to treat the region of the heart that was causing this potentially dangerous arrhythmia. Florida Hospital is one of just 20 hospitals in the United States to take part in the CardioFocus ENABLE Investigational Clinical Study which uses an endoscopically guided laser catheter to treat atrial fibrillation.

During the procedure, a cardiologist inserts a slender catheter into a large vein in the patient’s leg. The catheter is threaded up into the right side of the patient’s heart and guided into a larger vein in the left side of the heart using the investigational endoscopic video camera, small amounts of traditional real time X-ray, and ultrasound imaging. Once in the area with the “short-circuiting” tissue, the cardiologist inflates the balloon and visualizes the target tissue. After the target is located, the laser is turned on, which releases precisely controlled arcs of light around the vein. The system is designed to use laser energy to destroy an area of abnormal tissue while causing no significant damage to surrounding healthy heart muscle.

LRMC Earns Hospital of Choice Award Again

LEESBURG — For the third year in a row, the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers presented a Hospital of Choice Award to Leesburg Regional Medical Center (LRMC), one of only five Florida hospitals, and the only hospital in the region, to receive the designation.

The 2007-2008 Hospital of Choice Awards identify America’s most customer-friendly hospitals. The selection process involved reviewing public information such as websites, news releases and announcements, applications submitted for review, as well as phone surveys of hospital staff and patients.

As an award recipient, Leesburg Regional joins a prestigious group of 102 facilities from throughout the country that includes Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Duke University Hospital and Cleveland Clinic. Other Florida Hospitals to receive the award are: Baptist Health South Florida, Coral Gables; Holy Cross Hospital, Fort Lauderdale; Baptist Medical Center, Jacksonville; and JFK Medical Center, Atlantis.

Stroke Survivor Support Group is formed in Clermont

CLERMONT — South Lake Hospital has formed a stroke survivor support group in Clermont. The South Lake Stroke Survivors group was created after occupational therapist, Cyndi Diaz, noticed a need while working with several stroke patients in physical rehabilitation at the National Training Center.

“Several of my patients that had suffered a stroke were very discouraged. While I was able to help treat their physical rehabilitation, they weren’t getting the full mental and emotional support that is so important,” said Diaz. “Everyone would ask me if there was a local support group and finally I decided since there wasn’t, I would start one.”

Diaz serves as the facilitator of the group and plans to have guest speakers and service projects lined up for the future. She also encourages the members to get together outside of the meetings for continual support.

The South Lake Stroke Survivors group had their inaugural meeting in September and 20 people attended, showing the need for the group in the community. The group will meet once a month at the National Training Center and the next meeting is set for October 19, from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. There is no cost to attend the meetings and spouses and children of stroke victims and caregivers are encouraged to attend. No registration is necessary.

Cancer Program Approved with Commendation by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons

TITUSVILLE — The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has granted Three-Year Approval with Commendation to the Cancer Program at Parrish Medical Center, located at 951 N. Washington Ave., Titusville, FL.

Three-year approval with commendation is earned following an on-site evaluation by a CoC physician surveyor during which the facility demonstrates a commendation level of compliance with one or more of the 36 standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement).

“In addition to its cancer care program earning the CoC seal of approval with commendation, PMC has earned more condition-specific Gold Seals of Approval® from the Joint Commission than all but one other hospital in the state,” said George Mikitarian, Parrish Medical Center President/CEO. “ Parrish Medical Center is proud to be recognized for its clinical excellence because it is recognition of the exceptional people we have dedicated to caring for the community we serve.”

Approval by the CoC is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. To maintain approval, facilities with CoC-approved cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years.

Receiving care at a CoC-approved cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to:

• Comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the art services and equipment
• Multispecialty, team approach to coordinate the best treatment options
• Information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options
• Access to cancer-related information, education, and support
• A cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results and offers lifelong patients follow-up
• Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care
• And, most importantly, quality care close to home

Titusville Physicians Step up to LEAD Brevard

TITUSVILLE — A record number of physicians joined the 2008 Leadership Brevard class. The physicians are all from Parrish Medical Center (PMC). Orthopedic Surgeon Patricia Baumann, D.O. and Family Medicine physicians Christopher Manion, M.D. and Anita Spitz, M.D., are joined by PMC Vice President of Nursing Edwin Loftin, RN, MBA, FACHE

“LEAD Brevard is proud to welcome three physicians, as well as a member of the executive management team from Parrish Medical Center into this year’s Leadership Brevard class,” said LEAD Brevard President/CEO Kristin Bakke, CAE. “PMC’s level of commitment to developing community and team leaders is evident, as they will spend one full day a month, for the next eight months, participating in the program. We view this as a compliment to our organization; PMC finds value in placing them and other staff in our program and we hope this will encourage other local senior-level professionals to make the investment in Leadership Brevard and their community,” added Bakke.

Keeping pace with the ever-changing and complex healthcare environment is increasingly challenging and demanding for healthcare executives and physicians alike, said Lisa Alexander, MD, MBA, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Parrish Medical Center and LEAD Brevard program graduate. “To stay at the forefront of our industry requires highly developed leadership and management skills at every level. Leadership Brevard offers an effective, high-energy, hands-on approach that appeals to busy professionals.”

The programs offered through LEAD Brevard complement Parrish Medical Center ‘s physician-focused leadership development program, ”Physician Advisory Leaders (PALs), ”initiated by PMC’s Board of Directors, executive team and medical staff members.
At PMC, collaborative leadership development between healthcare executives and physicians is a recipe for success, commented Alexander.

When asked their perceived value of leadership development and participation in LEAD Brevard, this is what the participating physicians had to say:

“PMC physician leadership development program is an innovative program that will help Parrish Medical Center continue to bring world-class medicine to the people of North Brevard area,” said Family Practice Physician Christopher Manion, M.D. “Participation in Leadership Brevard exposes us to other concerned leaders and community resources that our patients can take advantage of and make Brevard a better place to live and work,” Manion said.

“I believe that LEAD Brevard promotes community and collaboration for a better Brevard,” said Patricia Baumann, DO, orthopedic surgeon. “As a member of Parrish PALs, I feel honored to be associated with so many well respected physicians and administrators whose prime goal is to work collaboratively to promote an exceptional healing environment for our patients,” added Baumann.

A Nation Divided Over Health Care? Not So Fast

CHICAGO — Americans may be sharply divided in their views on many aspects of healthcare in the United States, but they are in strong agreement when it comes to one of the most important but overlooked elements — a nationwide trauma system. According to results of the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) new “On the Table” voter survey, 75 percent of voters support the establishment of a nationwide trauma system -— including strong majorities across all political parties (86 percent of Democrats; 73 percent of Independents; and 63 percent of Republicans).

According to the survey, almost half of voters (46 percent) believe their own states are prepared for an emergency situation, but half (50 percent) do not believe the nation’s trauma centers are prepared to handle large-scale medical emergencies. ACS is currently working in cooperation with other trauma experts to develop a more comprehensive set of criteria and evaluation to assess the nation’s trauma system preparedness.

Canon U.S.A. Achieves Milestone With The Installation Of Its 2,000th Digital Radiography System

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. — Achieving a significant milestone in its illustrious history, Canon U.S.A., Inc., recently announced the installation of its 2,000th digital radiography (DR) system, also marking more than 5,000 DR system installations worldwide by the Canon family of companies. This celebrated installation took place at a large healthcare provider in Northern California.

Canon was approached with an immediate need to increase workflow productivity and enhance workplace ergonomics, while only having limited downtime. As a result of installing the Canon CXDI-40EG and CXDI-50G DR Systems, the facility was able to decrease patient wait and exam times because of the virtually instantaneous ability to view images, as well as improve workplace ergonomics for its staff by limiting lifting and reaching motions. Additionally, the office needed to shut down for only a relatively short time to install the equipment and train technologists.

The flexibility of the Canon DR solutions allows for either upgrading existing equipment with Canon DR technology or including Canon DR systems as part of a completely new system. The Canon CXDI-40EG General DR system provides a large imaging area of 17 x 17 inches, and lets users capture desired anatomical views for both large and small format X-rays in portrait or landscape orientation without having to rotate the detector unit. This system can retrofit onto almost any new or existing bucky table, upright tilting wall stand, universal or ceiling suspended multi-positioning unit.

FDA Announces Initiative to Bolster Generic Drug Program

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently outlined a program aimed at increasing the number and variety of generic drug products available to consumers and healthcare providers. Generic drugs generally cost less than their brand-name counterparts and competition among generics has been a key factor in lowering drug prices. The Generic Initiative for Value and
Efficiency, or GIVE, will help the FDA modernize and streamline its generic drug approval process.

As part of the GIVE efforts, FDA is revising the review order for certain drug applications. For example, first generic products, for which there are no blocking patents or exclusivity protections on the reference listed drug, are identified at the time of submission for expedited review. This will mean that these products, for which there are currently no generic products on the market, may reach the consumer much faster.

FDA now has about 215 full-time staff working on the review of generic drug applications. Under GIVE, FDA will hire and train new generic drug reviewers and focus on enhanced use of electronic programs for handling drug submissions and internal documents. When possible, resources from other FDA departments will be engaged in the effort. As well, FDA will increase its communications with generic drug manufacturers and provide training on proper application submission to the industry in meetings and Webcasts.
New Study Spotlights

Growing Role of Medicare in Propping Up Nation’s Medicaid Program

WASHINGTON — The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care recently said a new BDO Seidman study of the nation’s Medicaid program released recently draws much needed attention to a chronic and worsening problem: Medicare’s cross-subsidization of increasingly inadequate Medicaid payments for nursing home care.

The BDO Seidman study, released by the American Health Care Association (AHCA), estimates that Medicaid pays some $4.4 billion less than the actual cost of nursing home care for the nation’s seniors. This translates into $13.15 per patient per day less than the cost of care, an amount which has increased 45% since 1999.

Annual Economic Impact of Chronic Disease on U.S. Economy is $1 Trillion

WASHINGTON — In a groundbreaking study released recently by the Milken Institute, the annual economic impact on the U.S. economy of the most common chronic diseases is calculated to be more than $1 trillion, which could balloon to nearly $6 trillion by the middle of the century. Yet the news is not entirely grim because much of this cost is avoidable.

According to the study, seven chronic diseases — cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, pulmonary conditions and mental illness — have a total impact on the economy of $1.3 trillion annually. Of this amount, $1.1 trillion represents the cost of lost productivity.

The study is the first of its kind to estimate the avoidable costs if a serious effort were made to improve Americans’ health. Assuming modest improvements in preventing and treating disease, Milken Institute researchers determined that by 2023 the nation could avoid 40 million cases of chronic disease and reduce the economic impact of chronic disease by 27 percent, or $1.1 trillion annually. They report that the most important factor is obesity, which if rates declined could lead to $60 billion less in treatment costs and $254 billion in increased productivity.

Looking even further ahead, the report measures the possible cost to future generations if escalating disease leads to lower investments in education and training. In a snowball effect, the report warns, this loss of human capital and skill building could reduce the nation’s economic output by as much as $5.7 trillion in real GDP by the year 2050.

The full report is available at http://www.milkeninstitute.org/ and http://www.pfcd.org/. An interactive Web site with complete national- and state-level data for each of the chronic diseases is available at http://www.chronicdiseaseimpact.com/.

SamarionSM Unveils Quality Improvement System for Long-Term Care Industry at AHCA/NACL/MECF 58th Annual Convention & Expo

BOSTON, MASS. — Samarion Inc., the long-term care industry’s technology partner, rolled out nationally SamarionSolutionSM, the market’s only Enterprise Quality Improvement System, at the AHCA/NACL/MECF 58th Annual Convention and Exposition Oct. 7-10 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Mass.

Making its commercial debut, the SamarionSolutionSM administers transformational technology to nursing homes through the Enterprise Quality Enhancement System, which provides unprecedented restraint-free fall prevention; wandering and elopement prevention; resident, staff and visitor safety and security management; unparalleled staff management and facility monitoring; and a family-and-friends communications system that will greatly improve the quality of the lives of nursing home residents and their loved ones.

Continuing its national rollout, Samarion will also demonstrate SamarionSolutionSM Oct. 21-24 at the AAHSA 2007 Annual Meeting and Exposition at Convention Center South in Orlando, Fla., at Booth #5807.

Mark Rodgers and Samer N’Ser successfully collaborated on systems development, technology commercialization, large-scale national and international system deployments and the development of ground-breaking wireless products for two decades before channeling their strength and investor support to SamarionSolutionSM.

Samarion is a privately-held corporation based in Jackson, Miss., dedicated to improving the quality of elder care.



November 2007