BIDMC News and Notes
11/20/2009 (10:33:51am)Tags: violence recovery Arab-Israeli conflictComments: (0)
Robi Damelin lives in Tel Aviv and lost her son to a sniper while he was on military reserve duty in March, 2002. Mazen Faraj lives in Bethlehem and lost his father in April 2002 when a member of the Israeli Defense Force mistook the bag of groceries for something else.
Damelin and Fraj channeled their grief into the Parents Circle-Families Forum, created in 1995 as a way to spearhead a reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.
Damelin and Faraj will tell their stories -- and their efforts to stop violence and bloodshed -- in a special forum sponsored by BIDMC's Center for Violence Prevention and Recovery on Wednesday, Dec. 16.
The event is free and open to the public who RSVP by Dec. 11. For more information or to reserve a spot, contact Margaret Brevig
11/20/2009 (9:43:22am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Amy Ship, a primary care physician at BIDMC, has been named this year's "Compassionate Caregiver" by the Kenneth B. Schwartz Center.
Ship's personal and professional story was highlighted at last night's annual awards gala in Boston and in a story on NECN.
11/18/2009 (4:14:13pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC neurologists Alvaro Pascual-Leone, MD, PhD, and Daniel Tarsy, MD, have been awarded grants totaling more than $1.5 million from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) to conduct investigations aimed at improving the quality of life for patients with Parkinson's disease.
Pascual-Leone, Director of BIDMC's Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation, will oversee a three-year $1.498 million grant to investigate the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy to control symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
Tarsy, Director of BIDMC's Parkinson's Disease Center, will lead a study comparing two types of speech and voice therapy to determine which is more effective in treating the decreased voice volume experienced by many Parkinson's patients.
For more, click here.
11/17/2009 (9:57:13am)Tags: breast cancer mammographyComments: (0)
BIDMC oncology social worker Hester Hill offers her observations on U.S. Preventive Service Task Force's new recommendations to woman about mammography and breast self-examinations.
A quick summary:
"This is clearly very different from what we have all been told for years. It is, however, not so different from what doctors have known and what the evidence has demonstrated. Mammograms are not as good a screening test in younger women as they are for post-menopausal women. The reason for this is the difference in breast tissue; dense tissue makes it more difficult to read the scans."
11/16/2009 (3:06:04pm)Tags: cardiovascular care Thomson ReutersComments: (0)
BIDMC has earned a spot in the Thomson Reuters annual study identifying the 100 U.S. hospitals that set the nation's benchmarks for inpatient cardiovascular care.
The study examined the performance of 971 hospitals by analyzing outcomes for patients diagnosed with heart failure and heart attacks and for those who received coronary bypass surgery or percutaneous cardiovascular interventions (PCI) such as angioplasties.
The study, in its 11th year, found the top performing hospitals perform over 50 percent more cardiac surgeries than peer hospitals.
For more details, click here.
11/12/2009 (3:23:11pm)Tags: quality top hospital patient safetyComments: (0)
Atrius Health and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are expanding their relationship to establish a new model of health care delivery between a large ambulatory multi-specialty practice and a leading academic medical center, according to Gene Lindsey, MD, president and CEO of Atrius Health.
The boards of directors from Atrius and BIDMC both voted Wednesday evening to build the expanded relationship.
For more details on what this will mean, click here.
11/9/2009 (1:10:25pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Emergency preparedness is the watchword at all health care facilities these days.
Go behind the scenes with the BIDMC Emergency Management Team as it held its first full-scale decontamination drill at night, simulating the Emergency Department response to a "dirty bomb" explosion at a nearby college campus.
11/9/2009 (12:44:44pm)Tags: archives Ruth FreimanComments: (0)
Long before BIDMC was born in 1996, Beth Israel and New England Deaconess hospitals were leaders in health care with a long history of personalized patient care and community service.
That history has been carefully preserved in an archives maintained by one of the hospital's longest serving staff members. Archivist Ruth Freiman has held the job for 30 years, following 20 years of service as a volunteer.
The BIDMC Board of Directors recently honored her commitment by designating the Ruth and David Freiman Archives at BIDMC. Dr. David Freiman was the former Chief of Pathology at Beth Israel Hospital and assisted with the development of the archives during his retirement.
Take a tour of the archives with this remarkable woman.
11/4/2009 (1:33:14pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC has instituted new patient and visitor guidelines and restrictions to help protect the medical center's most vulnerable patients - and everyone - now that the flu has become widespread.
Visitors with symptoms of the flu are asked to delay their visits until they are well. Areas of the hospital that care for patients most vulnerable to the flu have instituted the most stringent guidelines. For example, on many of our floors, children under 12 are no longer allowed to visit.
Visit the Flu Facts page on bidmc.org for updated guidelines and restrictions as well as tips on fighting the flu, caring for someone with the flu and when to call a doctor.
11/4/2009 (1:31:29pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Here's a moving story about a young auto accident victim and a remarkable recovery, made possible in part by the trauma team at BIDMC.
10/28/2009 (10:37:55am)Tags: hand hygiene infection controlComments: (0)
BIDMC's latest effort to improve hand hygiene is a contest among units to see who can score the highest in terms of compliance.
BIDMC Bowl-a-rama (Knock Down the Germs) is highlighted in this post on the OSHA Health Care Advisor blog.
10/27/2009 (12:08:24pm)Tags: NIH transplant carbon monoxideComments: (0)
Leo Otterbein, PhD, a scientist in the Division of Transplantation at BIDMC whose novel research has revealed medical applications for carbon monoxide gas, has been awarded a $1.4 million, four-year EUREKA grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The award will enable Otterbein to continue to study the underlying biology behind this seemingly paradoxical idea and, if successful, could lead to new therapies for a range of medical applications from adjunct cancer treatments to fighting bacterial infections to helping kidney-transplant patients avoid organ rejection.
An acronym for Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration, EUREKA grants are part of an initiative unveiled last year by the NIH to fund innovative research and test new, unconventional ideas.
To learn more about Otterbein's work, click here.
10/27/2009 (11:49:24am)Tags: RFID pumps technologyComments: (0)
Instead of a floor by floor search of the hospital it recently only took two elevator rides and a walk across Brookline Avenue to track down a missing medication delivery pump.
"I renamed RFID to Really Finds Infusion Devices," David Mangan, a clinical pharmacist supervisor, says with a laugh.
RFID actually stands for Radio Frequency Identification. All of BIDMC new pumps feature this tracking device. Mangan had loaned one pump to a floor to practice accessing the medication library. But the test pump had accidentally gone into general circulation, and Mangan quickly alerted Clinical Engineering.
"We were not concerned for patient safety about this pump being in general circulation," Mangan says. "The medication library on this pump was accurate, but set up differently than what nurses are used to."
It took technology toordinator Pam Dicapua and Clinical Engineering Manager Dick Hatch, Manager 30 minutes to locate the pump thanks to RFID.
Hatch says the RFID tags on each pump send out a signal to access points around the hospital, pinpointing the floor a particular pump is on. If this system had not been in place, Clinical Engineering staff would have had to manually search each of the medical center's 1,275 pumps.
"This saved us from searching through two million square feet of office space," Mangan says.
For realizing the test pump had gone into general circulation, Mangan was honored by BIDMC's Board of Directors during their Oct. 21 meeting.
To lean more about the "Caller Outer of the Month," click here.
10/26/2009 (2:36:13pm)Tags: breast cancer mammographyComments: (0)
There is a new digital mammography van now in Boston - one of the first such digital mobile vans in the country - thanks to the support of national and local foundations and businesses,
The vans are scheduled at several BIDMC-affiliated health centers including the Bowdoin Street Health Center in Dorchester.
In 2002, the City of Boston launched the Mayor's Cancer Crusade that included the purchase of a mammography van to offer breast screenings at local health centers. Operated by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the program has provided more than 25,000 mammograms to 11,000 women, 60 percent of whom speak a language other than English. Sixty confirmed diagnoses of breast cancer have been made and thousands of women have benefited from breast health education programs.
10/26/2009 (11:26:39am)Tags: obstetrics gynecology community healthComments: (0)
The South Cove Community Health Center offered a warm welcome to Dr. John Yeh, the newly appointed Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), the hospital affiliate of SCCHC, where more than 300 Asian-American babies are born each year.
Among those on hand were, from left: Hee Man Chie, MD, Obstetrician/Gynecologist, SCCHC; John Yeh, MD Chief OB/GYN, BIDMC; Helen Chin Schlichte, Vice Chair, Board of Directors, BIDMC; Steven Tang, MD Board member, SCCHC; April Tang; Board member, SCCHC; Board of Overseers, BIDMC; Cindy Chen Board member, SCCHC.
For more on the visit, click here.
10/23/2009 (1:00:37pm)Tags: intensive care patient-centered care qualityComments: (0)
BIDMC has been honored by an international group of critical care specialists for its work to improve the experience of patients and family members in intensive care units (ICUs).
The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), with 14,000 members in 80 countries, named BIDMC the winner of the 2010 Family-Centered Care Award, given annually to one hospital or ICU to "recognize innovation that improves the care provided to critically ill and injured patients and their families."
To learn more, click here.
10/21/2009 (4:12:54pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC has been named to the 2009 Harvard Pilgrim Hospital Honor Roll, which includes hospitals whose performance was among the top 25 percent of those measured nationally on a set of composite quality metrics.
For more information, click here.
10/21/2009 (3:54:15pm)Tags: surgery science educationComments: (0)
Students at Madison Park and Brookline high schools recently got a chance to view surgery up close and personal.
The classes taught by Julie Joyal Mowschenson, RN, combines classroom lessons with putting the theory into action by running simulated medical cases on a robotic patient at Harvard Medical School.
For more, click here. And to see the Boston Globe's coverage, click here.
10/16/2009 (12:34:34pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC geneticist John Rinn, PhD, whose research has helped uncover a new class of RNA, has been named to this year's "Brilliant 10" list of top young scientists by Popular Science magazine. The list appears in the magazine's November issue.
Check out Rinn's accomplishments and those of his nine other brilliant colleagues.
10/16/2009 (12:28:28pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC has been honored with an Institutional Leadership Award from MassEcon, a private, non-profit partnership of business, industry leaders, and government dedicated to fostering economic growth in the Commonwealth.
The award will be presented at a Nov. 24 luncheon that will also recognize 17 other companies from across the state. The Sixth Annual Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Award is the only event of its kind in Massachusetts recognizing companies for their outstanding contributions to the Massachusetts economy.
To learn more, click here.
10/13/2009 (1:42:41pm)Tags: research NIHComments: (0)
BIDMC has been awarded $38.2 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
BIDMC scientists received a total of 69 grants across all medical-center departments, including surgery, neurology, pathology and a wide swath of divisions within the Department of Medicine including cardiology, hematology/oncology, nephrology, gastroenterology and geriatrics.
For more details, click here.
10/13/2009 (1:30:05pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Clifford B. Saper, MD, PhD, Chairman of BIDMC's Department of Neurology has been elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM).
Saper is one of the country's leading neuroscientists studying the brain circuitry that controls basic physiologic functions. His work has greatly extended the understanding of the body's wake-sleep cycles, brain responses to immune stimulation, and the brain's control of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and has helped lead to advances in treating sleep disorders, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. Established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute is one of four distinguished organizations that make up the National Academies, which provide scientific and technological advice to the nation.
For more, click here.
10/13/2009 (1:12:38pm)Tags: flu emergency careComments: (0)
BIDMC emergency room physicians Peter Smulowitz and Stephen Epstein have been discussing a new poll by the American College of Emergency Physicians that expresses concern about readiness for an H1N1 outbreak.
Smulowitz tells WCVB-TV that pandemic planning should continue with the idea that all hospitals are prepared for a worst-case scenario.
And Epstein repeats the message on WBZ-AM, along with some common sense tips on how to care for yourself.
10/8/2009 (3:41:30pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC's men (and women) in blue have gone green.
When Chief Operating Officer Eric Buehrens and Facilities Senior Vice President Walter Armstrong discovered that Public Safety was in the market for a new vehicle, they asked Chief Chris Casey to check out a hybrid model.
"I talked with my lieutenants and agreed that it could be a win-win," Casey said. "We would get a much needed second car while meeting a medical center goal to go green for energy savings and emissions reduction."
Casey worked with BIDMC's Sustainability Coordinator, Amy Lipman. She estimates the Ford Fusion hybrid will save the medical center $1,300 a year in gas.
"The new strategic plan includes a hybrid replacement policy," Lipman said. "As we replace existing cars, we hope to replace them with hybrids. Because we do a lot of around-town driving and idling, the kind of driving where hybrids are at their best and traditional cars are at their worst, hybrids are a much better fit for us."
10/8/2009 (3:30:48pm)Tags: Red Sox first aidComments: (0)
At the heart of BIDMC's relationship with the Red Sox is the skill, enthusiasm and commitment to service that a team of BIDMC staff brings to every home game.
Last Saturday, representatives of that team - BIDMC First Aid - took to the field during pre-game ceremonies and received a hearty cheer from Fenway fans before the start of the game against the Cleveland Indians.
"The First Aid team has had a busy year, not only having the Red Sox games, but five concerts as well," said Sue Pacheco, RN, and leader of the First Aid team.
Some Fenway First Aid Facts
*Thirty BIDMC nurses, physicians and technicians from the Emergency Department, the post-anesthesia care unit, intensive care units and operating rooms rotate through the First Aid and the Green Monster stations for all home games - including the upcoming play-offs.
*Staff receive anywhere from 25 to 70 visits per game at the First Aid station. Last year more than 2,000 patrons were treated with almost 200 transferred to BIDMC.
*Staff treats cuts, injuries from foul balls and heat related illness to name a few.
10/5/2009 (12:36:18pm)Tags: pathology educationComments: (0)
Pathology residents at BIDMC are going to be learning a lot -- about themselves.
A new course will let them learn about genetic tests marketed to consumers, by testing their own DNA in search of genes linked to various illnesses.
The Boston Globe's full story is here.
10/5/2009 (12:25:56pm)Tags: BID-Needham fluComments: (0)
While the Dimock Center, the BIDMC-affliated community health center in Roxbury, offered a free flu shot clinic on Saturday, BID-Needham officially cut the ribbon on a new emergency room and 20 additional beds that may come in handy during flu season.
Check out the WCVB-TV story that includes an interview with Dimock and BIDMC doc Hope Ricciotti, as well as Needham CEO Jeff Liebman and chief nursing officer Penny Greenberg.
10/2/2009 (3:48:50pm)Tags: Red Sox back spasmsComments: (0)
Hearts may be beating a little easier around New England with word that Josh Beckett appears to have his back spasms under control.
BIDMC physical therapist Kathy Shillue talks to Gary Gillis about what causes back spasms and how they are treated in the latest installment of Red Sox Health News.
10/1/2009 (5:21:23pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
NECN took a tour of the $30 million expansion at BID-Needham, which includes a new, bigger emergency department and 20 new patient rooms.
Check it out -- and stop by the grand opening on Saturday.
9/30/2009 (1:33:04pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
For a second year in a row, BIDMC has been named an American Heart Association Gold Start! Fit-Friendly Company.
The medical center achieved gold status by recognizing the importance of a healthy workplace for staff and by offering ways to get physically fit.
"This award recognizes BIDMC's continued commitment to enhancing the health of their employees through innovative wellness programs that promote a more active and healthy lifestyle," said Jenifer Babineau, Fitness and Wellness Manager, Tanger Be Well Center. "BIDMC supports employees in these efforts by increasing heart healthy menu options in the cafeterias, subsidizing membership to the Tanger Be Well Center and providing a smoke free work environment."
Adult Americans spend the majority of their waking hours at work, many in sedentary careers - amplifying the risk for medical problems such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Obesity alone costs American businesses $12.7 billion in medical expenses and $225.8 billion in health-related productivity losses per year.
Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program participants implement various options to encourage physical activity, nutrition and culture enhancements such as on-site walking routes, healthy food options in cafeterias and vending machines, annual employee health risk assessments and online tracking tools.
9/28/2009 (2:39:28pm)Tags: workforce development Comments: (0)
A recent after-work event to celebrate the work of BIDMC staff participating in classes and other activities to further their careers was a welcome break for busy students. But for some the celebration was brief - they were gearing up for class at 6 p.m. that very night.
It was typical of the juggling of school, work, family and more that marks the lives of the 350 BIDMC and New England Baptist Hospital staff members participating in the Employee Career Initiative (ECI).
To learn more, click here.
9/28/2009 (12:44:57pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
It seems like a small thing for most men -- and it is. Until you get older.
While some of the testing methods are unpleasant, the failure to be aware of the health of your prostate can lead to other, more uncomfortable consequences.
That's why Drs. Martin Sanda and Andrew Wagner discuss prostate awareness with Gary Gillis in the latest installment of Red Sox Health News.
9/25/2009 (1:20:24pm)Tags: Red Sox BIDMCComments: (0)
Normally, BIDMC staff are at Fenway Park standing by as part of the medical team or in the stands thanks to the $5 ticket program. But on a sunny, warm September afternoon, four teams of 10 staff members found themselves studying their line-ups before walking out to a play softball on the field of dreams.
But as the Official Hospital of the Boston Red Sox and Red Sox Nation, BIDMC staff are invited to play an afternoon of softball in the outfield each summer. Since the original game was rained out in July, the lucky team members got to live their dreams this week.
For a photo slide show of the afternoon, click here.
For a video, click here.
9/25/2009 (11:50:27am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham is poised to formally take the wraps off a $30 million expansion that includes a new emergency department and 20 state-of-the-art patient rooms.
To get a flavor of the addition, click here. And to read the Needham Times' coverage, click here.
9/25/2009 (11:37:00am)Tags: pain Red SoxComments: (0)
With the baseball playoffs looming, the Patriots in full swing and Bruins and Celtics seasons just around the corner, athletes, injuries and pain is becoming a major focus for many fans.
Dr. Zahid Bajwa a pain specialist and Director of Education and Clinical Pain Research at BIDMC's Arnold Pain Center, talks to Gary Gillis about ways that athletes -- and all oof us -- can deal with pain.
9/24/2009 (1:02:17pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
The BIDMC Board of Directors has honored three people for their leadership and service.
Sharon Wright, MD, Jane Mataw and Howard Wolk were recognized at the annual meetings of the BIDMC boards. To get the details, click here,
9/24/2009 (12:58:45pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Stephen Kay of Chestnut Hill has been elected chair of the Board of Directors at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, retuning to a post he last held at the former Beth Israel Hospital.
To learn more about the new chairman -- as well as additions to the bpoards of trustees and overseers, click here.
9/22/2009 (9:51:03am)Tags: primary care patientsComments: (0)
National Public Radio took a look at a trial underway at BIDMC and two other hospitals that would enable patients to see the notes their doctors right about them.
Funded through a $1.4 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Pioneer Portfolio, the 12-month OpenNotes© Project will bring together approximately 100 primary care physicians and 25,000 patients to evaluate the impact on both patients and physicians of sharing the comments and observations made by physicians after each patient encounter.
Physicians and patients at Geisinger Health Systems in Pennsylvania and Harborview Medical Center in Seattle will also participate in the 12-month trial.
9/16/2009 (2:29:11pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC honored Lois E. Silverman's accomplishments as she concludes her four-year tenure as the hospital's first female chair of the Board of Directors with a celebration at the Mandarin Oriental.
Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart was a surprise special guest at an event that also included the traditional bestowing of a ceremonial white coat. All llving former board chairs joined in the ceremony.
The gala also featured a "white coat" ceremony, where Silverman was joined by all living past board chairs. The group includes:
Back row, from left: John Hamill, New England Deaconess Hospital, 1991-1994; Robert M. Melzer, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 1999-2002; Eliot I. Snider, Beth Israel Hospital, 1983-1985; Carl S. Sloane, BIDMC, 2002-2005; Alan W. Rottenberg, BIDMC, 1996-1999.
Front row: Edward H. Linde, BIH, 1989-1991; Edward I. Rudman, BIH 1992-1994; Silverman; Norman B. Leventhal, BIH, 1979-1982; Stephen B. Kay, BIH, 1994-1996 and incoming BIDMC 2009.
To read more, click here.
9/16/2009 (1:55:56pm)Tags: health care costs Mitchell RabkinComments: (0)
Dr. Mitchell Rabkin, CEO emeritus of the former Beth Israel Hospital -- and an active Havard Medical School professor -- takes a look at some of the problems any effort to reform our nation's health care system will face.
In an op-ed in today's Washington Post, Rabkin and John S. Cook point to two major flaws that need to be addressed:
-Fee-for-service payment. This worked reasonably well decades ago when there was less to know, less the physician could do, and less he or she could charge for. But with the abundance of technologies and treatment possibilities now available, fee-for-service is inflationary and will continue to be so. This is becoming widely recognized, but few have come up with effective ways to deal with our nation's ever-rising cost.
-In general, physicians are not accountable for cost. The actions for containing costs are largely in the hands of the insurers. Payment policies, shaped pretty much by Medicare, give insurers the decision on what to pay for and what not, and how much to pay. That has neither controlled inappropriate rise in health care costs nor cut down on unnecessary care.
9/16/2009 (1:40:11pm)Tags: kidney cancer NCIComments: (0)
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) an $11.5 million, five-year SPORE grant to focus on cancers of the kidney.
Michael Atkins, MD, Deputy Director of BIDMC's Division of Hematology/Oncology, will oversee the grant, which involves collaborations with Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital via the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center.
As the only NCI-funded SPORE focused on cancers of the kidney, this grant aims to improve detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of kidney cancer, which affects about 54,000 Americans each year and causes approximately 14,000 deaths.
SPORE grants (Specialized Program of Research Excellence) are designed to promote interdisciplinary and translational research that rapidly moves scientific discoveries to a clinical setting to directly benefit patients. This grant is a renewal of a previous $13.3 million kidney cancer SPORE awarded to Atkins and his team of collaborators in 2003.
For more detail, click here.
9/15/2009 (4:57:22pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Sunday's second annual Reason to Ride bike-a-thon was "a marvelous success," according to founder Tom DesFosses of Peabody.
And marvelous success might be an understatement. The event, which raises funds for cancer research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, has raised more than $40,000 so far, with donations still arriving - more than twice as much as last year.
You can read the full Salem News account here.
9/14/2009 (2:19:33pm)Tags: Heart Walk CVIComments: (0)
BIDMC's CardioVascular Institute team broke past records and raised more than $30,000 for the American Heart Association's cardiovascular research and education programs at the annual Heart Walk Saturday, Sept. 12.
In the CVI tent prior to the walk, Red Sox pitching ace Luis Tiant signed autographs and encouraged the more than 100 team while the walkers mingled.
9/11/2009 (9:35:05am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC researcher Jack Lawler enjoys working at the basic level of science. The pathologist and his lab work at teasing out the various mysteries of a family of proteins known as TSPs, or thrombospondins, which could provide pathways to helping in specific medical research areas, such as heart disease, arthritis, wound healing, and cancer.
They will be able to a lot more than to a $711,148 grant Recovery Act grant from the National Heart Lung Blood Iinsstute's Division of Intramural Research, Cell Biology and Physiology Center.
To learn more, including a video of Lawler, click here.
9/11/2009 (8:24:53am)Tags: media health care reformComments: (0)
Cleaning out my e-mail I found this excellent link to a Newshour with Jim Lehrer discussion about how the media are covering the debate over health care.
Panelists include Roger Sergel of ABC News, Trudi Lieberman of the Columbia Journalism Review and Tom Rosensteil of Project for Excellence in Journalism.
Check it out here.
9/10/2009 (2:03:59pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Carolyn Bernstein, MD, a specialist in headache medicine, has joined Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center as a full-time member of the Arnold Pain Center.
Bernstein joins the departments of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine and Neurology from Cambridge Health Alliance, where she was the Director of the Women's Headache Center and a staff neurologist for 18 years.
9/10/2009 (11:33:29am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC President and CEO Paul Levy has some thoughts on how the nation will be able to afford health care reform.
Writing for the New York Times, Levy says broader access cannot be paid for without additional costs.
It's a theme he follows through on in an interview on NECN.
9/10/2009 (11:23:56am)Tags: neurology multiple sclerosisComments: (0)
BIDMC researchers have found the virus responsible for PML (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy) can be reactivated in multiple sclerosis patients being treated with natalizumab (Tysabri).
The findings appear in today's issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)
PML is a rare brain disease that typically affects AIDS patients and other individuals with compromised immune systems.
For more on the study, click here. For a look at some coverage, click here.
9/10/2009 (9:31:56am)Tags: Red Cross 9/11 Red SoxComments: (1)
BIDMC and the Red Sox are teaming up with the American Red Cross for the annual 9/11 Blood Drive.
From 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET at Fenway, or 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Boston City Hall, you will have the opportunity to remember and honor those we lost on 9/11 by giving others an opportunity to survive.
If coming into Boston isn't convenient, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE to find a location near you.
And for more on the Red Sox perspective, click here.
9/9/2009 (4:05:42pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Laurence A. Turka, MD, an international leader in the fields of transplantation immunology and transplantation research, will join the faculty of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Harvard Medical School, effective Nov. 1.
Turka comes to BIDMC from the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Medicine, where he is the C. Mahlon Kline Professor of Medicine and formerly Chief of the Department's Renal Division. A distinguished leader in the field of immune tolerance research, Turka serves as a Deputy Director of the Immune Tolerance Network, an NIH-funded consortium of researchers working together to establish new treatments for diseases of the immune system. As editor-in-chief of the prestigious Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), Turka is also a prominent voice in clinical and translational research.
To learn more, click here.
9/9/2009 (3:29:40pm)Tags: LGBT agingComments: (0)
Aging, health and wellness in the LGBT community is the topic of a forum scheduled for Monday Sept. 21 at the Fenway Community Health Center from 5-8 p.m.
AARP President Jennie Chin Hansen will be the keynote speaker at the forum co-sponsoted by BIDMC, Hebrew SeniorLife, Fenway Health, Stonewall Communities and the LGBT Aging Project.
The forum will address key health issues facing LGBT people as they age and is specifically focused on health care providers.
Hansen will discuss LGBT aging, diversity and health care reform, followed by a panel discussion addressing medical health and aging, an LGBT consumer's perspective, gender and identity expression and housing and social service options for the LGBT community.
Continuing education contact hours will be provided for nurses, social workers and physicians.
The forum will be held at Fenway Health, 1340 Boylston St. There is limited seating and parking is available on a first come first served basis.
For more information or to register, please RSVP online at www.fenwayhealth.org/LGBTaging or call Alice Cohen at 617-927-6170.
9/2/2009 (5:08:08pm)Tags: diabetes wound careComments: (0)
Researchers in the Division of Podiatry at BIDMC and the Doctor's Research Network of South Miami have found a direct correlation between a diabetic patient's ability to heal a wound and their blood sugar control.
The study prospectively followed 458 diabetic patients with open foot ulcerations and tracked their hemoglobin A1C, a long term measure of blood sugar control.
Based on this long term study, the researchers proved for the first time that Hemoglobin A1C does in fact have a direct bearing on wound healing.
To learn more, click here.
9/2/2009 (5:05:12pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Tone deafness is the result of bad wiring in a person's brain, according to a new study published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
The study's lead author, Psyche Loui, studies music and the brain at BIDMC and Harvard Medical School. She joins WNYC Radio's "Soundcheck."
To hear the interview, click here.
8/31/2009 (5:07:30pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Appropriately selected prostate cancer patients, including older men and men with small, low-risk tumors, may safely defer treatment for many years with no adverse consequences.
That's according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). Led by researchers at (BIDMC), the study appears online today.
To learn more, click here.
8/21/2009 (3:53:41pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
First jobs have a way of shaping and molding people in unexpected ways - just ask any of the 36 summer interns who took positions throughout the medical center thanks to BIDMC's Office or Workforce Development. Many of the self-admittedly "shy" students found the immersion into real office work a groundbreaking life event.
To hear more about their experiences, click here.
8/21/2009 (3:47:17pm)Tags: cancer depression Red SoxComments: (0)
When Red Sox color man Jerry Remy made his first appearance in the NESN broadcast booth since this spring, you knew that the smile that lit up your face was simultaneously shared with tens of thousands who tune in to Sox games.
For months, legions of Rem Dawg's fans had missed his wonderful, easy humor and wise baseball insights. But we had also wondered and worried whether his absence from the booth was connected to the lung cancer for which he had surgery last year. As it turns out, what kept Jerry Remy away from the game was depression and yes, it was connected to his cancer.
To hear BIDMC clincians talk about depression and cancer, click here.
8/19/2009 (11:54:52am)Tags: Red Sox back pain Tim WakefieldComments: (0)
BIDMC Spine Center Co-Director Kevin McGuire, MD, tries to break down the various ailments that can cause back pain, particularly as we get older.
A case in point: Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.
8/19/2009 (11:15:24am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham has been recognized for its commitment and success in implementing a high standard of stoke care with the American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke ¬Gold Performance Achievement Award. The hospital won the award last year as well.
To learn more, click here.
8/17/2009 (3:22:30pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BOSTON -- The American Red Cross, Boston Red Sox, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have joined together for the 7th Annual September 11th Day of Remembrance Blood Drive.
Locally, Day of Remembrance Blood Drives will be held at Fenway Park, from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at Boston City Hall from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To watch a video, click here. For more information, click here.
8/13/2009 (11:09:30am)Tags: arthritis exerciseComments: (0)
For 11 years, exercise physiologist Marlene DaCosta has been creating exercise regimes for people with arthritis and many other health issues at BIDMC's Tanger Be Well Center. She knows what it's like for them. She has osteoarthritis in her right hip and has had lupus for 18 years - and she exercises most days of the week to control her conditions.
Read more about her and training regimes in this week's Bay State Banner.
8/13/2009 (10:58:06am)Tags: cardiac nutritionComments: (0)
You don't have to feel quite so bad scarfing down that chocolate.
Heart attack survivors who eat chocolate two or more times per week cut their risk of dying from heart disease about three fold compared to those who never touch the stuff, scientists have reported.
BIDMC primary care physician Ken Mukamal, whose research looks at the plusses and minuses of alcohol and tea among other things, says this something unique to chocolate.
"It was specific to chocolate -- we found no benefit to sweets in general."
For more details, click here.
8/11/2009 (10:01:18am)Tags: obstetrics gynecologyComments: (0)
John Yeh, MD, has joined BIDMC as the new Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The appointment represents a homecoming for Yeh who was a resident in Ob/Gyn at the Beth Israel Hospital in the mid-‘80s.
Yeh comes to BIDMC from the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, where he has served as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Gynecology-Obstetrics since 2000. A sub-specialist in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Yeh has authored or coauthored more than 200 articles, review articles, conference proceedings and abstracts.
He currently serves on the editorial boards of several journals. In May of 2009, Yeh received one of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology's highest national honors, the "Distinguished Service Award."
To learn more, click here.
8/10/2009 (10:35:56am)Tags: World War II HolComments: (0)
Doctors in the Lodz ghetto in Poland during World War II often gave their patients one thing that proved indispensable -- even when the tools of their trade were missing,
To understand the importance of hope, check out this story in today's Globe.
8/10/2009 (10:19:00am)Tags: music health careComments: (0)
The Boston Globe profiles Dr. Mache Seibel, who practiced obstetrics and gynecology at at BIDMC -- including performing the state's first successful in vitro fertilization.
Seibel left the doctor's office for the recording studio, in 2003, founding HealthRock. He now writes, performs, and records songs for children and adults that aim to do for health what School House Rock did for math and English: use a catchy tune to get valuable information stuck in people's heads.
To read a fuller interview, click here.
8/7/2009 (2:02:30pm)Tags: Triggers rapid responseComments: (0)
Why does a patient take a sudden turn for the worse? BIDMC physician Michael Howell, the director of critical care quality, has just won a prestigious grant to try to figure that out.
Howell is one of 20 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Physician Faculty Scholars -- and the only one in Massachusetts. His three-year, $300,000 grant is aimed at finding signs that suggest a patient's potential need for emergent reactive care and designing a system to provide that care.
For more details, click here.
8/5/2009 (6:07:31pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
As President Obama and Congress weigh changes in the nation’s health care system they must avoid creating a system where physicians are financially motivated to pressure patients into mandated treatments that conflict with their values and needs, two Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center physicians warn.
Writing in the Aug. 6 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine, Pamela Hartzband, MD, and Jerome Groopman, MD, caution that health care reform carries with it the potential to create a clash between two recent trends in medicine – the humanism movement that focuses on individual values, goals and preferences – and the move toward evidence-based practice where data and guidelines standardize therapies and procedures.
For more, click here.
7/31/2009 (1:16:03pm)Tags: cancer researchComments: (0)
A new research laboratory established at BIDMC will enable cancer specialists to characterize molecular abnormalities in individual melanomas and help physicians provide more personalized treatment and clinical research approaches.
The Michael Egan Memorial Research Laboratory for Melanoma Translational Research was established in part through a $100,000 gift from BJ's Wholesale Club.
The lab will chiefly serve to genetically classify tumors from patients with stage III or stage IV melanoma. Specifically, analyses will be performed on patient tumor tissue to evaluate for the presence of cancer-causing mutations of genes.
Egan was the chief executive officer of TransMolecular Inc., an oncology-focused biotechnology company in Cambridge and husband of BJ's Wholesale Club President & CEO Laura Sen, and had been a patient of Atkins.
For more, click here.
7/31/2009 (1:09:04pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
The 37,000 square foot addition to BID-Needham will not officially open until the fall. But a sneak peak of the new emergency room, MRI suite and private, patient rooms is available in three-part video series.
Click here for First Impressions, as BID-Needham President and CEO Jeff Liebman explains the reasons behind the first expansion at the hospital in more than 35 years.
Click here to watch how the construction will change Needham's Emergency Department.
The third and final video explores the 20 new, state-of-the-art private patient rooms.
7/29/2009 (1:16:05pm)Tags: scoliosis spine surgeryComments: (0)
Nice update on the progress our own Rhonda Mann is making as she recovers from complicated spinal surgery from Dr. Paul Glazer.
The story notes that one benchmark of Rhonda's progress is that she can sit through a full Red Sox game without pain.
To learn more, click here.
7/23/2009 (2:51:56pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC physician and researcher Dan Barouch has some thoughts about why the STEP trial to test the efficacy of a HIV vaccine was disbanded.
Writing in study in the advanced online version of Nature Medicine, Barouch and his team rules out a leading explanation for adverse events.
To learn more, click here.
7/21/2009 (4:42:17pm)Tags: quality top hospital patient safetyComments: (0)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is among three hospitals nationally to be recognized for their leadership and innovation in quality, safety and commitment to patient care.
The 2009 American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize® was awarded to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, Mich., which will receive $75,000. BIDMC was honored as the finalist and will receive $12,500. Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC, received the Citation of Merit.
BIDMC was cited for its goal of eliminating all preventable harm by 2012 and for emphasizing leadership and transparency to help the hospital move toward that important goal. The award notes BIDMC's strong values of reliability, safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness and equity are reinforced throughout the organization.
To learn more, please click here.
7/21/2009 (12:44:57pm)Tags: Red Sox hand surgeryComments: (0)
Ever wish you could make that bare-handed stab of a home run (or foul ball) at Fenway Park? Wish again.
BIDMC orthopedic surgeon Charles Day makes a great case for wearing a glove before trying to make yourself or your child happy with a Major League souvenir.
To learn more, click here.
7/21/2009 (12:26:07pm)Tags: alcohol obesityComments: (0)
Does gender make a difference in how you deal with the calories from alcoholic beverages? A BIDMC researcher says it might.
Dr. Ken Mukamal tells US News & World Report it appears that men who drink more have a higher overall caloric intake -- that is, they don't compensate for the alcohol calories by eating less. Women who drink, however, tend to simply replace food calories with alcohol-maybe skipping their usual dessert, for example, to make up for a predinner drink.
To learn more, click here.
7/21/2009 (12:16:30pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC once again placed in the company of the top hospitals in the United States, according to the latest edition of the US News & World Report "Best Hospitals" edition.
For details, click here.
7/10/2009 (2:09:54pm)Tags: ALS Red SoxComments: (0)
BIDMC and the Boston Red Sox teamed up to host 25 ALS patients last Saturday, the 70th anniversary of the day Yankess slugger Lou Gehrig revealed he had the disease that has come to be named after him.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive nervous system disorder that gradually destroys the nerves responsible for muscle movement. The cause of ALS is unknown and there is currently no cure although medications, therapy and support are available. Walking, balance and swallowing are all challenges for patients.
The commemoration took place in Major League Baseball venues across the country to raise awareness of ALS and research to combat this disease. Players wore "4 ALS" patches on their uniforms.
7/10/2009 (1:59:31pm)Tags: students careersComments: (0)
BIDMC hosted nine student interns this year, giving them exposure to health care jobs and a taste of what it's like to work in an administrative, business or clinical role in an academic medical center.
The internships, offered through partnerships with various organizations in the City of Boston, provides academic school year.
To learn more about the programs and their participants, click here.
7/9/2009 (10:22:03am)Tags: surgery Comments: (0)
An unassuming, pastel-colored ceramic jar sits on a desk outside the operating rooms on BIDMC's west campus. A closer look reveals that this jar is a piggy bank, used for taking bad words and turning them into good deeds.
"I'm the swear patrol. I call them N.G. words for no good," said Heidee Albano, RN, who originally used a small cup to make cussing co-workers pay per profanity. "Every swear is accepted."
The OR nurse, originally from the Philippines, has been serving as the "swear patrol" since coming to the medical center in 1987. She began collecting a quarter per swear in 2007, promising staff a pizza party with the proceeds.
In November 2008, she read an article in the Boston Globe about a little Haitian boy whose family had sold their sole source of income - two cows - in order to pay for his vital brain surgery. The story inspired Albano to instead dedicate the proceeds of the "swear jar" to purchasing a new cow for the family.
To learn more, click here.
7/9/2009 (9:55:11am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC clinicians, researchers and administrators have been in the news these days.
Dr. Michael Howell, director of critical care quality, talks about how a five-point checklist -- and a simple measuring device can prevent pneumonia and save lives.
CEO Paul Levy speaks to that issue as well as BIDMC's effort to eliminate preventable harm -- all part of a Channel 5 series on health care reform.
The OpenNotes trial bringing doctors and patients together to see the value in sharing physician notes is examined by the American Medical News.
Florence Brown, co-director of the Joslin-BIDMC Diabetes and Pregnancy program speaks with USA Today about the special issues moms-to-be can face.
A scientific smackdown? That's what Wired Magazine is calling a debate launched by a discovered in a BIDMC lab suggesting chickens may descend from the T Rex.
7/7/2009 (12:02:40pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
What happens when physicians share notes with their patients?
A new study led by BIDMC will examine the impact of adding new layer of openness to a traditionally one-sided element of the doctor-patient relationship - the notes from patients' doctors' visits.
Funded through a $1.4 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Pioneer Portfolio, the 12-month OpenNotes© Project will bring together approximately 100 primary care physicians and 25,000 patients to evaluate the impact on both patients and physicians of sharing the comments and observations made by physicians after each patient encounter.
Physicians and patients at Geisinger Health Systems in Pennsylvania and Harborview Medical Center in Seattle will also participate in the 12-month trial.
To learn more, click here. For a report in American Medical News, click here.
7/2/2009 (4:33:05am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Rafael Campo, MD, a physician and poet, has been appointed Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
The office is based in the Center for Education, where Campo's initial efforts will include coordination of undergraduate and graduate programs to enhance minority recruitment and retention at Harvard Medical School and BIDMC, and collaboration with colleagues in faculty development and academic careers to increase supports for minority faculty at BIDMC.
Campo is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Division of General Medicine and Primary Care at BIDMC where his medical practice serves mostly Latinos,gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered people, and people with HIV infection.
He is an essayist and poet, whose work has appeared in many major antholgies and periodicals.
7/1/2009 (3:38:12pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
The calendar says it is summer, even if you couldn't prove it looking out the window.
But do you want to enjoy a healthy summer, whenever it arrives? Experts at BIDMC weigh in -- from how to prevent five common summer mishaps, to what to put in your first aid kit.
Also, tick bites -- who should be concerned? And avoiding summer sports injuries. Plus, share your healthy grilling recipes!
7/1/2009 (3:28:15pm)Tags: elderly drivers DriveWiseComments: (0)
The headlines have been brimming with news about older drivers involved in accidents, often with fatal outcomes.
BIDMC geriatrician Suzanne Salamon discussed the types of family problems associated with taking away the keys from a loved one in an interview on WGBH-TV's "Greater Boston."
And BIDMC's DriveWise program was at the center of a feature in the Boston Globe about a one-time racing car hobbyist who is coping with his diminishing skills behind the wheel, looking for help in finding the right time to hand over the keys.
For more about DriveWise, click here.
6/19/2009 (12:12:57pm)Tags: primary care patientsComments: (2)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,has launched a pilot program that would allow patients to see notes written about them by their doctors.
Funded with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the "open notes" project will enable about 100 doctors at the hospital and two other sites will allow 25,000 to 35,000 patients to read their physicians' notes for a year as part of their online medical record.
To learn more, please check out this Boston Globe story.
6/19/2009 (12:06:42pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) has awarded full accreditation to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
The three-year accreditation signifies that BIDMC is committed to providing clinical research participants with safeguards that surpass the threshold of state and federal requirements.
To learn more, click here.
6/19/2009 (11:52:37am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center been recognized by the Premier healthcare alliance as a winner of the Premier Award for Quality (AFQ). BIDMC is one of 23 winners out of more than 3,796 eligible hospitals nationwide.
The AFQ recognizes leading healthcare organizations that efficiently provide outstanding patient care and consistently set the standard in clinical excellence nationwide. Distinguished by its consideration of performance-based criteria, including clinical quality outcomes, resource utilization, and clinical process indicators, the AFQ measures top performers at the overall hospital level.
BIDMC was one of just two Massachusetts hospitals named. For more information, click here.
6/15/2009 (11:21:20am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
A busy few days for BIDMC in the news.
Pharmacist Rena Lithotomos told the Boston Herald how she was able to find a job in a down economy: staying in touch with people she knew.
The Jamaica Plain Gazette reported on the decision of Urban Medical to join forces with Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare to continue to provide care for elders and the chronically ill in Boston's Jaimaica Plain neighborhood.
Gastroenterologist Dr. Daniel Leffler spoke with National Public Radio on how diet can help people deal with the impact of celiac disease -- even 13-year-olds who love PBJ on wheat bread.
And BIDMC chief compliance and privacy officer Leon Goldman notes how people may say things online that they would not say otherwise in a CIO Magzine look at the impact of Facebook and Twitter are changing data privacy rules.
6/12/2009 (2:15:59pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center kicked off Pride week by honoring Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons and Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., at its 16th annual LGBT Achievement Awards.
To learn more about the ceremony, please click here.
6/12/2009 (2:03:59pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC physician Danny Sands, a co-author on the first set of guidelines every published on using e-mail in patient care, weighs in on the growth of social media in medical practice.
"On the one hand it is really good to see the human side of your doctor on a site like Facebook," he tells the New York Times. "On the other hand,maybe letting your patient get too close isn't always good for the therapeutic relationship."
6/11/2009 (4:11:41pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BOSTON -- It was not a typical Thursday afternoon for sophomores from Madison Park Vocational Technical High School in Boston. They played Jeopardy!, took a tour of an operating room and watched a gastric endoscopy procedure.
These eight students were members of the Blue Scholars Program, a partnership between Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and the high school.
The Blue Scholars Program targets high potential ninth grade students and provides academic as well as enrichment experiences to help them maintain a B-grade point average or higher, according to Jackie Haley, a community relations specialist for BCBSMA. This unique partnership affords the students opportunities to explore their interests and broaden their access to information and resources so that they may realize their life goals.
To read more about their day, click here.
6/9/2009 (2:39:44pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Twenty-five Boston Public School students were inducted into the Red Sox Scholars Class of 2009 in an on-field ceremony with their BIDMC Medical Champions and Red Sox players at Fenway Park on June 7. The 25 Scholars, who will enter sixth grade in the fall, are all academically talented, financially challenged middle school students in the Boston Public Schools.
Click here to watch a slideshow of photos from the day's events, which started with a meet-and-greet luncheon at Fenway for the Scholars, their family members and BIDMC medical Champions.
Click here to watch a video of the entire ceremony.
The program is the educational cornerstone of the Red Sox Foundation, the team charity of the Boston Red Sox, and is presented by BIDMC, the Official Hospital of the Boston Red Sox and Red Sox Nation. Each of the 25 Scholars will receive a $10,000 college scholarship, along with access to tutoring and mentoring from Red Sox Foundation staff members and other after school enrichment activities. On Sunday, a new sign celebrating the Scholars program and the relationship between the Red Sox and BIDMC was unveiled on the left field side wall of the Green Monster.
6/9/2009 (10:40:46am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
The Celebration of Life is BIDMC's way of recognizing National Cancer Survivors' Day, an annual, worldwide event. The program, held on Sunday, is organized each year by a committee headed by two-time cancer survivor Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW.
"I remember when I was first diagnosed in 1993. I wondered who would care for my 12-year-old daughter," Hill Schnipper said. "I am happy to say that I will be at her wedding in September."
To read more about the day's activities, click here.
6/5/2009 (12:18:54pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BOSTON - What do solid waste disposal and orthopedic surgical implants have in common? To Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's contracting department, they are just two areas where reverse auctions - where vendors bid for the right to provide services - can save money.
To learn more about the onlien auctions and the cost-saving potential, click here.
6/4/2009 (3:15:10pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Six BIDMC hospitalists are among the first to earn the new Fellow in Hospital Medicine (FHM) designation from the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM).
Among those recognized during a recent convention are: Alex Carbo, MD; David Feinbloom, MD; Joseph Li, MD; Melissa Mattison, MD; Anjala Tess, MD; and Nancy Torres-Finnerty, MD.
The physicians are among a select group of 500 chosen by the Society from nearly 30,000 hospitalists in the country. The designation was created to recognize hospitalists which have achieved unique accomplishments in the field of hospital medicine.
To be designated as a fellow, an applicant must be a hospitalist for five years, a member of SHM for three years, demonstrate their dedication to quality and process improvement, commitment to organizational teamwork and leadership, as well as lifelong learning and education.
6/3/2009 (3:57:06pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
After 33 years of continuous partnership with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Urban Medical will formally become part of Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare.
On June 1, the practice changed its name to Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare-Jamaica Plain and will continue to provide services at the same Centre Street location.
Becoming a part of BIDMC's primary care network ensures a natural progression in the historically strong working relationship and a shared mission to provide high-quality, innovative and compassionate primary care to community residents.
"This is the continuation of a partnership. Beth Israel Deaconess and Urban Medical have held shared philosophies about the importance of quality primary care for many years," Chief Executive Officer of Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, Jeffrey H. Liebman, explains. "We are committed to building a model of care that will be successful in the current health care environment while maintaining health services for Jamaica Plain residents."
Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare is a network of approximately 150 primary care and hospitalist physicians practicing in the greater Boston, Needham, Brockton and Milton areas. BIDHC offers the convenience of community-based health care while maintaining close ties to a world-class academic health institution, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
"The goal is not to change the style of care that is currently provided," says Liebman about what the change to Beth Israel Deaconess Healthcare will mean. "It is to enhance what has worked so well for the JP community, and to build on a well-respected and recognized physician practice."
Operating as Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare-Jamaica Plain, the practice will continue to serve the elderly and chronically ill populations seen as a critical part of the organization's mission since its inception. A primary goal moving forward will be to build on long-standing relationships with area sub-acute care facilities.
"This practice has had strong relationships with sub-acute care facilities," said Liebman. "Continuing and building those relationships is very important to us."
6/3/2009 (2:42:22pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center will honor Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons at the 16th Annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Achievement Awards recognizing outstanding contributions towards advancing LGBT issues.
Frank will also serve as keynote speaker.
The ceremony will be held during PRIDE Week on Monday June 8, serving as a way to illustrate BIDMC's commitment to inclusion and respect for the LGBT community.
Frank is outspoken on many civil rights issues, including those affecting the LGBT community. Through the 1990 Immigration Act, Frank advocated for the removal of restrictions based on the "sexual preference exclusion."
In 1998, Frank founded the National Stonewall Democrats, the national LGBT Democratic organization. Honored by countless organizations, in 2009, Frank topped the list of Out Magazine's Annual Power 50 listing.
Simmons is the current mayor of Cambridge and the first openly lesbian African-American mayor in the United States. She is a strong advocate for LGBT rights and as a city councilor, she spearheaded the first ever LGBT town meeting and was instrumental in establishing an LGBT city commission with paid staff. She also created a liaison position within the Cambridge Public Schools to help LGBT parents find LGBT-friendly schools for their children.
This year also marks a renewed partnership between BIDMC and the Sidney Borum Jr. Health Center, which provides medical and mental health services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth with specialty programs for HIV treatment and transgender health issues.
As part of a community service project BIDMC will once again collect toiletries throughout the month of June that will be donated to the Health Center for its patients.
6/2/2009 (2:22:05pm)Tags: Healthy Work/Healthy Home environmentComments: (0)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has received national recognition for his environmental efforts.
Practice Greenhealth, the nation's only membership association devoted to environmentally responsible healthcare, recently offered BIDMC "Partner Recognition" as part of its 2009 Environmental Excellence Award program.
The competitive awards are given within the healthcare sector to institutions for outstanding programs to reduce the facility's environmental footprint.
BIDMC hosts an annual Health Work/Healthy Home event each spring to highlight efforts by people around the medical center to promote and environmental awareness at home and on the job.
6/2/2009 (12:30:51pm)Tags: cancer survivorsComments: (0)
BIDMC's 16th annual Celebration of Life event, brings together cancer survivors and their extended network of family, friends and caregivers.
This free, one-of-a-kind event recognizes the courage and resiliency of cancer survivors and the important people in their lives. It will take place Sunday, June 7, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Avenue.
For many, the day has become an annual marker - much like birthdays and anniversaries - in which they return year after year to unite in a symbolic event to show the world that life after cancer can be a reality. The BIDMC event is part of National Cancer Survivors Day - an annual, worldwide Celebration of Life held in hundreds of communities throughout the United States, Canada, and other participating countries.
This year's event features more than two dozen workshops led by BIDMC medical experts, a special three-hour workshop facilitated by life coach Tracy Fitzpatrick, a survivor's panel discussion led by WCVB-TV reporter and breast cancer survivor, Kelley Tuthill, lively music, art, and many opportunities for participants to share their personal stories.
There is no charge to attend Celebration of Life, but advance registration is required. Please call (617) 632-8037 to register. You can also register or learn more about the day's schedule of events, including a silent auction by visiting the website.
6/1/2009 (1:38:16pm)Tags: mental health counseling teensComments: (0)
BIDMC's Department of Psychiatry and the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) are collaborating on a new special mental health clinic for young people.
The collaboration creates the Center for Early Detection, Assessment, and Response to Risk (CEDAR), a specialized clinic for young people experiencing clinical signs of risk for psychosis, and their families.
For more, click here.
6/1/2009 (11:25:54am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC emergency room physicians will be spending some more time on the Cape this summer.
The urgent care hours, starting July 3, are part of BIDMC's affiliation with the Outer Cape Health Services.
For more details, check out the Cape Cod Times.
5/29/2009 (8:06:08am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
The CBS Evening News has taken a look at BIDMC's handling of the financial hurdles being faced by employers -- and employees -- around the country.
The story follows similiar looks by the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and NBC Nightly News.
5/28/2009 (12:57:39pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC's Parent Connection celebrated its 10th anniversary this month.
Launched as a program providing support for first time mothers in the form of weekly phone calls and a support group, today it offers a Mentoring Moms Service and a New Moms Group.
The mentoring program matches first-time mothers with experienced volunteers who call the new mom weekly for the first 12-weeks post-partum, or "the fourth trimester."
To learn more about where the programd and where groups meet, click here.
5/27/2009 (9:58:05am)Tags: cancer researchComments: (0)
Lewis Cantley, PhD, Director of the Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center will be leading a "Dream Team" looking for potential treatment for breast,ovarian and endometrial cancer.
Cantley, a research pioneer whose discovery of a molecular pathway known as PI3K, one of the most promising avenues for the development of personalized cancer therapies, is leading a team that will receive $15 million in funding from a national coalition called Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C).
A charitable initiative created by the Entertainment Industry Foundation and administered through the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), SU2C was created one year ago with the goal of getting new cancer treatments to patients in an accelerated timeframe.
Following a rigorous selection process, five scientific groups -- comprised of more than 300 individuals from 20 institutions and headed up by seven leaders, four co-leaders and 27 principal researchers, as well as patient advocacy representatives -- were awarded the three-year grants.
For more details, including a video with Cantley, click here.
5/27/2009 (9:44:22am)Tags: heartburn pneumoniaComments: (0)
Ever since a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors were introduced to the market in the late 1980s, the use of these acid-suppressive medications for symptoms of heartburn, acid reflux and other gastrointestinal symptoms has grown tremendously.
This widespread use has extended to the inpatient hospital setting, where patients are often routinely given the medications as a way to prevent the development of stress ulcers.
But, a large prospective study, led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) finds that this routine practice may actually be harmful to patients. In their research, published in of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the researchers found that acid-suppressive medications were associated with a 30 percent increased risk of developing hospital-acquired pneumonia.
The New York Times looks at the study here.
5/26/2009 (12:16:53pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
One of the hardest thing for many people to do is draw the line on what is heart burn and what is a heart attack.
Knowing when to call the doctor and when to muddle through is the focus of this Boston Globe article, which includes the thoughts of BIDMC primary care physician Tom Delbanco.
5/20/2009 (4:54:09pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC's interpreter services department just marked its 30th anniversary, gowing from one Russian interpreter in 1979 to more than 60 people speaking more than 40 languages today.
To learn more about the celebration, click here. For more information about the program, click here.
5/19/2009 (2:31:37pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
National Nurses Week has come and gone but it was not forgotten at BIDMC.
More than 300 guests attended last week's Annual Nursing Awards, held at Fenway Park. For details on scholarship and award recipients, click here.
5/18/2009 (3:41:07pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
As President Barack Obama calls for streamlining heath care by fully converting to electronic medical records and as Congress prepares to debate issues of patient privacy, one question has largely gone unasked: What do patients want?
A qualitative study led by a research team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center helps answer that question. The study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine suggests patients want full access to all of their medical records, are willing to make some privacy concessions in the interest of making their medical records completely transparent, and that, going forward, fully expect that computers will play a major role in their medical care, even substituting for face-to-face doctor visits.
5/18/2009 (3:23:20pm)Tags: walkig fitnessComments: (0)
This month, take a step toward better health-- join The Walking Club. Experts from the Tanger Be Well Center, the Department of Outpatient Rehabilitation, and the CardioVascular Institute provide everything you need to start your own walking program.
Learn proper technique, print out a daily log, or an invitation to invite a coworker to take a walking break with you. Plus, check out our free corporate walking kit which has already inspired Boston businesses and organizations like the Lenox Hotel, Neiman Marcus and the Boston Symphony to create a walking initiative for their employees.
To learn more, www.thebostonchannel.com/health, http://www.wror.com/ www.wtkk.com (click "your health"), and www.bidmc.org/walking.
5/15/2009 (10:55:57am)Tags: ulcers bacteria nutritionComments: (0)
Nearly 20 years ago, it was discovered that bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori were responsible for stomach ulcers. Since then, antibiotics have become the primary therapy used to combat the H. pylori infection, which affects approximately six percent of the world population and is also a primary cause of stomach cancer. But today the bacteria is growing increasingly resistant to antibiotics.
Now a study led by scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrates that the amino acid glutamine, found in many foods as well as in dietary supplements, may prove beneficial in offsetting gastric damage caused by H. pylori infection.
To learn more about the study in the May 2009 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, and the possibility of an alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of stomach ulcers, click here.
5/15/2009 (9:58:56am)Tags: hypertension virusComments: (0)
A new study suggests for the first time that cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common viral infection affecting between 60 and 99 percent of adults worldwide, is a cause of high blood pressure.
Led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and published in today's issue of PLoS Pathogens, the findings also show that in conjunction with other risk factors the virus can lead to the development of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.
"CMV infects humans commonly all over the world," says senior author Clyde Crumpacker, MD, an investigator in the Division of Infectious Diseases at BIDMC and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "This new discovery may eventually provide doctors with a whole new approach to treating hypertension, with anti-viral therapies or vaccines becoming part of the prescription."
Click here to check out media coverage.
5/14/2009 (4:44:19pm)Tags: child birth TwitterComments: (0)
One of the joys of social media is you find friends a lot easier.
Scott and Kelly Riecke offered a Tweet thanking the staff at BIDMC for the care received on the birth of their first child, Samantha Isabelle Riecke.
For non-Twitter fans, the post can also be found here.
Thanks for the thanks!
5/13/2009 (11:56:56am)Tags: defibrillators cardiac careComments: (0)
A cardiologists group called for closer monitoring of the performance of wire leads that connect implanted defibrillators and pacemakers to the heart in the wake of malfunctions that led to patient deaths and product recalls in 2007.
Dr. William Maisel, a BIDMC cardiologist, is co-chair of the Heart Rhythm Society's task force on lead performance. The organization represents doctors who treat cardiac arrhythmias.
Meeting in Boston today, Maisel says his task force is calling for greater visibility of data collected on product performance.
"The measurement and reporting of lead performance are important for clinical decision making, for setting realistic expectations for patients and physicians, for transparency, and for monitoring and improving performance."
For more, click here.
5/13/2009 (11:53:04am)Tags: primary care disasterComments: (0)
BIDMC resident physician Charlotte Wu traveled to the Sichuan region of China to provide medical care and survey the progress of rebuilding after a massive earthquake hit that region May 12 last year.
She and Dr. Kendall Krause write about their experience and where things stand one year later in this article on ABC News.com.
5/12/2009 (11:35:45am)Tags: cardiac women's healthComments: (0)
The DASH diet was initially developed to help patients lower their blood pressure, but a large study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) demonstrates that women who followed the diet also significantly reduced their risk of developing heart failure.
Published in today's issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the findings offer still more evidence that a diet high in plant foods and low in sugar and saturated fats is good for your cardiac health.
To read some of the coverage, click here and here.
5/8/2009 (10:15:38am)Tags: swine flu mediaComments: (1)
The World Health Organization tells us up to two billion people could get the swine flu over the next two years -- if the outbreak turns into a pandemic.
Meanwhile, you have a lot of people wondering if the last few weeks have been nothing more than hype, an overreaction by the media.
First avian flu, now this. Despite all the legitimate preparations to get ready for an inevitable and overdue influenza pandemic, will anyone take it seriously when it does happen?
Thoughts?
5/7/2009 (10:13:40am)Tags: electronic medical records HalamkaComments: (0)
BIDMC chief information officer John Halamka needs to get a chip off his shoulder. Well, out of his arm.
Halamka says the radiofrequency ID chip he had implanted in his arm will turn out to be a dead technology, surpassed by the web as a source of personal medical information.
"As a technology it's dead. Use the network, use the cloud to store your personal health records. Or in a pinch, use a USB drive. But the implanted RFID chip is not as a society where we're going."
But Halamka has no plans to remove the chip.
5/6/2009 (3:20:57pm)Tags: cardiac surgery simulationComments: (0)
New technology available at Beth israel Deaconess Medical Center is making it easier for doctors to train on a simulator before trying a common procedure used during cardiac surgery.
If you have ever seen a doctor about a heart-related issue, chances are you have had an echocardiogram. The most common form of the test involves a technician placing an ultrasound transducer on your chest and getting a shadowy look at your beating heart, its chambers and valves.
But the ultrasound beam during a standard echocardiogram must penetrate the chest wall and lungs, potentially obscuring the image. In that case, a more invasive procedure, a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) must be ordered, threading a probe down the throat to take a look at heart structures. In 25 percent of all cases, this exam turns up something that wasn't previously diagnosed.
For more, please click here.
5/6/2009 (10:07:30am)Tags: alcohol atherosclerosisComments: (0)
It's one of the oldest toasts when people get together to raise a glass and celebrate: "To Your Health!" Now researchers at Beth israel Deaconess Medical Center are trying to learn if there is truth to it.
Kenneth Mukamal, a primary care physician, is looking for participants in a study that could determine whether moderate alcohol consumption could make a difference in the progression of atherosclerosis -- or "hardening of the arteries."
The Boston Globe and WCVB-TV have featured stories on the trial. For more information on the trial, open to men and women 55 or older, click here.
5/5/2009 (3:30:55pm)Tags: Alzheimer's disease deliriumComments: (0)
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Hebrew Senior Life have found a connection between delirium and memory loss related to Alzheimer's disease.
Delirium often develops in elderly patients during hospitalization or serious illness, and this acute state of confusion and agitation has long been suspected of having ties to Alzheimer's and other dementias.
Rsearchers confirm an episode of delirium rapidly accelerates cognitive decline and memory loss in Alzheimer's patients.
To read more about the findings reported in the May 5 issue of the journal Neurology, click here.
5/4/2009 (4:49:49pm)Tags: hand hygiene infection controlComments: (0)
Thought the peer pressure of being "it" in tag was tough when you were a kid?
Clinicians in BIDMC's emergency department have raised the stakes of the game with an adult version that tries to improve complieance with hand hygiene goals.
HealthLeaders Media takes a look at how the effort is going.
5/4/2009 (11:44:00am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that cancer patients who use "positive religious coping," or collaborating with God to overcome illness, are more likely to seek heroic measures in an attempt to prolong life.
Because religious patients often trust in God's sovereignty and an afterlife, "one might expect them to be more accepting of death and let nature take its course at the end of life, rather than pursuing very aggressive treatments," says Dr. Andrea Phelps, lead author on the study and senior medical resident at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical in Boston.
But, Phelps says, a few reasons might help explain why religious cancer patients commonly opt for aggressive care in their final days, inlcuding Faith leads to optimism, even when a prognosis is bleak; Faith gives purpose to suffering, and in turn helps patients muster stamina for invasive treatments; Beliefs about sanctity of life may give rise to a quest to prolong life at almost any cost.
Patient Kevin Brumett says determined to fight the disease, and says God is on his side every step of the way. He hopes his fight can help others who share his condition.
To learn more abaout Kevin and his personal battle, please click here.
5/1/2009 (2:41:16pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
The Associated Press reports that the influenza virus is"a very unusual" four-way combination of human genes and genes from swine viruses found in North America, Asia and Europe.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also report "we do not see the markers for virulence that were seen in the 1918 virus."
5/1/2009 (10:47:46am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Get a sneak preview of what's in store at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham when a 37,000 square foot expansion opens for business later this year.
Join a reporter from Boston.com's Your Town/Needham for a quick tour.
5/1/2009 (10:00:12am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is proud to host the national offices of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship -- and serve as the sister hospital to the insitution founded by Dr. Schweitzer in Lambaréné, Gabon in 1913.
The Fellowship recently announced its roster of 2009-2010 fellows, including a group of Boston area medical, public health and nursing students who will work on a wide range of health-related projects.
It is also sponsoring a May 9th symposium in Boston on reducing health disparities that will feature ABC News' Dr. Tim Johnson; Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher; Mass. Secretary of Health & Human Services JudyAnn Bigby; Chief of Staff to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino Judith Kurland; and four Schweitzer Fellows for Life.
To stay up to date on the Fellowship, you can also check out its new blog, "Beyond Boulders," named for Dr. Schweitzer's description that the necessary obstacles and challenges we all must overcome are "boulders."
5/1/2009 (9:43:53am)Tags: scoliosis spine surgeryComments: (0)
Here's Part II of Channel 5's look at "Rhonda's Story" focusing on her surgery and recovery from spinal surgery to correct scoliosis.
4/30/2009 (2:43:15pm)Tags: dinosaurs birds evolution Comments: (0)
Ancient protein dating back 80 million years to the Cretaceous geologic period has been preserved in bone fragments and soft tissues of a hadrosaur, or duck-billed dinosaur, according to a study in the May 1 issue of Science.
Led by scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and North Carolina State University (NCSU), the new findings support earlier results from analyses suggesting that collagen protein survived in the bones of a well preserved Tyrannosaurus rex, and offer robust new evidence supporting previous conclusions that birds and dinosaurs are evolutionarily related.
For more, click here.
4/30/2009 (12:58:16pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
The swine flu has prompted some creative approaches to getting the message out. Check out this singing piece of advice.
4/30/2009 (12:46:23pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC emergency physician Greg Ciottone says there no need to panic over swine. Just use common sense.
In an interview with WBUR-FM, recomends good hygiene as the best approach to coping.
A disaster medicine expert, he also says Massachusetts has been preparing for a flu pandemic for quite some time.
More than a year ago, we started thinking pretty hard about avian influenza," said Ciottone. "Compared to the response plan to this, the H1N1 [swine flu] is fairly similar so, yes, we do have a disaster plan that's in place, ready to be implemented, and if need be, we'll rely on that," he added.
4/30/2009 (11:45:31am)Tags: scoliosis spine surgeryComments: (0)
WCVB-TV is in the middle of an amazing two-part story about a former colleague of theirs who is now the head of marketing at BIDMC.
Rhonda Mann underwent surgery in February to correct a lifelong problem with scoliosis, a curvature of the spine that, if untreated, can threaten good health and even a person's life.
Watch Part 1 here and tune in tonight at 5:55 p.m. for Part II.
And by the way, Rhonda is working her way back to work, less than three months after surgery.
4/29/2009 (4:43:37pm)Tags: workforce development Comments: (0)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) was honored by Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) with the 2009 Business Leadership Award during its Spring Gala at the Intercontinental Hotel in Boston on Tuesday, April 28.
The award recognizes BIDMC's considerable investment in its employees through initiatives such as BIDMC's five pipeline programs, which train employees for higher paying jobs in health care, and the Employee Career Initiative, a service providing one-on-one career and academic counseling and free on-site pre-college and college-level science courses.
In 2008, BIDMC partnered with the JVS Healthcare Training Institute to provide four different levels of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), English Pronunciation, and citizenship classes.
Accepting the 2009 Business Leadership award was BIDMC President and CEO Paul Levy. While introducing him City Council President Michael Ross said, "The leadership at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center understands the importance that higher education plays in advancing a career path."
In accepting the award, Levy stressed the role Workforce Development Director Joanne Pokaski played in creating these programs.
"By collaborating with organizations like JVS, The Boston Foundation and others, Joanne has put together an outstanding program so reflective of the core values that were established at BIDMC over 100 years ago," Levy said.
For more, please click here.
4/29/2009 (2:09:12pm)Tags: volunteer awards radiologyComments: (0)
Four years ago, Rodney Latney was homeless. He woke up one day, realized how blessed he was to be alive and vowed to change his situation. He joined the Moving Ahead Program in Boston, which helped him to identify three career goals. One of the professions he matched with was that of an X-ray technician.
On Sunday, April 27, Latney received the Jack Arvedon Award, recognizing him for hours spent volunteering in Orthopaedic Radiology at BIDMC. He also received a pin for volunteering 100 hours at the medical center and it was announced that he had recently been named to the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society at Bunker Hill Community College, where he has spent the past 18 months completing the prerequisites to enter the radiology technician program.
"I am shocked to be getting this award," Latney said. "I volunteer because I am interested in radiology. I didn't know it would be so rewarding."
The award is given annually for a volunteer who has contributed a minimum of 100 hours and shown the most flexibility, commitment and positive attitude over the year. Latney said when he was going through the Moving Ahead Program, he was introduced to Stacey McKinnon in the Department of Radiology at BIDMC. When he expressed an interest in pursuing a career as a radiology technician, McKinnon connected him to Terry Morgan, Program Coordinator, Volunteer Services. He has volunteered each Thursday afternoon in Orthopaedic Radiology for nearly a year and a half.
"When I put on my BIDMC shirt and badge, I feel like I am part of something special," Latney said.
Latney was one of many volunteers honored during the annual Volunteer Recognition Reception held in the atrium of the Carl J. Shapiro Clinical Center. In 2008, 451 people volunteered a total of 36,758 hours at BIDMC, saving the hospital $892,852.
4/28/2009 (4:35:24pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
The world, and the medical one in particular, continues to hold its breath wondering whether the swine flu outbreak will become a full-fledged pandemic or fade into the overhyped oblivion of 1976.
The best thing to do to keep yourself informed about conditions in Massachusetts and around the country is to check in with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health blog or with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.There are some basic rules to follow to:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Practice good "cough etiquette" by coughing or sneezing into a tissue, or into your elbow instead of into your hands.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you get sick, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to avoid infecting them.
We'll post more here as details become available.
4/28/2009 (12:08:54pm)Tags: patient safety graduate medical educationComments: (0)
The 2003 Institute of Medicine's report "Health Professions Education: a Bridge to Quality" argued for the education of health professionals in patient safety, a topic that is indisputably a fundamental goal of medical education. While there's been work done to develop frameworks and patient safety curricula, there is limited guidance on actual teaching methods, learner experiences, and strategies for implementation of curricula.
The Millennium Conference 2009, sponsored by the Carl J. Shapiro Institute for Education and Research at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts attempt to address that issue.
Millennium Conference 2009 will involve nine medical schools in the generation of strategies to teach patient safety across the undergraduate and graduate medical education levels.
Among the questions to be explored are: what are the most important elements to teach in patient safety? How should it be taught? How can the challenges in teaching patient safety be overcome
The conference, being held May 7-9 at Babson College, will feature keynote speaker, Dennis O'Leary, is the former director of The Joint Commission. BIDMC President and CEO Paul Levy will address the question of "implementing patient safety initiatives at a time of limited resources."
4/27/2009 (1:44:58pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reports the swine flu outbreak that started in Mexico and has appeared in a number of states has bypassed Massachusetts so far.
DPH has put out a fact sheet about swine flu, the precautions you can take and what you should do if you come down with flu-like symptoms.
4/27/2009 (1:39:18pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Pulmonary fibrosis is an incurable condition in which tissue deep in your lungs becomes thick and stiff, or scarred, over time. The development of the scarred tissue is called fibrosis. As the lung tissue becomes thicker, your lungs lose their ability to move oxygen into your bloodstream, and your brain and other organs don't receive the oxygen they need. (See How the Lungs Work for more information.)
In some cases, doctors can find out what is causing the fibrosis. But in most cases, they can't find a cause, a condition known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
On Saturday May 2, the Interstitial Lung Diseases Center of the Pulmonary, Sleep and Critical Care Division of the Department of Medicine is sponsoring a patient symposium for patients, families and friends suffering from, or interested in IPF, which affects about 150,000 people in the US. This meeting will bring together about 150-200 people, one of the largest gatherings of patients in the US.
Topics will include general information about the disease, strategies for living better with the manifestations of the disease, and promising new treatments. The meeting also provides a networking opportunity for patients and families (who are often homebound with limited ability to meet/discuss their illnesses) with other patients and families who are similarly afflicted.
For details on the symposium, click here. To register, click here or call 617-667-5864.
4/24/2009 (1:55:09pm)Tags: anesthesia critical care pain managementComments: (0)
Brett Simon, MD, PhD, has joined Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) as Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine.
For the past 17 years, Simon has served the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore - since 2001 as Chief, Division of Adult Anesthesia, and additionally for the past five years as Vice-Chair for Faculty Development. He is widely recognized as an outstanding scientist, clinician, teacher and mentor, something Johns Hopkins' residents clearly recognized when they selected him four times for their highest honor - the Outstanding Teaching Award. "Trainees are the future of our specialty and teaching is one of the reasons I enjoy medicine," he says.
4/6/2009 (1:17:06pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC's response to the financial hurdles posed by the economic downturn continues to receive national attention.
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer contrasted the BIDMC approach with companies nationally -- and then did a separate web-only feature that zeroed in on the hospital.
The decision by BIDMC's chiefs of service to donate a portion of their salaries to help close the gap and triim layoffs was featured in American Medical News, a publication of the American Medical Association.
4/3/2009 (9:55:08am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
NBC Nightly News featured BIDMC on Thursday's "Making a Difference" segment.
The story looks at how BIDMC reacted when facing a $20 million budget shortfall that put 600 jobs at risk. t looks at how the staff rallied together to save their colleagues' jobs, volunteering to take pay cuts and fewer shifts.
3/30/2009 (4:12:20pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BOSTON - Buoyed by an outpouring of goodwill and shared sacrifice from staff and physicians, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center will be able to significantly trim costs and reduce the number of employees who will lose their job in the current economic downturn.
The economic game plan developed by President and CEO Paul Levy after a series of 11 "town hall meetings" with staff, shrinks potential layoffs from 600 to less than 140. The plan includes a temporary freeze in wages, matching 401(k) contributions and adjustments in vacation accrual. The plan exempts the medical center's lowest-paid workers - housekeepers, transporters, food service workers materials handlers, drivers/couriers, mailroom assistants, patient observers, and unit assistants from the wage freeze.
Employees have launched an effort to support their colleagues, helping staff to quickly and easily make a gift in support of the hospital. In its first hours online, the fund received nearly a dozen gifts, including a $500 gift from a nurse.
The medical center's staff effort was joined by 13 chiefs of the clinical departments, who collectively accepted pay cuts of $350,000 to create a Physicians Support BIDMC Fund. The chiefs who do not technically work for the medical center, but instead are employed Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at BIDMC - encouraged their physician colleagues throughout the medical center to join the effort.
To read more, please click here. And to learn more about how BIDMC has been joined by other Boston businesses, check out this Globe story.
3/30/2009 (4:09:51pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has been named one of the Top 100 Hospitals in the United States based in overall organizational performance according to the annual study released Monday by the Healthcare business of Thomson Reuters.
BIDMC was the only Massachusetts hospital named in the survey.
To learn more, click here.
3/19/2009 (2:47:06pm)Tags: DriveWise palliative careComments: (0)
BIDMC clinicians have been busy in a variety of media forums recently. Check them out.
The DriveWise program, directed by social worker Lissa Robins Kapust, helps elders and their families decide when it's time to turn in the car keys. The program was featured earlier this month on WFXT-TV.
Medical resident Andrea Phelps, MD, was the lead author in a new study that looks at the impact of religion and aggressive end-of-life care. For a press release, click here. For a video news release, click here.
3/13/2009 (4:25:50pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
University of Minnesota professor Gary Schwitzer discusses how health journalism has been rapidly declining in quality due to budget issues, shrinking newsrooms and pressure from upper management.
You can watch him talk about his study here.
3/11/2009 (3:01:31pm)Tags: Dimock Center pharmacy community healthComments: (0)
Working with support from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), The Dimock Center has announced the completion of a full-service pharmacy on-site in its health center.
The addition of the pharmacy now provides patients of The Dimock Center with convenient access to prescription medications at little or no cost to qualified individuals.
For more, click here.
3/11/2009 (2:53:36pm)Tags: migraine headaches domestic violenceComments: (0)
Lisa Hartwick, director of BIDMC's Center for Violence for Prevention and Recovery, offered some insights on why women go back to their batterers and what it takes to break the cycle in an interview with WBUR's "On Point". You can hear it here.
Primary care physician Ken Mukamal received widespread national and international attention for a study published in the journal Neurology. Mukamal and his team found higher temperatures, and to a lesser degree, lower barometric pressure, contribute to severe headaches.
You can read the press release here, and get a sample of press coverage -- on this and other topics -- here.
3/4/2009 (10:33:30am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BOSTON - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and MetroWest Medical Center (MWMC) are talking about working together.
BIDMC and MWMC have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore an affiliation. If successful, the agreement will lead to the expansion of a services offered at MetroWest, create a clinical integration model that would improve patient access to specialty care in the community hospital setting and offer the MetroWest community access to advanced medical care at BIDMC.
Read more about it here. Or check out coverage in the Globe and the MetroWest Daily News.
3/3/2009 (4:05:46pm)Tags: childhood obesity lifestyleComments: (0)
BIDMC nurse educator (and fellow blogger) Linda Trainor, has written a brook aimed at helping children understand the risk obesity poses to leading a healthy life.
"Bradley the Dog Who Couldn't Stop Eating" portrays an overweight do who likes ice cream and video games.
"Bradley is an overweight dog who got angry after the other pups kept teasing him about his weight," Trainor recounted. "He told the coach, 'I don't want to be picked last any more, and I want to have fun!' The book focuses on having fun as the carrot for physical activity and healthy eating."
Trainor told Advance for Nurses that she will be piloting the book as part of a grassroots program for first and second graders in Princeton, MA. It will be available online through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Cine Med, a publisher of medical texts, will serve as a distributor and plans to send brochures to bariatric physicians. Trainor would like to see the book in pediatricians' offices, as well.
2/27/2009 (10:13:37am)Tags: emergency medicine cardiac arrestComments: (0)
BIDMC emergency room technician Alex Santos was a man in the right place at the right time on Wednesday night -- and an MBTA commuter can thank him and two other riders for being alive today.
Read about his quick actions here or watch him talk about it here.
2/25/2009 (10:53:13am)Tags: pregnancy diabetesComments: (0)
Two upcoming web chats on bidmc.org worth noting.
Becoming a mother is a life-changing experience. As your body changes and you prepare to bring your new baby into your home, you may have a lot of questions.
Rebekah Viloria, MD, FACOG answers your questions about what to expect during your pregnancy, your delivery and those few days after you arrive home with your new baby.
Check it out March 11th at 12 noon.
And on March 25th at 3 p.m., Eleftheria (Terry) Maratos-Flier, M.D., answers your questions about successfully managing diabetes in all aspects of your life - at work, home and play - and the keys to remaining healthy and living well.
2/25/2009 (10:38:24am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
While the recession is taking its toll on programs and services around the nation, the Boston University Daily Free Press has found that medical centers and hospitals throughout Boston are still ensuring that non-English speaking patients receive accurate and complete medical assistance through medical translators in their native languages.
Reporter Jacqueline Lacy spoke to the Shari Gold-Gomez, director of BIDMC Interpreter Services, as part of the story that can be found here.
2/25/2009 (10:27:05am)Tags: breast cancer biopsy stressComments: (0)
Women and their partners know first hand about the psychological stress of waiting for breast biopsy results. But a new study says the stress is physical too.
BIDMC radiologist Elvira Lang was lead author of a study that found higher levels of the hormone cotisol in woman awaiting biospy results. The hormone is produced by the adrenal gland and is often referred to as the "stress hormone."
To learn more about the study, click here. To read a discussion in The New York Times' Well blog, click here. And for an audio report, listen to this story from Boston's WBUR-FM.
2/23/2009 (11:51:19am)Tags: surgery transplant surgeryComments: (0)
Douglas Hanto, MD, PhD, chief of the Transplant Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, has been elected as a director of the American Board of Surgery (ABS).
Hanto, the Lewis Thomas Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, will represent the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS). His six-year-term on the 38-member will begin on July 1.
As a director, Hanto will take part in setting the standards for board certification and maintenance of certification in general surgery and its related subspecialties in the United States. He will also participate in the development of ABS examinations and as an examiner in the oral examinations that are given as part of the board certification process.
In particular, he will contribute his expertise in the field of transplant surgery.
ABS directors are distinguished surgeons in education, research and practice, and represent the principal surgical organizations in the U.S.
The ABS is one of the 24 member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties.
The American Board of Surgery (ABS) is an independent, non-profit organization founded in 1937 for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training and knowledge. Surgeons certified by the ABS, known as diplomates, have completed a minimum of five years of surgical residency training following medical school and successfully completed a written and oral examination process administered by the ABS.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and consistently ranks among the top four in National Institutes of Health funding among independent hospitals nationwide. BIDMC is clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit www.bidmc.org .
2/23/2009 (11:37:51am)Tags: end stage renal disease health insuranceComments: (0)
Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, will discuss the role of government in health care as the keynote speaker during a Harvard Medical School conference on end stage renal disease.
Bennett will be joined at the podium over the course of the conference by Stuart Altman, PhD, Professor of National Health Policy at Brandeis University and Drew E. Altman, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Henry J. Kaiser. Family Foundation.
"ESRD: State of the Art and Charting the Challenges for the Future," is a three-day continuing medical education conference for specialists in kidney care and renal disease. It is being held April 23-26 and is sponsored by the Department of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Thomas F. Parker III, MD, and Theodore I. Steinman, MD, are the course directors.
The Steering Committee, developers of the program and representatives of the most important national and international nephrology organizations, have recruited an international faculty of nephrology experts to explore successes and shortcomings in dialysis treatment, developing a pathway for future care in a cost effective manner.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and consistently ranks among the top four in National Institutes of Health funding among independent hospitals nationwide. BIDMC is clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit www.bidmc.org/ESRD
2/5/2009 (12:16:17pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BOSTON- Two Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) employees were honored during a Feb. 4 celebration breakfast congratulating this year’s awardees from The Partnership, Inc.- a program designed to help career growth and networking for professionals of color in the city of Boston.
Wayne Rhymer, Lab Control Manager, Pathology, and Earl Stephen, Practice Administrator, Labor and Delivery, will both be joining the Associates Program which builds a foundation of skills and resources for professionals in the formative stages of their careers.
Colleagues came together for a congratulatory breakfast to share a cup of coffee and some conversation while celebrating the people who make BIDMC a special place to work.
“This is one of my favorite events of the year because we get to come together and recognize some of the superstars of the hospital who will now have a year-long adventure with other superstars from employers around the city,” said Joanne Pokaski, Director, Workforce Development.
Since 1987, The Partnership has worked with more than 250 firms and organizations to help them effectively develop, retain and attract professionals of color. The Partnership’s programs underscore three inter-related curriculum components: Professional Development, Relationship Building and Civic Engagement. Programs span one calendar year.
BIDMC has been a sponsoring organization since 1990, sending 30 professionals (including Rhymer and Stephen) through the Partnership program.
"We focus a lot of time on leadership development throughout the medical center, and it is particularly important to recognize our leaders of color," said Eric Buehrens, Chief Operating Officer. "We can't provide the best care to patients without a diverse work force, and we can't have a diverse work force without developing our best managers and leaders of color.”
Wayne Rhymer started his career at BIDMC as Senior Medical Technologist in 1994. In 2002 he became a Clinical Lab Evenings/Nights Supervisor and in 2005 was promoted to Clinical Manager, Pathology – Lab Control. On a daily basis he manages a 24-hour operation at two locations. His focus is to ensure accurate and timely lab results; manage all resources within budget; make new technology operational; and oversee almost 40 employees. Outside of work Rhymer is very involved in his community’s church, mentoring a young boys group and helping the children’s choir.
When Rhymer addressed those gathered at the celebration, he joked that as a young boy in St. Croix he was always the last one to be picked for the various sports teams. “That was until I discovered track and field,” he said. “The event I enjoyed the most was the relay – the combination of being part of a team and doing your part. Today, I feel I have joined a great team with a remarkable legacy. I am humbled when I stand in this room and look at not only those who are here, but also the rainbow of minorities that were at our first Partnership meeting. It is encouraging to know we have joined a league of extraordinary men and women. I am honored and privileged to be a part of that team.”
Rhymer was nominated for the program by his supervisor, Gina McCormack, Operations Director, Pathology.
Earl Stephen is a Practice Administrator in Labor & Delivery and has been with BIDMC for two years. He supervises a team of 25 support staff who process over 5,000 deliveries a year. Stephen’s contributions, confidence, and dedication make him a valuable member of the L&D team. Outside of work Stephen spends his time with his three children and is very involved in coaching and directing a youth basketball league.
“I’m delighted to have the privilege to represent the hospital,” said Stephen. “This is a great opportunity for me, but it is also an opportunity for me to take what I learn and apply it to my managerial skills to better lead in my area of expertise in the medical center.”
Stephen was nominated for the program by his supervisor, Hope Ricciotti, MD, Vice Chair of Medical Education for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Marcia Kimm, Program Manager for The Partnership, Inc., said that Rhymer and Stephen were in for an exciting year that would benefit both them and BIDMC. “The point of then program is to help our leaders of color develop and learn new skills so they can make a difference in their organization.”
Toby Grooms, Project Manager, Pulmonary, a 2001 Associate, said the experience opened new doors to both professional development and friendships with new colleagues throughout Boston. “It was a great year in which you meet other people of color, like yourself, and share in each other’s successes,” said Grooms. “Then you get to bring that back to the hospital. It’s not that it was just a great experience for me, but I think it helped everyone I work with.”
2/2/2009 (12:11:12pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC hosted 27 students from the John D. O’Bryant and New Mission high schools in Roxbury Friday, Jan. 30, as part of the 14th annual Groundhog Job Shadow Day offering career insights to area high school students.
The BIDMC event is a partnership between the Boston Public Schools and the Boston Private Industry Council.
Students were paired with BIDMC staff members to “shadow” professionals in various medical center jobs such as Nursing, Surgery, Interpreter Services, Radiology, and Administration.
Ken Souza, a Cast Technologist in Orthopaedics, hosted three students from O'Bryant High School. One of his students, Jessica Edouard, was a return visitor from last year's BIDMC job shadow day where she got a first-hand look at the job of a medical center Interpreter with Fernanda Fernandez, Interpreter Services. This year, Edouard had the opportunity to feel what it was like to have a cast put on her arm as Souza demonstrated the art and science of cast-making by putting the layers of gauze and molding on Edouard's right hand. While applying the removable cast Souza explained the precise angles at which the hand needs to be for proper healing.
After the students completed the day with their hosts, they assembled for lunch and a discussion of what they had seen and learned. Stories ranged from accounts of the small preemie babies in the NICU to shock that a patient could be fed through a tube. One student even got to witness a Cyberknife procedure.
When asked if they would consider working in a hospital or healthcare field almost half the students raised their hands. For some, this experience solidified an already existing interest in a medical career – as it did for Douglas Skyers, a senior at O’Bryant High School. Skyers said he knows he wants to be a surgeon but is still considering specialties. In addition to confirming a career choice, Skyers also took away another important lesson from the shadow experience.
“I learned that communication is always key,” Skyers said, “Everyone needs to work together and I also learned that it’s good to have an open mind and listen to your patients.”
Carolyn Urena from New Mission High School was scared of sick patients before her job shadow experience. After spending a few hours with her host Asha Kasaraneni, MS, RD, LDN, CNSD, she quickly got over that fear. Kasaraneni is a transplant nutritionist and during her visits with patients Urena saw how technology, such as a dialysis machine, was helping some of the patients waiting for transplants.
“I also didn’t know you could feed a patient through a tube or that a machine could actually breathe for a patient,” said Urena.
Urena’s host said it was a great experience for her as well.
“It’s interesting to hear their perspectives on what we do,” said Kasaraneni, “I wish I had something like this when I was in school.”
After hearing some of their job shadow stories, Bill Rawlinson, Assistant Director, Boston Private Industry Council, told the students that this is an experience that could have a great impact on their lives.
“Even if you don’t want to pursue a career in this field you’ve had the opportunity to shadow someone who is successful in what they do,” said Rawlinson. “If nothing else, you can adopt the traits you saw in them into what you want to do in your careers.”
BIDMC has been participating in Job Shadow Day since it began fourteen years ago and the program keeps growing each year. This year’s group of 27 students was up considerably from last year’s 20 – and the 12 from in 2007.
“We see more and more interest each year from both the students who are ready to learn and the BIDMC employees who are eager to teach,” said Emily Beck, Workforce Development Specialist, who helped organize this event.
Beck says this is also a great opportunity to tell the students about the summer internship program at BIDMC. The guidance counselor from O’Bryant High School was present while the students talked about their experiences and said she would likely be getting a lot of requests from the students about this come Monday morning.
1/28/2009 (10:48:19am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BOSTON - Richard Schwartzstein, MD, Vice President of Education and Associate Division Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, has been named director of the Harvard Medical School Academy.
Schwartzstein succeeds George Thibault, MD, who left HMS last year to become president of the Macy Foundation.
In his new position, Schwartzstein will hold the Ellen and Melvin Gordon Chair for Medical Education and will be a key adviser on the broader aspects of education at HMS.
Schwartzstein has been an active clinical educator and researcher since he came onto the HMS faculty over 20 years ago. He is an HMS Professor of Medicine and a senior physician in the Department of Medicine at BIDMC, where he has been involved in laboratory and clinical studies of the physiology of dyspnea, or shortness of breath. He sees patients as a practicing pulmonologist and critical care physician.
Schwartzstein is Course Director of Integrated Human Physiology in the first-year New Pathway curriculum, and he developed the Principal Clinical Experience program at BIDMC for third-year students. He is Co-Chair of the Year 1 Fundamentals of Medicine Committee and serves as the Executive Director of the Carl J. Shapiro Institute for Education and Research. In addition to many awards and honors for his teaching at HMS and Beth Israel Deaconess, Schwartzstein has received prestigious national teaching awards, including the Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teaching Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Schwartzstein assumes the leadership during a time of transformation for the Academy. In response to recommendations from the Strategic Advisory Group on Education, the Academy will be reborn as the HMS Academy for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation.
The new HMS Academy will work with educators across the curriculum on innovative methods and technologies to enhance learning and assessment of medical students and graduate students, as well as postgraduate clinical and research trainees, and will provide support for faculty members engaged in educational research. Current activities of the Academy will continue under the leadership of Charles Hatem, the Harold Amos Academy professor at HMS and BIDMC and an HMS Professor of Medicine at Mt. Auburn Hospital.
The new HMS Academy will also work with the HMS teaching hospitals to enhance
1/27/2009 (3:54:43pm)Tags: primary care public healthComments: (0)
J. Jacques Carter, MD, has been named recipient of the 2008 Public Health Leadership Award given by the Friends of Brookline Public Health.
Carter will receive the honor at the Friends annual meeting Feb. 10 at the Brookline Health Department.
A senior physician at Health Care Associates at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Carter is being recognized for his tireless advocacy for public health and service to the Town of Brookline.
Carter served as Chair of Brookline Advisory Council on Public Health for 13 years. He is the cofounder and former president of the Friends of Brookline Public Health. He is immediate-past president of the Harvard School of Public Health Alumni Association and a current director of the Harvard Alumni Association.
He is also the Medical Director of the Prostate Cancer Screening and Education Program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
1/27/2009 (3:11:06pm)Tags: gene therapy rheumatoid arthritisComments: (0)
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are describing a promising treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
A study published in the February issue of the journal Human Gene Therapy reports the first clinical evidence of the benefits of gene therapy in reducing symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
This is an important milestone for the promising treatment which has endured a sometimes turbulent past. The study looks at findings involving two patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis conducted in Germany and led by an investigator at BIDMC.
For more details, click here.
1/23/2009 (11:36:00am)Tags: cancer researchComments: (0)
PALO ALTO , CALIF. - The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation announced today that Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researcher John Rinn, PhD, has been awarded a 2009 Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award. The three-year $450,000 prize is made to early-career researchers who are using "novel approaches to fighting cancer."
Rinn, who is also a member of the faculty at the Broad Institute in Cambridge and Assistant Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School is one of three investigators selected from nearly 300 applicants nationwide.
For more, please check this out.
1/23/2009 (11:31:21am)Tags: primary care researchComments: (0)
Jerry Smetana, MD, a primary care physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, recently received a gift from a former patient that left him breathless.
A letter arrived with a single, short paragraph informing Smetana that Harvey Picker had left him $1 million to be used for his tireless work authoring systematic and clinical reviews.
Picker, a physicist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, died in March 2008. His relationship with BIDMC began in 1987 when he and Tom Delbanco, MD, built the Picker Institute, a non-profit dedicated to promoting patient-centered care. Picker later asked Delbanco to recommend a primary care physician and Delbanco referred him to Smetana.
As their doctor-patient relationship developed, Picker began to take a personal interest in Smetana's research. "Some people just ask to be polite, but I could tell he was curious about my work," Smetana said. "I began to share my papers with him and tell him about new projects. Since my work focused on training clinicians to provide better patient care, it related to his work at the Picker Institute."
Smetana is an international leader in the field of perioperative medicine as well as an accomplished scholar in systematic reviews. He advocates that physicians hone their clinical judgment and learn to enjoy talking with their patients about their stories when formulating a diagnosis versus relying solely on test results and technology.
Picker asked how Smetana found the time to see patients and conduct his research. Smetana said his reviews were a labor of love, often done at night and on the weekends due to the amount of time involved and the lack of funding. His candid response inspired Picker to make a financial donation to ensure Smetana had a dedicated amount of time during the day to work on his research.
"The contribution was to last three to four years," Smetana said. "I began sending Harvey copies of all of my work. He became more than a patient. He was a role model."
Picker made a second gift once the first ran out. When Picker died last spring, Smetana began to wonder what would become of his work.
"I was at a point where I needed to either find more funding or scale back on my scholarly work," Smetana said. "To then receive word of this support, I had an unbelievable sense of being humbled and honored. Now I don't have to worry about funding and I can take on projects based on their merit without worrying about the cost or time involved."
Smetana will use the money to continue his research and also to create the Harvey Picker Fellowship in Evidence Based Medicine at BIDMC. The annual fellowship will be open to a junior faculty member in the Division of General Medicine and Primary Care to conduct systematic reviews of a clinical topic. Smetana is in the process of putting together the selection committee and hopes to identify the first fellow this year.
"When Harvey passed away, it never occurred to me that he would remember me like this," Smetana said. "I was completely surprised."
1/22/2009 (11:40:31am)Tags: electronic medical records HalamkaComments: (0)
President Barack Obama has proposed a plan to computerize the nation's electronic medical records.
"In five years, every doctor in every hospital will use electronic medical records and be able to exchange data," said John Halamka, the chief information officer for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
For the full story, click here.
1/19/2009 (2:34:50pm)Tags: CyberKnife radiation oncology cancer tumorsComments: (0)
Experience matters to Frank Cleary. Diagnosed first with melanoma and then brain tumors, the retired Boston attorney turned to the Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
His treatment would include a new type of therapy -- a targeted way to apply cancer-fighting radiation called the CyberKnife Sterotactic Radiosurgery system. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center was the first in New England to offer the leading-edge therapy.
Recently, he became the 1,000th patient to undergo treatment at BIDMC's Keith C. Field CyberKnife Center.
Today, Cleary is feeling well. "I've been able to continue my daily routine," he says. "I'm very thankful."
More on his story here.
More on the CyberKnife system here.
1/13/2009 (2:32:13pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Marjorie Mills, a domestic violence/family advocate, at the Bowdoin Street Health Center, and Patrick Thomas, BIDMC Operations and Contracting, have been honored by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center with the 2009 Martin Luther King, Jr. and YMCA Black Achievers Award.
Mills and Thomas were selected for the award from a group of employees nominated by their managers for outstanding leadership at BIDMC. The award is designed to recognize employees for their career accomplishments, commitment to the community and time devoted to the development of young people.
For more, please check this out.
1/13/2009 (2:19:56pm)Tags: medicine surgery BIDMCComments: (0)
Hospitals can be scary places, no matter what time of the day or night. But when the sun goes down, it's unlikely a hospital would be on the Top 10 favorite places list of most people.
But for a dedicated group of men and women, it's the only place to be.
Spend some time with the men and women who care for patients or help keep the place running. You will be glad you did.
1/7/2009 (5:32:52pm)Tags: health care costs physiciansComments: (0)
The drive toward containing health care costs could have the unintended consequence of reducing physician productivity, impairing quality and perhaps even increasing costs, two Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center physicians suggest in a New England Journal of Medicine "Perspective."
Citing studies in behavioral economics and psychology, Pamela Hartzband, MD and Jerome Groopman MD, express the fear that assigning a monetary value to every aspect of a physician's time could prove to be self-defeating.
"There is also a communal relationship, an expectation and obligation to help when assistance is needed," Hartzband and Groopman write in NEJM's Jan. 8, 2009 edition. "We believe that in the current environment, the balance has tipped toward market exchanges at the expense of medicine's communal or social dimensions."
The physicians, an endocrinologist and hematologist-oncologist respectively, note the environment in which they work has long been one where a colleague would not hesitate to stop in a corridor and offer a colleague his or her thoughts on a complex case.
"Now imagine that they had just left a departmental meeting where a divisional budget was reviewed and goals for individual relative value units (RVUs, the monetary metric of physicians' time and effort) were presented. Would their interaction be different?"
The physicians cite studies that suggest the answer is yes. Experiments found money-primed subjects were consistently less willing to extend themselves to those who needed help.
In one study, a control group asked to do a favor without compensation was significantly more willing to help move a sofa than those offered a token payment.
These experiments have a greater meaning in a profession where marketplace and communal relationships live side by side.
"Many physicians we know are so alienated and angered by the relentless pricing of their day that they wind up having no desire to do more than the minimum required for the financial ‘bottom line,'" they write. "In our view, this cultural shift risks destroying some essential aspects of the medical profession that contribute to high quality health care, including pride of profession, sense of duty, altruism and collegiality.
"Extending oneself to patients, families, trainees and colleagues not only is a traditional element of care, but translates into more effective care."
Hartzband and Groopman suggest that new trends in primary care may offer an opportunity to restore balance. The "patient-centered medical home" is being envisioned as a "compassionate partnership" between caregivers and patients, with compensation for what is now unreimbursed time.
"Caregivers should be appropriately reimbursed but should not be constantly primed by money. Success in such a model will require collegiality, cooperation and teamwork - precisely the behaviors that are predictably eroded by a marketplace environment."
1/7/2009 (4:11:09pm)Tags: transplant organ donationComments: (0)
For the fourth year in a row, BIDMC has received the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Medal of Honor for Organ Donation.
"This award reflects the commitment of numerous BIDMC departments and individuals here and at New England Organ Bank to the many patients awaiting a transplant," said Linda Lentz, Director of Transplant Services at BIDMC's Transplant Institute. "As a representative of the transplant team, I am grateful for the hard work that is done prior to our receiving an organ for one of our patients."
Lentz said every hospital in the country is considered a donor hospital, but only 90 have received the Medal of Honor for Organ Donation four years in a row. Hospitals and organ procurement organizations earn this designation for consistently achieving adjusted donation rates of 75 percent or higher in a single continuous 12-month period, according to Barbara Levine, Hospital Relations Coordinator at the NEOB.
Donation rates refer to the number of patients who are medically suitable to be considered for donation, who actually become donors. For the past four years, BIDMC has met or exceeded this 75 percent rate.
"The award speaks to the committed and coordinated efforts of an entire team of people at BIDMC from administration through line staff," Levine said. "An effective donation process is complex and requires knowledge of the process, commitment and a high degree of coordination and collaboration within BIDMC and between BIDMC and NEOB. High conversion rates certainly have everything to do with families who consent to donation, but before that can happen, we need hospital staff that understand and carry out the best practices that support a donation event."
Levine said BIDMC has many practices in place to facilitate meeting this goal year after year. The Organ Donation Council meets quarterly and includes staff from the intensive care units, the Emergency Department, the operating rooms, Social Work, Ethics, Pastoral Care, Interpreter Services, Administration and the NEOB. Surgeon Jonathan Critchlow, MD, chairs this council, which reviews all donation activity and makes process improvements when necessary.
Levine said a monthly subgroup meets to identify and work on challenges and improvements in a more grass roots effort. Various other subgroups work on related projects, all with goals of process improvement and quality end-of-life care decision-making.
Reaching the conversion rate is a team effort. Levine said staff from the ICUs, Emergency Department, Social Work, Pastoral Care, Respiratory Therapy and other clinical departments work in collaboration with NEOB to complete the donor testing, medically manage the donor, and evaluate and support potential donors and their families. Then the Transplant Institute staff work with the patients who are recipients of organs that are transplanted. "It is the success of this work that is reflected in the Medal of Honor award," Levine said.
12/29/2008 (2:16:03pm)Tags: Iraq baby Freedom CallsComments: (0)
Yashira Paredes was hoping her husband Edwin would see the birth of their first child. But with Edwin stationed 8,000 miles away at a military base in Iraq it seemed unlikely.
That's when Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center offered it's technical support to make it happen.
The day after Christmas as 20-year-old Yashira was in labor, the media services department at Beth Israel Deaconess, assisted by the non-profit Freedom Calls, established a live connection via the internet to Taqaddum, Iraq. It was the first time the two had seen each other since Edwin, a Marine Lance Corporal, left for duty in August.
For six hours, Edwin talked to his wife as she went through the birthing process.
"Are you ready?," Yashira asked her husband as the contractions got closer.
"The question is, are YOU ready," he joked.
Just before 5a.m. on Dec. 27, Mia Victoria Paredes made her way into the world-- 7 pounds, 11 ounces with a full compliment of black hair.
"I was so happy Edwin was able to be there." said Yashira, who lives in Medford. The two were high school sweethearts in East Boston.
They've been married for two years. "It was just like having him in the room with me."
Media coverage of the story here, here, here and here.
12/23/2008 (3:20:34pm)Tags: Beth israel Deaconess-Needham medical suppliesComments: (0)
He's pre-med at Vassar, and a former volunteer at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham.
NewsCenter 5's Liz Brunner reports Ben Crawford and classmate Jacquie Law are busy packing donated medical supplies to take to Uganda, a medical mission with help from his community.
Check it out here.
12/17/2008 (1:47:19pm)Tags: transparency Paul LevyComments: (0)
BIDMC President and CEO Paul Levy had a conversation with WBUR-FM's Robin Young on Here and Now today.
It's been a year since BIDMC announced a plan to eliminate preventable medical errors within four years.
One of the ways it's being done is by talking about those mistakes on his blog and with the media.
Levy says transparency will help control costs, but critics say the information will only upset patients.
Listen here.
12/16/2008 (10:25:53am)Tags: workforce development Comments: (0)
For Marie Bruno, Biomedical Research Associate, being named a 2008 Chayet Scholarship recipient is helping her on a path to achieving a family milestone.
"I will be the first person in my family to finish college," Bruno told the crowd of recipients and guests gathered in the Rabkin Board Room.
The event was a family affair for another woman in the room. Eleanor Chayet, whose husband created the Chayet Scholarship in October 1983 in honor of the care his father received at BIDMC, marveled at the award's 25th anniversary. During the ceremony, she was presented with a plaque, marking her family's commitment to supporting the educational pursuits of BIDMC staff.
"This is very meaningful to me," Chayet said. "This is one of the highlights of my year. I look forward to receiving your letters and learning more about you."
The Chayet Scholarship is the only opportunity at BIDMC open to anyone who works at the medical center, according to Eric Buehrens, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Any employee seeking to advance their skills in a way that will improve care at the medical center is eligible to apply each fall. "We're a major employer and heath care is a major industry in Boston," Buehrens said. "This scholarship is a way to build better employees and provide better care."
Making the scholarship available to all staff is extremely important to Chayet, who is a retired nurse. "It's open to anyone because it takes everyone to make a medical center," Chayet said. "It's not just the nurses and doctors. This scholarship is good for the hospital because it means that everyone is appreciated and that everyone is important."
One by one, each of this year's 22 recipients stood and explained how the scholarship was enabling them to pursue a degree at a local college or university. Will Decaneas, a business operations administrator in research and academic affairs, is using funds from the scholarship to earn a master's degree in management from the Harvard University Extension School.
"During these economic times, making a commitment to school is difficult," Decaneas said. "Our mission at BIDMC is to care for patients and the Chayet Scholarship and BIDMC are also showing that they care for staff and their education. We're creating a community of care."
"This was an exciting year since we had over double as many applicants as we did last year and this year we were able to award 22 employees varying scholarship amounts up to $1,500," said Emily Beck, the program administrator in workforce development. "We look forward to many more enthusiastic and interested applicants who are looking to further their education and in turn give back to BIDMC."
Bruno will receive her associate's degree in June from Roxbury Community College, allowing her to enroll as a junior at UMASS-Boston in September. She hopes to eventually earn a bachelor's degree in nursing.
"As a nurse, I will touch people's lives like the Chayet Scholarship has touched mine when I needed support," Bruno said.
12/11/2008 (2:08:30pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Manuel Gomes' check ups at Bowdoin Street Health Center just become a little easier. Instead of struggling to climb up onto the exam table, the 74-year-old now sits down and awaits a boost from his physician.
With the press of a foot peddle, Jean Alves, MD, is able to lift Gomes in place. The electronic exam table he uses was purchased with the proceeds from the Red Sox American League Division Series raffle held at BIDMC in October. The raffle raised $8,045.
"It's cumbersome for elderly patients to get onto the table," Alves said. "The electronic exam table scoops patients up and then lowers them back down."
This is the only electronic exam table at Bowdoin Street Health Center. Raffle sales for tickets to the American League Championship Series raised $6,750 for the Red Sox Nursing Scholarship. When the Red Sox made it to the World Series in 2007, raffle ticket proceeds topped $50,000 and went to support professional advancement for Medical Technologists, the Red Sox Nursing Scholarship and the Bowdoin Street Health Center patient services van fund.
12/5/2008 (2:34:09pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
"You need a lot of focus," said 11-year-old Roosemdy Saint-Fort as he practiced removing a computerized piece of tissue in the Carl J. Shapiro Simulation and Skills Lab.
Saint-Fort was one of two dozen members of the 2008 Red Sox Scholars program who toured BIDMC, visiting the skills lab and the NICU. The program, launched in 2003 and funded by the Red Sox Foundation, rewards 25 academically talented, but economically disadvantaged Boston Public School fifth graders with $10,000 college scholarships. BIDMC has been the proud "presenting sponsor" of the program with staff serving as Medical Champions. The students were inducted over the summer. Now sixth graders, they came from middle schools all around the city to tour the medical center.
In the skills lab, the students learned how medical students and residents practice procedures using computer programs and robots, honing their skills for surgery on actual patients. Alex Derevianko, MD, MA, Simulation and Skills Training Specialist, and Darren Tavernelli, RN, showed the scholars the operating room robot with 32 motors allowing it to exhibit symptoms of a variety of diseases.
"It's like a quiz for doctors," Phinix Knight-Jacks, 11, said.
Over in the NICU, the students learned about the hospital's tiniest and youngest patients with a tour led by DeWayne Pursley, MD, Chief, Neonatology. The scholars peeked in on three sets of twins and one set of triplets, learning that three factors determine when a baby will be discharged.
"They have to be able to eat, breath and maintain their temperature," Shadiyah Joseph, 11, said. "I also learned that ribs protect the lungs and heart."
For Saint-Fort, the tour gave him a sneak preview into a profession he hopes to someday pursue. "This is awesome - better than I thought," he said. "I want to be either a physician or a scientist."
12/4/2008 (4:29:46pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Boston Magazine has published its annual "Tops Docs" issue, which includes more than 35 BIDMC physicians (see list and speciality below). Click here to search the magazine's full Top Doctors list .
Allergy and Inflammation: Javed Sheikh
CardioVascular Institute: Mark Josephson; Warren J. Manning; Roger Laham
Cancer: Michael Atkins; Glenn J. Bubley; Steven Come; Lowell Schnipper; Marc B. Garnick; Bruce Dezube; Jerome Groopman
Dermatology: Jeffrey Dover
Endocrinology/Diabetes: Martin Abrahamson; Richard Beaser; Alan Jacobson (primary affiliation is Joslin); Barbara Kahn
Gastroenterology: Adam Cheifetz
Gerontology: Lewis Lipsitz
Neurology: Louis Caplan; Daniel Tarsy
Neuroradiology: David Hackney
Ophthalmology: Peter A. D. Rubin
Orthopedics: Mark Gebhardt
Pathology: James Connolly; Stuart Schnitt
Pulmonology: Armin Ernst
Radiation Oncology: Irving Kaplan; Abram Recht
Rheumatology: George Tsokos
Sports Medicine: Lyle Micheli (primary affiliation is Children's)
Colon and Rectal Surgery: Deborah A. Nagle
Cardiac Surgery: Frank Sellke
Plastic Surgery: Sumner Slavin
Thoracic Surgery: Malcolm DeCamp
Urological Surgery: Abraham Morgentaler; Martin Sanda
12/3/2008 (9:28:38am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC's Holiday Lights gift-giving program helps needy children and families enjoy the holidays by providing presents and grocery store gift certificates. Caregivers from Bowdoin Street Health Center identify families in need, and work with each family to develop a gift "wish list."
"Every little bit helps, especially in this economy," said Lakesha Allen, who together with her three children, Lajuan, 12; Anthony, 6; and KeMani, 81/2 months, have been sponsored by BIDMC staff this year. "I know that this year it's really going to help my kids a lot because it's hard out there."
Last year, BIDMC employees and board members provided gifts to nearly 200 families. This year, the number of families requesting assistance has grown to 275. Families range in size from two to 11, so there are easily more than 1,000 participants, said Carmen Mejia, an administrative associate at Bowdoin Street Health Center who is organizing this year's drive.
"This year's economy is a lot tougher," said Mejia. "We're lucky we still have so many people willing to sponsor. The families really appreciate it too - you can see it in their faces when they come in to pick up the gifts."
The Allen family has been coming to Bowdoin Street since 2005, and has found the services especially helpful since little KeMani was born with serious heart and bronchial problems requiring hospitalization three times. "This place really is a Godsend," said Lakesha, who praised the many staff she and her sons have come in contact with, including primary care doctors, nurses, family advocates and front desk staff.
Asked what he likes best about Bowdoin Street, Lajuan thinks for a moment and smiles before saying, "I love the cooking classes. I learned to make tacos!" In addition to services what you might expect to find at most health care centers, Bowdoin Street offers many additional programs for families and children, including nutritional cooking classes.
Despite a great initial response from BIDMC staff, there are still more than 50 families in need of sponsors, said Mejia.
"This is an excellent group activity for departments and is greatly appreciated by our patients," said Bowdoin Street Director Adela Margules. "Given the economic challenges many families face including increased heating costs, concerns about housing costs, and continuing high unemployment rates in our health center neighborhoods, your contribution this year is more important than ever."
If you are interested in purchasing "wish-list" gifts for health center patients, please contact Mejia for instructions on being matched with a family. She can be reached directly at (617) 754-0097, or via e-mail at cmejia@bidmc.harvard.edu).
12/2/2008 (2:15:15pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Whether it's the dedicated staff, the convenience of big city care in the suburbs, the many philanthropic events or the free parking, Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare-Lexington is thriving and celebrating 15 years since opening its doors in 1993.
"We're a family," says Beatrice Ford, Director of Operations. "Having the Beth Israel Deaconess name is a big draw. It's brand recognition, first and foremost, and being in the suburbs makes it convenient for the people who live in Lexington and the surrounding area. But it's also our wonderful staff."
Through its affiliations with BIDMC and Children's Hospital Boston, Lexington offers a wide range of adult and pediatric services. From primary care to radiology to obstetrics and gynecology, the facility provides outstanding outpatient care for people living north and west of the city.
In addition to offering top notch care, the staff of BID HealthCare-Lexington have made giving back to the community a priority. From yard sales benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation to the annual November canned good drive for a food pantry in Bedford to the Giving Tree in December for a local domestic violence shelter, Lexington's staff take the word "community" in community health care to the next level.
"The Giving Tree is part of our culture," Ford says. "The cards listing what items are needed are gone within a couple of days."
Naturally, celebrating the 15th anniversary is also a community affair. On Oct. 3, the community was invited to mark this special milestone with a giant blue and white cake and a stroll through a photographic timeline of the facility. At the end of October, the annual pumpkin contest featured a 15 years of Disney movies theme. Each department created its own version of a Disney classic and the community, especially the local children, voted on the winner. Lilo and Stitch from the Pediatrics Department was this year's winner of a free breakfast.
"It's become a great thing for Lexington and Bedford that we are here," says Diane Hartwell who made a career change 13 years ago switching from working at a day care and waitressing for a job in Lexington's cafeteria. She then began filing paperwork for several departments before landing a position as the practice assistant in Adult Specialties. "Our ties to the community have grown."
11/26/2008 (10:05:46am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
We make choices throughout our lives - where we want to live, what types of activities will fill our days, with whom we spend our time. These choices are often a balance between our desires and our means, but at the end of the day, they are decisions made with intent. But when it comes to how we want to be treated at the end our lives, often we don't express our intent or tell our loved ones about it.
This has real consequences. 73% of Americans would prefer to die at home, but up to 50% die in hospital. More than 80% of Californians say their loved ones "know exactly" or have a "good idea" of what their wishes would be if they were in a persistent coma, but only 50% say they've talked to them about their preferences.
But our end of life experiences are about a lot more than statistics. They're about all of us. So the first thing we need to do is start talking.
Engage With Grace: The One Slide Project was designed with one simple goal: to help get the conversation about end of life experience started. The idea is simple: Create a tool to help get people talking. One Slide, with just five questions on it. Five questions designed to help get us talking with each other, with our loved ones, about our preferences. And we're asking people to share this One Slide - wherever and whenever they can...at a presentation, at dinner, at their book club. Just One Slide, just five questions.
Lets start a global discussion that, until now, most of us haven't had.
Here is what we are asking you: Download The One Slide (that's it above) and share it at any opportunity - with colleagues, family, friends. Think of the slide as currency and donate just two minutes whenever you can. Commit to being able to answer these five questions about end of life experience for yourself, and for your loved ones. Then commit to helping others do the same. Get this conversation started.
Let's start a viral movement driven by the change we as individuals can effect...and the incredibly positive impact we could have collectively. Help ensure that all of us - and the people we care for - can end our lives in the same purposeful way we live them.
Just One Slide, just one goal. Think of the enormous difference we can make together.
(To learn more please go to http://www.engagewithgrace.org/. This post was written by Alexandra Drane and the Engage With Grace team. )
11/25/2008 (12:11:26pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
BIDMC physicians Tom Delbanco and Sigall Bell explored the question of why is it so hard for clinicians to apologize in a New England Journal of Medicine "Perspective" more than a year ago.
That work was, in turn, a follow-up on "When Things Go Wrong," a film created by Delbanco with the assistance of CRICO/RMF, the insurance and risk management arm of Harvard Medical School.
Today, the two come together in one in the form of a video op-ed on the newyorktimes.com, a production entitled "Physician, Say You're Sorry."
Please take a look.
11/24/2008 (1:10:45pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Two of the nation's top 10 hospitalists work at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, according to the American College of Physicians.
Joseph Li, MD, Director of Hospital Medicine, and Melissa Mattison, MD, General Medicine and Division of Gerontology, made the ACP's 2008 list after being nominated by their colleagues for notable contributions to the field.
Li, who was nominated by Russell Phillips, MD, Chief of the Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, decided to become a physician during his junior year of high school after watching his grandfather die of colon cancer. "I knew I wanted to do a job that would help people everyday," Li says.
He became the first full time hospitalist at BIDMC in 1998. Li received the designation of Top Hospitalist by ACP for his role in implementing key initiatives to enhance communication and education. With the help of fellow hospitalist David Feinbloom, MD, General Medicine, and BIDMC's Information Systems Department, an application was created that produces a letter complete with all of a patient's data including notes from each person involved in his or her care. This letter is sent electronically and in hard copy to the patient's primary care physician so that everyone is kept up to date on the patient's condition.
The group now boasts 33 hospitalists. To make it easy for primary care physicians to contact the hospitalist on call, Li designated a single pager number, 9HOSP, and a single e-mail address.
In 2002, the hospitalist group instituted the medical procedure service to ensure medical students and house staff were supervised by a hospitalist while working at patient's bedside. This service allows the students and house staff to hone their skills while guaranteeing a high standard of patient care.
"It's our responsibility to keep outpatient providers informed and to improve the teaching of housestaff. Otherwise, the patient suffers. The most important accomplishment is the systems we've put in place to improve patient care," Li says.
Mattison joins Li on the list of the ACP's Top 10 Hospitalists. Howard Nachamie, MD, Gerontology, nominated her. She is one of only two geriatricians in the hospitalist group at BIDMC and her commitment to educating physicians about providing care to elder patients earned her a spot on the list.
"I was fortunate to grow up with all four of my grandparents nearby. I watched them age and suffer with common problems," Mattison says. "It's hard when anyone is admitted into the hospital, but it's especially hard when you are old and frail."
Mattison created the curriculum for BIDMC's Advancement of Geriatric Education (AGE) Scholarship. A four-year grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation was secured in 2006, allowing eight hospitalists annually to learn about geriatric medicine.
"It's not feasible to train every physician, but unless you are in pediatrics or obstetrics, you are going to have older patients," Mattison says. "It's a privilege to train other doctors."
The curriculum she developed in part focuses on preventing decline of function, recognizing delirium, and understanding how medication is metabolized differently in elderly a patients. "The body's response to medication changes as we age," Mattison says. "It's important to recognize this change and use medications that are less likely to cause side effects in older patients."
She credits her colleagues in the Division of Internal Medicine and the Division of Gerontology for their continued support of her work.
"We have such great doctors here," Mattison says. "It's a great place to be hospitalized no matter what your age."
11/24/2008 (12:49:37pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
There's never a good time to talk about. But taking the time when the family gathers for a holiday is a good opportunity.
"It" is advance directives -- instructions to your family in the event you become incapacitated. Wishes, values and preferences. The Massachusetts health care proxy allows you to express so that if something should happen to incapacitate you, your wishes, values and preferences for medical treatment would be honored.
With families around the country gathering for Thanksgiving, the Commonwealth has seized the opportunity by designating the Friday after the holiday as Massachusetts' Advance Directive Day.
BIDMC has its own version of this campaign called Let's Talk Turkey. The idea is to educate staff, patients, and families visiting the medical center about the importance of filling out a proxy or advance directive with loved ones.
"We need to set the example. If we are encouraging patients to fill this out, we also should complete one," says Stephen O'Neill, LICSW, Social Work Manager for Psychiatry and Primary Care and Assistant Director of Ethics Support Service. "This is not for older people or end of life care. Anybody should have a proxy at any age."
Let's Talk Turkey, launched in 1999, is jointly sponsored by the Department of Social Work and Ethics Support Service.
O'Neill points to the results of a staff survey taken last year to prove that the initiative is working. Each year, BIDMC's campaign leads to the distribution of 1,000 advanced directive packets. The survey revealed that 52 percent of staff had not designated a health care proxy. O'Neill says of the 48 percent of respondents who had designated a proxy, 31 percent of them said Talk Turkey events influenced their decision to complete an advance directive.
The materials handed out during Talk Turkey include an explanation of what completing an advance directive means and who should be chosen as your health care agent. O'Neill says sometimes choosing the person closest to you, like your spouse, is not always the best decision. "You want your health care agent to carry out your wishes," O'Neill says. "But sometimes they love you so much that they can't do what you want."
Once you complete your proxy, O'Neill recommends making several copies of it so that you, your health care agent and your primary care physician all have it on file.
11/24/2008 (12:34:02pm)Tags: cancer CyberKnife radiationComments: (0)
Cancer remains one of the most terrifying diagnoses around. Two advances -- one generally available to patients with inoperable tumors, another in clinical trial -- hold hope for the future.
CyberKnife is an industrial robot with a therapeutic goal. The robot can provide pinpoint radiation therapy for cancers in the head and other parts of the body where surgeons cannot go. WFXT-TV's Alison Bologna takes a look at the therapy that has been available at BIDMC for three years.
Meanwhile, doctor/researchers are working to perfect targeted or personalized therapy deisgned to attack the genetic structure of an individual tumor.
WCVB-TV's Heather Unruh takes a look at how this treatment is working for Kevin Brummet, a 30-year-old man who contracted lung cancer -- despite never smoking a day in his life.
11/24/2008 (12:27:25pm)Tags: hospital patients musicComments: (0)
Most people would not pick hospitals as the place they want to spend a lot of time. They certainly aren't the sort of place where you would expect to be entertained on your way to a medical procedure.
But BIDMC patients can consider themselves lucky if they have Lindon Beckford take them from Point A to Point B. Beckford has been serenading patients for 23 years, and WBUR-FM's Sacha Pfeiffer talks with him -- and people whose life he has brightened -- in this segment of "Morning Edition."
11/24/2008 (12:21:53pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
The color you normally think of when you think about hospitals is white -- doctor lab coats, the old images of nurses in starched uniforms.
But today's hospitals are also trying to think green -- to be environmentally friendly as well as patient friendly.
National Public Radio's "Living on the Earth" takes a look at this effort -- with BIDMC one of the medical centers they speak with.
Check it out.
11/3/2008 (1:48:23pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Two members of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center community have been named to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine.
Francisco Trilla, MD, a primary care physician and Director of Atreva Health Care, Inc. in Jamaica Plain, was named in October. He joins Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer of The Dimock Center in Roxbury, who was named to a three-year term in June.
The board, including five physicians and two public members, licenses physicians, oversees the disciplinary process and communicates with medical societies and the Department of Public Health to ensure health care quality, Trilla said.
"I am very happy and honored to be selected," he said. "I have been a primary care physician for 25 years in Boston and I have served on a number of committees at BIDMC and in the community."
Trilla notes that he and Minter-Jordan "both have a real community health care focus. I look forward to connecting with patients and the medical community to continue to provide quality health care in this state."
10/31/2008 (3:06:46pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
It’s playoff season, the Red Sox are in the thick of it and three lucky BIDMC employees have each won a pair of tickets to watch the Sox take on the Tampa Bay Rays in Games 3, 4 and 5 of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park. The series kicks off tonight in TampaBay, returning to Boston on Monday for an afternoon game starting at 4:37 on Columbus Day.
Leslie Handler-Stern, BID-Needham, Cardiology, won tickets to Monday's game; Christine Douhan, BIDMC Health Information Management, won tickets to Tuesday's game; and Paula Fedele, Surgery West, won tickets for Thursday’s game. All three winners also received BIDMC/Red Sox fleece jackets to help them stay warm on these crisp fall nights.
The ALCS raffle raised $6,750 for the Red Sox Nursing Scholarship Fund that supports nursing education at BIDMC.
The ALDS raffle raised $8,045 for Bowdoin Street Health Center. Proceeds from this week’s raffle will fund an electronic exam table that will help Bowdoin Street staff more effectively move and care for pregnant, frail elderly and obese patients. In addition, with high heating costs and an uncertain economy guaranteed to challenge the most vulnerable members of our city, this raffle gives us a timely opportunity to shore up Bowdoin Street’s Patient Assistance Fund that helps patients with heat, transportation, shelter, medications, food and more.
10/27/2008 (4:34:01pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Education is part of BIDMC’s core mission to educate and train tomorrow’s clinicians. While the education of residents and fellows takes place around-the-clock, each year the institution pauses to take note of the many great teachers and mentors it has within its faculty.
More than 60 clinicians and students joined together for the annual Celebration of Teaching at BIDMC award ceremony. The ceremony historically takes place during Education Week in June, but was scheduled this year in the fall to avoid conflicts with resident graduation ceremonies and to bring greater attention to the medical center’s outstanding faculty. The event celebrates recipients of both Harvard Medical School teaching awards and BIDMC Departmental Teaching Awards.
“It’s important that we recognize all these superb teachers in a broader Beth Israel Deaconess context so we can honor these educators both inside and outside their own departments,” said Richard Schwartzstein, MD, VP for Education, recipient of the HMS Class of 2008 Best Preclinical Instructor award. We want to celebrate, as a community, the outstanding work they did during the 2007-2008 academic teaching year.”
All together, some 60 awards were presented to faculty, residents, and fellows who stepped forward to be honored for elevating the level of service to education within the academic medical center. The awards are a small, but significant, lapel pin: blue and yellow pins go to the graduates of the Rabkin Fellowship in Medical Education, while red and blue are for excellence in teaching. These pins, worn on the clinicians’ white coats, are a quiet way of reinforcing the importance of education at BIDMC throughout the year.
Many teaching award winners are nominated by those who are being taught, which makes the recognition all the more special.
This year, Sara Fazio, MD, General Medicine, Healthcare Associates, shared the prestigious S. Robert Stone Award for Excellence in Teaching from HMS with Theodore Steinman, MD, Nephrology. “I’m fortunate that my job description allows me to work with patients as well as medical students and residents,” said Fazio. “It’s a lot of fun being able to combine the worlds in that way. My style has always been to just motivate and try to find the spark that exists within each student. It also helps to keep me on top of everything because I have to be able to teach the latest developments. It keeps my learning alive, as well as my own excitement and enthusiasm.”
Peter Clardy, MD, Director of Medical Intensive Care, received two awards this year: the Department of Emergency Medicine’s Off-Service Faculty Teaching Award, and the Department of Medicine’s Hermann Blumgart Award (named in honor of the first Chief of Medicine at Beth Israel Hospital).
“Teaching is enormously rewarding,” said Clardy, echoing the sentiments of all award recipients. “Teaching in any setting, especially in an ICU, is challenging. My sense has always been that people remember information that is clinically valuable. One of my most important roles as an educator in being able to summarize a patient’s clinical course and draw out a few teaching points that are directly relevant to the patient’s care at that moment. That’s the kind of teaching that really sticks with people."
10/14/2008 (3:03:11pm)Tags: noneComments: (2)
All he needed was Home Depot and a little imagination.
Building off of the success of the Carl J. Shapiro Simulation and Skills Center to provide residents with a means of practicing techniques for laparoscopic surgery, Christopher Awtrey, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology, decided to construct his own device, allowing residents and fellows in his department to narrow the focus from practicing random skills to task specific skills.
“The old way of training was see one, do one, teach one,” Awtrey says. “But now residents can see one, practice, practice, practice and then do one.”
Using basic materials like a plastic bucket, wood and tubing, Awtrey constructed two models of a female pelvis in his garage. One model featuring an orange bucket, rope, canvas and wood allows residents to practice the most common gynecological operation - a hysterectomy. The bucket simulates the pelvis; the cloth represents the tissue surrounding the uterus and the piece of wood symbolizes the uterus. In its entirety, the model lets residents practice clamping the tissue surrounding the uterus as they prepare to remove the uterus at varying depths.
The second model provides the opportunity to practice four laparoscopic suturing techniques: controlling the blood supply to the ovaries, closing an incision in the fascia of the abdomen, stitching closed the vaginal cuff after a hysterectomy and suturing an ovary to the pelvic wall during an ovarian transposition. A piece of wood represents the woman’s pelvis. Canvas swatches simulate the vaginal cuff, the pelvic wall and the fascia or connective tissue surrounding the muscle in the abdomen. Rubber tubing takes the place of blood vessels and a ball of white yarn represents an ovary. Inexpensive and mobile, Awtrey says these models help OB/GYN residents hone their laparoscopic skills, thereby improving patient safety.
“These are portable and can be made for $30,” says Awtrey. “You can buy complicated, simulators for thousands of dollars or you can inexpensively construct a model of an operation with task specific exercises to prepare residents for the operating room.”
10/9/2008 (1:15:15pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
There are lots of ways to help at BIDMC and as the 94 volunteers honored at last week’s Volunteer Recognition Presidential Tea showed, the possibilities are nearly endless.
Vincent Mitchell uses his fluency in speaking Mandarin to assist non-English speaking Chinese patients. Zachary Bernstein and Daniel Hashimoto help the staff of the Simulation and Skills Lab greet guests and conduct tours of the state-of-the-art facility. Abby Dornbusch assists with testing in the medical center’s bone density clinic and Julia Rabkin uses her keen listening skills as a Family/Patient Liaison in the Emergency Department. And while Deb Brice comforts infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as part of the Newborn Cuddling program, Mac, a Westie from Caring Canines, lends his own special comfort, snuggling in patients’ laps, tail-a-wagging, as a representative of BIDMC’s Pet Therapy program.
The Volunteer Services event pays tribute to some of the longest-serving of the nearly 700 individuals who give thousands of hours to BIDMC each year, sharing their company and talents with patients and employees throughout the medical center.
Entertained by harpist Nancy Kleiman, the group enjoyed refreshments while being welcomed by BIDMC’s new Director of Volunteer Services Stephanie Harriston-Diggs. Remarks and thank-yous from President and CEO Paul Levy followed before Volunteer Services administrative assistant Terry Morgan joined them at the podium to present the Volunteer Awards and service pins.
During the program, Morgan paid special tribute to Rose Finklestein and Jack Arvedon, devoted BIDMC volunteers who passed away over the past year, and in whose honor two of the awards are now named. Also receiving special recognition were the volunteers who staff the newly created Newborn Cuddling and Pet Therapy programs, 40-year veteran volunteer Alfred Agress, and numerous other dedicated individuals. At the end of the event, Harriston-Diggs and Julia Dunbar, Director of Pastoral Care & Education, formerly Director of Volunteer Services, recognized Terry Morgan for her work during this leadership transition.
“During 2007, the hospital hosted 470 volunteers who gave a total of 35,000 hours,” noted Harriston-Diggs. “We’d like to thank all of our volunteers for all they do for us here at BIDMC!"
10/1/2008 (1:47:08pm)Tags: media pharmaceuticals ethicsComments: (0)
Do you know where your medical news comes from?
Drs. Michael Hochman and Danny McCormick of Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School survey how often reporters mention where the money came from in studies looking at the effectiveness of prescription drug products.
Their study -- published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and highlighted with an op-ed in the Boston Globe -- suggest the media are doing a so-so job. Only 42 percent of the articles list the funding source of the study.
The issue is important based on recent cases like the one involving the pain killer Vioxx, where it turned out the flawed study failed to contain data that would have contradicted the work done by the authors -- scientists associated with the pharmaceutical company that funded and conducted the research.
It is standard procedure to include funding sources in all of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's press releases about faculty-authored studies. (For example, see this study on sleep and memory).
One nitpick with the authors -- they note "pharmaceutical representatives frequently send journalists favorable press releases and other materials that are not balanced by alternative views."
That's true. Public relations doesn't call for pharmaceutical companies to present alternate views any more than medical centers are required to quote people skeptical about a research finding about sleep or diabetes or cancer. That is still the journalist's job.
And it is worth noting that the Boston Globe does have a firm policy about disclosing funding sources as they do about seeking out alternative points of view.
9/25/2008 (1:39:35pm)Tags: critical care comunity health centers Melzer AwardsComments: (0)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has acknowledged the good works of two people and team who truly have been instrumental in "leading constructive, lasting and all-embracing change."
The Robert M. Melzer Leadership Awards are among the highest internal honors BIDMC can bestow upon members of our community. They are named for a former chairman of the board who set the standard. We will expand on these awards in the days ahead but wanted to offer some much-deserved recognition right now.
We recognized a team effort on the part of critical care executive committee, whose goals was to standardize routine care in the intensive care units; create a state-of-the-art computerized record; reduce inappropriate blood transfusions; eliminate infections related to ICU catheters; and reduce the development of pneumonia in patients on ventilators.
To date, their efforts have likely prevented 320 cases of pneumonia, have saved 96 lives and have avoided approximately $12.8 million dollars in associated expenses for BIDMC.
We also recognized the work of Adela Margules, executive director of the Bowdoin Street Health Center.Under her direction over the past 27 years, Bowdoin Street Health Center has developed as one of the most innovative and exceptional health centers in Boston and in Massachusetts, serving as more than just a health center, but as an economic engine for the Bowdoin/Geneva neighborhood.
Also honored was Edward Ladd, chair of BIDMC's Board of Trustees. With his involvement in the medical center spanning almost 15 years, Ted has sat on virtually every committee the medical center has had to offer. From the day-to-day activities on the patient floors to the overarching issues of governance and health care policy, there's no facet of BIDMC that hasn't sparked his interest or benefited from his advice.
We'll offer more on these people and thir accomplishments in the days and weeks ahead. But we thought you would like to know.
9/22/2008 (11:11:34am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Antonio Bullon, MD, a psychiatrist in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurology, was named one of the Boston Business Journal and El Planeta’s “2008 20 on the Move finalist.” In its first year, this annual award highlights the work of Hispanic executives making a difference in Boston.
After finishing his residency in psychiatry at BIDMC in 1997, Bullon noticed a gap in mental health services for the hospital’s Spanish-speaking patients. Fast forward 11 years and Bullon serves as director of the Latino Mental Health Program at BIDMC. What began as a practice in which Bullon spent seven hours of his work week treating Latino patients has grown into a full time, multidisciplinary clinic.
Bullon was chosen from more than 100 nominations by a panel of judges that included journalists from the Boston Business Journal and El Planeta as well as members of the city’s business community. A special editorial section highlighting the 20 on the Move finalists will run in the Boston Business Journal and a breakfast honoring the winners will be held on Friday, Oct. 17, in conjunction with Latino/Hispanic Heritage month.
9/19/2008 (10:17:48am)Tags: cancer BIDMC Cancer CenterComments: (0)
The Cancer Center at Beth israel Deaconess Medical Center is working at "Defining New Frontiers to Eradicate Cancer."
Nobel Laureate Phillip Sharp, PhD, of the Koch Center for Cancer Research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will deliver the keynote address at the Cancer Center's first Annual Symposium to be held Wednesday, Oct. 22 through Friday Oct 24 in the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, New Research Building, Harvard Medical School.
Sharp will discuss "Molecular Genetics of Cancer: The Discovery of the miRNA Network," at the symposium that will feature leading cancer researchers from the US and abroad. Other topics up for discussion include targeted cancer therapies, tumor suppressor biology, translational research, molecular genetics and aberrant metabolism and signaling networks in cancer.
"This program brings together leading cancer researchers and clinicians from around the world," notes Cancer Center Director Lewis Cantley, PhD, who together with Co-director Pier Paolo Pandolfi, MD, PhD, will deliver the program's opening remarks on Wednesday afternoon. "This is a tremendous opportunity to learn about the latest advances in cancer research and treatments."
To register for one or more days, or for more information, please visit www.bidmc-cancersymposium.com or call (617) 337-9501 by Oct. 8. A program agenda and complete list of speakers is also available here.
9/15/2008 (2:45:02pm)Tags: Heart Walk CVIComments: (2)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center employees and staff at the CardioVascular Institute at BIDMC have a lot of heart. And cash.
Some 140 employees, family members and friends - as well as a small pack of dogs - recorded online contributions of $38,742 Saturday, compared to $29,000 last year. In addition, many handed over donations of checks and cash Saturday at the Walk. The final tally will be available Oct. 15.
On hand to sign autographs and pose for photos with employees on an unexpectedly sunny day was "Mr. Red Sox" Johnny Pesky. The congenial 88 year-old former Red Sox Player and coach is the namesake of "Pesky's Pole" in right field at Fenway Park. The Red Sox supported his appearance at BIDMC's Heart Walk booth because it is the Official Hospital of the Boston Red Sox.
Pesky attracted a long line of fans from BIDMC and other event sponsors who flocked to the BIDMC tent to spend a moment with him. Among them were Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, event chairman Keith Block, CEO of Oracle North America, and Mrs., Miss and Teen Miss Massachusetts.
FROM LEFT: Peter Zimetbaum, MD, Cardiac Electrophysiology; Kamal Khabbaz, MD, Interim Chief, Cardiac Surgery; and Mark Josephson, MD, Chief of the Cardiovascular Division, share a laugh with Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, prior to the start of the 2008 Boston Heart Walk.
9/10/2008 (10:34:39am)Tags: noneComments: (0)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has renewed an important grant program that teaches physicians and nurses in Vietnam how to care for patients with HIV/AIDS.
The Harvard Medical School AIDS Initiative in Vietnam is based at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and led by Dr. Howard Libman of the Division of General Medicine and Primary Care. The project includes 13 staff based in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. BIDMC's Bridget Gardner, serves as associate director of the project.
HAIVN is mandated under the President's Emergency Plan Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to provide clinical training in HIV/AIDS care and antiretroviral therapy for health care professionals in Vietnam at sites that receive funding from the CDC or US government partner agencies. Training consists of clinical mentoring, as well as courses consisting of lectures and case-based discussions. HAIVN also supports the Vietnam Ministry of Health in the development of HIV/AIDS curricula, guidelines, and policies.
The project is just part of the programs and services at BIDMC for patients with HIV or AIDS.
9/9/2008 (1:48:12pm)Tags: orthopedics sports injuriesComments: (0)
Did you ever stop and wonder what happens when a famous name or face hits up against a medical crisis and the media rushes to fill in the blanks?
Let's just say things can get as frenzied in the communications office as in the emergency room. Thankfully, there's a lot less riding on the performance of the PR person!
Case in point? The anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Requests for interviews with sports medicine specialists started coming in almost immediately on Sunday afternoon. BIDMC, like every major hospital, has someone on call 24-7 to deal with media calls -- usually looking for conditions of people injured in automobile accidents.
In this case, we found Arun Ramapppa. MD, our director of sports medicine was available to talk to the media that night. And he was also available (in between surgical cases) the next day as the pace of inquiries picked up.
It's always a challenge to be helpful in cases like this. Federal privacy laws protect patients and medical ethics require that physicians speak only in general terms about a condition and what the patient may be facing.
That dynamic was really in play earlier this year when Sen. Edward Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer. With media satellite trucks parked out en masse outside the hospital where he was being treated (requiring the PR staff to feed hungry reporters!) the calls to BIDMC and other hospitals came fast and furious.
That can pose a problem even when the patient is not in our care. The same privacy protections that cover the celebrity patient apply to patients in waiting rooms and cafeterias.
Fortunately, the media is not usually as it is portrayed in movies. Instead they are respectful of rules and regulations -- and people here for health issues that can be every bit as trying for them as the problems faced by the celebrities.
So keep this in mind the next time you see extended reporting on a complicated medical problem. And maybe offer a slight, or so slight, nod of appreciation to the people behind the scenes who help to keep you informed.
8/27/2008 (4:32:24pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)
Hospitals don't often come up on people's list of Top 10 favorite places to be. You visit either because you are sick or a friend or loved one is. They are big, cold and often seem impersonal.
This blog is an attempt to provide a little insight into what goes on in a large academic medical center like Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. We admit we aren't the first to do that. We plan to give you a different perspective on people and events.
Some of those will focus on laboratory discoveries that hold out hope for medical breakthroughs. Others might take a look at a treatment that allowed a patient to continue his lifelong search for evidence of the Loch Ness Monster. We might also find insights for you on health topics circulating in the day's news.
Our bloggers handle the daily events of public information - from calls from reporters looking for patient conditions to trying to get media interested in our clinical and research accomplishment. We're also here when things don't go as well as we strive to make them for patients.
We welcome comments that are relevant and respectful. Like anyone else, we don't love tough questions. But we will do our best to answer them within guidelines that place patients' privacy and rights first.
