BIDMC News and Notes
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.
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.
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.
9/15/2008 (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.
9/19/2008 (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.
9/22/2008 (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.
9/25/2008 (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.
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.
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!"
10/14/2008 (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.”
