Posts Tagged ‘The University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC)’
UT shines light on difficult to diagnose, aggressive type of breast cancer
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016In honor of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Awareness Day, the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center will be hosting an event called “A Different Shade of Pink” from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3 on The University of Toledo Health Science Campus.
“The nature of this disease cries out for more attention and research,” said Dr. Iman Mohamed, UT professor and chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology. “We hope to educate and empower.”
An estimated 15 percent of all diagnosed breast cancers are triple negative breast cancer tumors. This type lacks the three receptors commonly targeted in chemotherapy – estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2.
The disease is often hard to diagnose because it is common in younger women and not always detected in mammograms.
“The receptors known to fuel breast cancer simply aren’t present,” Dr. Mohamed said. “Compared to other types of breast cancer, triple negative breast cancers are usually more aggressive and not responsive to targeted therapeutic drugs. Patients have a higher risk of recurrence and a shorter survival rate.”
Topics for the “A Different Shade of Pink” program include medical updates related to treatment options and clinical trials, as well as emotional, intimacy and survivorship issues.
UTMC patient Melissa Paskvan of Toledo was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2009 and has been in remission for six years.
“I found a lump by accident while scratching an itch at the age of 41,” Paskvan said. “My heart sunk. I knew it was cancer, but I had no idea it would be this rare form. I went through a lumpectomy, nearly four months of chemotherapy and 33 rounds of radiation. At 48 years old, I am a survivor. I am happy and relieved to have made it past the three-year mark. I only hope my story offers hope to newly diagnosed patients.”
To learn more about Paskvan’s story and how she raises money for triple negative breast cancer research, read her blog at mlsspaskvan.blogspot.com.
Media Coverage
13 ABC (March 4, 2016)
UTMC receives stroke award for 10th time
Wednesday, December 16th, 2015The University of Toledo Medical Center is being recognized for its superior stroke treatment.
For the 10th year in a row, UTMC has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll.
The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in ensuring that stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment based on the latest research.
“It shows the consistent quality care that we provide at this institution,” said Dr. Mouhammad Jumaa, assistant professor and director of the Stroke Center and co-director of the Stroke Network. “The University of Toledo Medical Center is one of only a few stroke centers in northwest Ohio to offer research protocols for both acute stroke and stroke prevention. We prevent, diagnose and treat stroke.”
Andrea Korsnack, stroke coordinator, said UT’s stroke team treated 338 patients in 2014 and 323 so far this year.
“Receiving this award for the 10th consecutive year cements our foothold as a leader in stroke care in Northwest Ohio,” Korsnack said.
The UT stroke team, in place since 1994, includes two fellowship-trained interventional neurologists; two fellowship-trained stroke neurologists; a dedicated stroke nurse and nurse practitioner; three neurosurgeons; a neurosurgery nurse practitioner; a CARF-accredited rehabilitation hospital on site; and emergency department, pharmacy, radiology and laboratory staff. CARF stands for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.
To receive the Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, hospitals must achieve 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month periods and achieve 75 percent or higher compliance with five of eight quality measures.
The honor roll accolade requires that hospitals reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA. If given intravenously in the first three hours after the start of stroke symptoms, tPA has been shown to significantly reduce the effects of stroke and lessen the chance of permanent disability.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
UTMC praised for its cancer care
Monday, October 19th, 2015The University of Toledo Medical Center is being lauded for providing quality care to cancer patients.
UTMC was recently presented with the 2015 Outstanding Achievement Award by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.
UTMC is one of a select group of only 20 U.S. health care facilities with accredited cancer programs to receive this national honor for surveys performed Jan. 1 to June 30. The award acknowledges cancer programs that achieve excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients.
“We are honored to be recognized as one of the top cancer centers in the United States,” said Allen Seifert, administrative director of the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center. “We take immense pride in offering life-saving care because our patients and their treatment and recovery is always our No. 1 priority.”
The purpose of the award is to raise awareness on the importance of providing quality cancer care at health care institutions throughout the U.S. In addition, it is intended to:
- Motivate other cancer programs to work toward improving their level of care;
- Facilitate dialogue between award recipients and health care professionals at other cancer facilities for the purpose of sharing best practices;
- Encourage honorees to serve as quality-care resources to other cancer programs; and
- Educate cancer patients on available quality-care options.
Seifert said UTMC specializes in treating a variety of cancers that include blood cancer, lung and respiratory cancer, breast cancer, urinary system cancer and prostate cancer, among others.
UTMC is the only hospital in town offering an innovative non-invasive radiosurgery treatment option using the latest technology.
The Edge radiosurgery system can destroy tumors — smaller than half a centimeter — with high doses of focused radiation beams. The high-dose radiation can target difficult-to-reach tumors, such as those in the brain, with better precision radiation treatments that can be just 15 minutes, compared to one hour for other types of radiation therapy.
“Our 2015 Outstanding Achievement Award solidifies our standing as one of the top cancer centers, but it doesn’t mean we are going to stop improving,” Seifert said. “We always strive to provide the highest level of cancer diagnosis, treatment and support.”
U.S. News honors UTMC for its commitment to health care’s digital future
Thursday, October 15th, 2015U.S. News & World Report is recognizing The University of Toledo Medical Center for its digital prowess when it comes to patient safety and engagement.
UTMC is one of 126 U.S. medical centers in 34 states to be named Most Connected Hospitals for 2015-16, per U.S. News standards that span both electronic medical records and quality care.
The selection was based on responses to a set of 26 questions selected by U.S. News from the 2013 American Hospital Association Annual Survey Information Technology Supplement.
“UTMC prides itself on being committed to health care’s digital future,” CEO Dave Morlock said. “Digital technology is paramount when it comes to the coordination and continuity of care. It promotes informed decision-making by both the health care workers and the patients. We take pride in helping patients become more directly involved in their health care management.”
To be considered for Most Connected Hospital status, a hospital had to register a high score in the questions selected from the survey and be among the 954 facilities recognized by U.S. News as nationally ranked or rated as high performing in 2015-16 in Best Hospitals for Complex Care, Best Hospitals for Common Care or Best Children’s Hospitals.
UTMC was evaluated in three areas:
- Clinical connectedness, which evaluates a hospital’s ability to exchange or share patient information electronically with any provider who needs it;
- Patient safety, which evaluates a hospital’s ability to protect patients by using bar-coded wrist bracelets to verify patient’s identities before medications and other treatments are administered; and
- Patient engagement, which evaluates a hospital’s ability to offer patients an opportunity to access their electronic medical information and receive updates.
Dr. Bryan Hinch, chief medical information officer at UTMC, said health care is being revolutionized by digital technology.
“The standardization of electronic health records and the sharing of health information in a secure way are a huge boost for health care quality and safety,” Hinch said. “UTMC is proud to be recognized for our efforts, which are continual because technology is always improving and changing.”
Media Coverage
U.S. News & World Report (Oct. 15, 2015)
Hussain lecture to delve into despair of White Plague
Monday, October 12th, 2015It has been known as the White Plague, Robber of Youth and the Graveyard Cough.
It has been a scourge for centuries, possibly killing more people than any other infectious disease.
But in the midst of the despair and horror, tuberculosis has inspired some of the greatest works of art and literature. In the French opera “La bohème,” Mimì, the heroine has tuberculosis, and Fantine in Victor Hugo’s novel “Les Miserables” becomes ill and dies from “consumption.”
Tuberculosis, its trail of destruction and eventual hope will be the focus of the seventh annual S. Amjad Hussain Visiting Lecture in the History of Medicine and Surgery at The University of Toledo. Dr. Robert Bartlett, professor emeritus of surgery at the University of Michigan, will present the free, public lecture, “Romance, Science and the White Plague,” at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, in the Health Education Building, Room 100, on the Health Science Campus.
“When people were dying of tuberculosis, it inspired sufferers and those witnessing the suffering to write books, poems and music about the experience,” Bartlett said. “It was truly phenomenal how they were able to take the horrific experience, which in many cases led to death, and leave us with some memorable works of art. It’s quite unusual for one specific disease to have such a footprint on art and literature.”
Tuberculosis was an epidemic in Europe and caused millions of deaths in the 18th and 19th centuries. While this serious disease declined after the late 19th century, it still remains a public health issue today.
Bartlett’s lecture will look at the science behind finding the cause of tuberculosis and how not knowing the source of the disease led to strange remedies.
“It affected everybody, and no one knew what caused it,” he said. “People tried all sorts of things like eating a lot of food or eating no food, drinking milk or avoiding milk or exercising a lot or not exercising at all.”
Eventually, German bacteriologist Robert Koch discovered that the bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread from one person to another through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes.
This led to the formation of sanatoriums where sufferers could stay as they recovered. These days, a series of antibiotics for at least six to nine months are used to treat patients with only a limited time in quarantine.
“Tuberculosis is still common these days, but it is treatable in most cases,” Bartlett said. “We see it occurring in people who have a low-immune response like patients with AIDS or patients who are undergoing chemotherapy.”
Bartlett was selected for this year’s lecture by a committee that included Hussain, Dr. Peter White, emeritus professor of medicine, Dr. Gerald B. Zelenock, former professor and chair of surgery, and Dr. Steven H. Selman, former professor and chair of urology. Hussain teaches and oversees the History of Medicine elective.
“History is an integral part of the human experience,” Hussain said. “Our job as teachers and scholars is to connect the present with the past by blowing away the cumulative dust of time. Unless we know the past, we can’t make sense of the present, nor can we chart a cohesive course for the future.”
UT Health seminar to address lymphedema relief options
Thursday, October 8th, 2015Lymphedema is a painful condition that can affect women who have undergone, or are undergoing, breast cancer treatment that unfortunately, many women are never properly educated on.
Those who suffer from lymphedema, which is a lack of lymphatic drainage, experience severe swelling in their arms or other extremities. Sometimes it can be so bad that it leads to disfigurement.
“I noticed my left arm was swollen and it felt heavy, but I didn’t know it was lymphedema,” said Peggy Mercurio, a breast cancer survivor. “I also had lymphedema in my chest wall and in my back. For me, it is more bothersome but not necessarily painful. It just feels very uncomfortable.”
On Thursday, Oct. 15, the public is invited to learn about treating this condition, which is not exclusive to breast cancer survivors, during a Focus on Lymphedema educational night from 6-8 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel on the Health Science Campus of The University of Toledo. Mercurio will be available for interviews.
The free, public lecture is part of the Tie One On Awareness Lecture Series hosted by the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center.
Dr. Iman Mohamed, UT professor and chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology, will be one of the guest speakers talking about the causes, preventative methods and treatment for lymphedema. Lymphedema therapists from UTMC as well as ProMedica, Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, Blanchard Valley Rehab and Wood County Hospital will be among the experts offering advice and support.
“Any patient with lymphedema can benefit from this lecture, but it is especially crucial to talk about lymphedema during October because it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” Mohamed said. “Anytime you remove or disturb a lymph node, you have the chance to suffer from lymphedema. It can happen immediately or it might take years.”
Those at risk for developing lymphedema are advised to keep the affected arm or leg elevated above the level of the heart when possible; avoid tight clothing; forgo the use of a heavy purse on the affected arm; do not use hot tubs or heating pads; and avoid heavy lifting with the affected limb.
However, sometimes lymphedema will occur anyway, and patients need options for relief. Mohamed said elastic sleeves, bandages, manual compression and exercises can help.
Mercurio uses a compression sleeve and massages to ease her discomfort.
“It is very important for people to know about lymphedema,” Mercurio said. “I put off the swelling. It would have been great to know that it wasn’t just weight gain.”
Kelly Farley, UTMC lymphedema therapist, said sometimes people just live with the condition, which is unfortunate because relief is possible. Other people aren’t educated about the possibility of the condition and, therefore, do not follow any of the precautionary measures to avoid getting lymphedema.
“Lymphedema is not curable; it is a chronic disease,” Farley said. “Patients must be committed to long-term self-care to achieve positive outcomes. Through the course of the treatment, patients are taught components that are necessary to manage the lymphedema.”
Registrations can be made by calling Renee’s Survivor Shop at 419-383-5243 or by emailing EleanorNDanaCancerCenter@utoledo.edu. Registration starts at 5:30 p.m.
Media Coverage
13 ABC (Oct. 16, 2015)
Full Plate (Oct. 14, 2015)
UT researcher receives grant to develop Alzheimer’s drug
Wednesday, October 7th, 2015A University of Toledo researcher who saw his grandfather battle Alzheimer’s disease is hoping to find better treatment options with the help of a new research grant.
Dr. Isaac Schiefer, recently appointed assistant professor in the Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, has received a $100,000 New Investigator Research Grant through the Alzheimer’s Association.
Schiefer will walk in his grandpa’s honor at The Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sunday, Oct., 18, on UT’s Main Campus. The walk will start at the Health Education Center with registration and check-in at 9:30 a.m., a ceremony at 11:30 a.m., and the walk at noon.
“This disease is just heart-breaking and not just for the patient,” Schiefer said. “I can remember my grandma talking with my grandpa about a memorable vacation when my grandpa said, ‘I don’t remember any of that.’ The look on my grandma’s face was crushing.”
Schiefer, a synthetic bioanalytical chemist, developed a prototype molecule, which improves memory in mice, using a $10,000 grant he received last year from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. His newest grant will allow him to further study the drug characteristics of the prototype molecule.
Schiefer said the molecule was designed to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor, also known as BDNF.
BDNF, a protein, is important for long-term memory, and patients with Alzheimer’s disease have been shown to have less of it. Schiefer said BDNF’s ability to heal damaged brain cells could be compared to how Human Growth Hormone, known as HGH, helps athletes recover from muscle fatigue or injury.
The molecule is the first step toward a drug that could be given to Alzheimer’s patients.
“My lab designs the drugs, makes the drugs and then we test to see if they work,” Schiefer said. “A key component of my research is making a drug that can be manufactured quickly and cheaply.
“If something cures cancer, but it costs too much to make or it is hard to make or too expensive, it isn’t going to be marketable,” Schiefer said. “I want to put a drug on the market. I don’t see any reason why you can’t translate a drug from UT to the market. There are a lot of resources here. If your product is good enough, you can sell it.”
Media Coverage
13 ABC and WTOL 11 (Oct. 14, 2015)
13 ABC (Oct. 16, 2015)
UT to require flu shot for hospital staff, off-site clinics
Friday, October 2nd, 2015To keep its employees and patients as healthy as possible, The University of Toledo is implementing a universal flu shot policy for those in the hospital, ambulatory services, off-site clinics and others whose duties or positions cause them to be in patient care areas.
The flu shot, which will be offered free of charge, is being required for all doctors, faculty, staff, students, health-care workers and volunteers. Flu shots are also being offered on Main Campus, where the immunization is not required but highly encouraged.
“We want to provide the best possible care for our patients and the safest working and learning environment for our employees and students,” said Ann Smith, UT director of infection and prevention. “The flu spreads easily so we would like to prevent that from happening. The goal is to protect our staff and faculty as well as our patient population.”
Smith said influenza is a respiratory infection that can lead to serious complications, especially for young children, older adults and those with certain medical conditions. Even if a UT employee doesn’t work directly with patients, he or she can help prevent the spread of disease by being immunized, Smith said.
Many national health advisory organizations, including the American Hospital Association, Infectious Disease Society of America and American College of Physicians, support mandatory influenza immunization for those in the health-care field. More far-reaching, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older be vaccinated each year.
“This is something that many of our staff are already receiving every year, which we appreciate,” Smith said. “With this change in policy, we intend to move to widespread compliance because it just takes one sick person to spread it to others.”
Getting the immunization is easy. By logging onto the Fluprep website at www.utoledo.edu/fluprep/, people can fill out the vaccine administration questionnaire in advance and take a look at the immunization schedule as well as fact sheets and other important information. If those affected by the new policy receive a flu shot outside of UT, they need to upload proof on the Fluprep website. Exemption requests, which are due by Nov. 15, can also be found at the same website. Those granted an exemption will be required to wear a mask during flu season, which runs Dec. 1 through March 31.
Dr. Carl Sirio, chief operating officer and chief medical and clinical officer for The University of Toledo Medical Center, said those on the Health Science Campus are beginning to embrace this new policy because employees understand the benefits of being vaccinated for the flu.
“We don’t want to make each other sick,” Sirio said. “This is the responsible thing to do for ourselves and for our patients because the flu virus is adaptable and hard to avoid.”
Smith said being immunized will just take a few seconds and is relatively painless.
“The flu shot does not cause someone to get sick with the flu, despite what some people claim. That is a misconception,” Smith said. “It might cause a little muscle pain or a general feeling of discomfort, illness or uneasiness, but it does not make someone sick with the flu.”
Flu shot information and calendar:
Media Coverage
The Blade (Oct. 5, 2015)
WTOL 11 (Oct. 12, 2015)
WTOL 11 (Oct. 14, 2015)
Three to be added to Emergency Medicine Wall of Honor
Monday, September 21st, 2015A founder of the very honor he helped create will instead be one of the people recognized at the fifth annual Emergency Medicine Wall of Honor induction ceremony Tuesday, Sept. 22, at noon.
“Given the fact that I was the principal instigator for the creation of the EM Wall of Honor, I feel reluctant to be recognized in this fashion,” said Dr. Paul Rega, director of emergency medicine simulation education and medical advisor for disaster preparedness at The University of Toledo Medical Center.
“I am extremely humbled and grateful that I was even considered; however, it affords me the opportunity to thank everyone, over the course of 35 years, who has worked with me in emergency departments and in disaster situations to improve the health and welfare to those who sought our care,” Rega said.
The reception will start at 11:30 a.m. in the Lloyd A. Jacobs Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center on the Health Science Campus. UT President Sharon Gaber will speak. The simulation center will also host a demonstration.
A plaque for each honoree will be added to the wall, located in the Emergency Department of UTMC, near the ambulance entrance.
The Emergency Medicine Wall of Honor, made possible through funding from The Blade, was established in 2011 to recognize individual achievement and self-sacrifice in the emergency medical services and emergency medicine community.
Nominations are submitted by community stakeholders and reviewed by a multidisciplinary selection committee.
In addition to Rega, this year’s honorees are:
- Thomas Couture Sr., paramedic. Dedicating more 30 years to prehospital medicine, Couture was a founding leader of EMS in Lucas County. Beginning in the 1970s, he was instrumental in implementing policies, protocols and educational standards for the ever-growing role of the paramedic in the community.
- Karen Peckinpaugh, registered nurse. Peckinpaugh is the founding “mother” of the Forensics SANE (sexual assault nurse examiners) programs in the region. She has worked to establish community relationships that have assisted with the growth of local and regional SANE programs.
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UT Health to open first Menopause Clinic in northwest Ohio
Wednesday, September 16th, 2015UT Health is offering a new service to help women better cope with their menopause symptoms.
The Menopause Clinic — the first in the area — will be every Wednesday from 1-5 p.m. in the Ruppert Health Center on the Health Science Campus beginning Oct. 14.
Dr. Lance Talmage, professor and interim chair of the UT Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is partnering with Dr. Terry Gibbs, a ProMedica OB-GYN with a faculty appointment at UT. Gibbs is certified through the North American Menopausal Society.
“We will be consulting with women to determine the best approach to curbing their menopause symptoms,” Talmage said. “We will look at hormonal therapies as well as non-hormonal therapies, prescription drugs and herbal options.”
While many patients will be referred to the clinic, women also can make an appointment on their own. For instance, menopause is a side effect of some cancer treatments so Talmage expects to get referrals from oncologists.
Gibbs said menopause becomes a quality of life issue for many women as they could experience low energy, sleep troubles or sexual difficulties. Some women don’t know that drinking hot coffee, smoking or drinking alcohol can exacerbate the symptoms. In some cases, menopause can trigger anxiety or feelings of sadness and loss.
“We will talk a lot about the management of all the menopause symptoms and discuss hereditary cancers that become more prevalent in middle age,” Gibbs said. “There are so many things that women don’t consider. They think, ‘I am done with kids; I don’t need to see a gynecologist.’ However, there is more of a reason to see a gynecologist at age 50 than at age 20.”
Talmage and Gibbs said they are seeing a cultural change with baby boomers; they do not want to just accept these symptoms as a part of life.
“There is less of a willingness to say, ‘This is the way it is. I am older and I have to deal with it.’ Women these days want to ‘fix’ their menopausal symptoms,” Talmage said.
Appointments at the Menopause Clinic will be 45 minutes each and involve a consultation, a physical exam and possible bone test scans, depending on the age of the patient. All patients will receive written literature to take home.
“One of my objectives is to make sure that UT residents are trained in menopausal health care,” Gibbs said. “Most residents get very little training on this topic, but it is something that virtually all doctors will come across during their practice.”
Gibbs said menopause consultation is a gap in care that needs to be filled.
“I think there are so many things in this field that are coming to the market every day. It is fast changing. There is so much research going on right now.”
Patients can make appointments by calling 419-383-3787. Insurance is expected to cover most visits.
Media Coverage
13 ABC (Sept. 17, 2015)
The Independent Collegian (Sept. 30, 2015)