Category Archives: Hospitals

Diseases, Healthcare, Healthcare Professionals, Hospitals, Medicare, Therapies

Local Respiratory Therapist Lobbies Washington D.C. for Better Health Care

Respiratory therapist Paul Sherman, MS, RRT, RPFT, RCP went to Washington, DC March 8 2009, representing California Respiratory Care Practitioners, to ask members of Congress to allow Medicare patients with lung disease to have greater access to the services of a respiratory therapist. 

Paul Sherman is a respiratory therapist at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and lives in Goleta, California.

Sherman met with Representatives Frank Wolf, James Moran, Senator Jim Webb, Carina Armenta of Senator Barbara Boxer’s office and Tim Gronniger, aid for Congressman Henry A. Waxman to ask their support for the Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative. Sherman plans to meet with Representative Lois Capps when she returns to her home district of Santa Barbara. Congressman Henry A. Waxman is the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce committee.

The Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative legislation will let patients more easily receive care in doctor’s offices from respiratory therapists, which is currently restricted under Medicare law. “Currently,” Sherman explains, “Medicare policy limits how patients can receive care from respiratory therapists, who are the expert caregivers for lung patients. We think that needs to change.”

Sherman is a member of the Political Advocacy Contact Team (PACT), a nationwide group organized by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) to spearhead grassroots level advocacy efforts. Sherman is also a long time member of the California Society for Respiratory Care (CSRC) and has served in the past on the Board of Directors of the CSRC.

The California Society for Respiratory Care (CSRC), as an affiliate of the American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC), is a non-profit professional organization, whose mission is to represent and support our members through public and legislative advocacy, educational opportunities, and to continuously strive for excellence in the cardiopulmonary profession. By these means, the CSRC is committed to health, healing and disease prevention in the California community.

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Clinics, Healthcare, Hospitals, Liposuction, Medicine, Obesity, Surgery, Weight loss

Tummy Tuck And Liposuction, Before And After Photos

Tummy tuck and liposuction, before and after photos demonstrate why this combined surgery is becoming ever more popular. At £2846, it has become more affordable for many men and women to have the combined procedure to their tummy region.

Tummy tuck surgery at an affordable price, provided by Beautiful Beings.

Abdominal cosmetic surgery, commonly known as a tummy tuck offers a solution by flattening the slack skin and tightening the muscles of the relaxed abdominal wall, which frequently occurs after pregnancy or a distinct weight loss.

If needed, excess subcutaneous fatty tissue can be removed as well. The appearance and functional results of the tummy tuck are substantial, although scars are inevitable in order to remove excessive skin from the tummy during a tummy tuck. It leaves a permanent scar after. However, it will fade after time and its quality differs per individual. A tummy tuck is not only an aesthetic cosmetic surgery procedure but it provides a solution to functional deficiencies of the abdominal wall, i.e. inferior rectus muscle diastases. A tummy tuck not only brings about a better appearance and function, but it also stops the slackening process of the abdominal wall.

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Clinics, Healthcare, Hospitals, Medicine, Obesity, Surgery, Weight loss

Gastric Band – £3980, inlcuding 3 x-ray assited refills

The Gastric Band surgery will be carried out in a specialist state hospital in Prague. www.beautifulbeings.co.uk

Gastric Band surgery is not an instant solution to weight loss. Having a gastric band fitted will assist in decreasing overall daily food intake and can help you achieve a sustainable weight.

The Gastric band works by causing a feeling of fullness when eating and will enable you to reduce your daily intake of food and calories. The gastric band will make you eat less, it will reduce the sensation of hunger and will progressively aide weight loss.

This is achieved by placing the band around the uppermost part of the stomach, dividing it into two sections, with a small opening between sections which allows food to pass through. The section above the band forms a small pouch that fills with food quickly.

Having the gastric band fitted will lead to a healthier lifestyle and lower the risks of obesity related illnesses However changing your eating habits is an important part of the gastric band surgery process. The gastric band will help you to achieve substantial weight loss and reduce the risk of obesity related illnesses. To achieve the maximum benefits from having the gastric banding, post-operative discipline is an important part of the process.

You will need to go on a diet immediately after the gastric band surgery. You will obtain a detailed dietary plan with essential and important advice from your specialists. After the gastric band surgery you can consult the plan with a dietologist recommended by your doctor.

Generally it means that following the gastric banding you will only be able to consume liquid food within the first four weeks such as soup, tea, coffee, unsweetened drinks, fruit and vegetable fruits, yoghurts etc. You will need to reduce the amount of fluids consumed and not eat or drink large amounts at once.

The following two weeks you will be able to eat small portions of mushy, mixed food.

Next the diet will be replaced with common food. Please consult your doctor for more detailed information.

These slow changes of eating habits are important for your recovery. During this process the gastric band will be, thanks to body tissue, firmly placed on the appropriate part of your stomach. Consuming large portions or frequent consumption of solid food increases the risk of dislocating (moving) the gastric band out of its position or the possibility of gradual upper stomach pocket stretching. The consequence might be reduced weight loss and in some cases necessity for re-operation.

Following the gastric banding you might find some food hard to eat. You will need to chew your food more carefully than before the gastric band surgery. Keep in mind that even after the gastric banding there is no quick solution to reduce your weight. The results depend upon your ability to respect recommendations concerning your diet and exercise routine.

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Child health, Doctors, Healthcare, Hospitals, Medical Tourism, Surgeons, Surgery

More Parents Travelling For Child Surgery

Traveling out of state or country for medical treatment, commonly referred to as medical tourism, is now catching on with parents seeking specialized surgeries for their children. 

In the last few years, parents f r o m around the world have flocked to the United States for specialized pediatric surgeries. And American parents have sought help in countries with nationalized healthcare or more affordable surgeries, such as India. But as with all surgical procedures and practices, experts are advising caution. 

Dr. Armen Ketchedjian, author of the book Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery, says that any parent looking for the best care for their child should place quality first, and that any decision made about surgery should be done with the advice and counsel of the child’s pediatrician. 

“Selecting a surgeon for a child can be a difficult process for parents,” says Dr. Ketch, as the author is known to his patients. “It’s a frightening thing to be told that your child needs surgery, and parents are sometimes slow to trust doctors to operate. So caution is a natural and advisable strategy.”

Hospitals like Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, have adapted to the trend and deal with families f r o m around the world—200 f r o m Italy alone—who travel there to take advantage of the hospital’s specialized surgeries to restore vision in premature babies. 

For American parents, the journey often leads them to areas with American-trained doctors working for lower wages. “Unfortunately, the healthcare companies sometimes insist on very strict criteria for approving a surgery,” says Dr. Ketch. “It has changed the way pediatric surgeons practice medicine.”

Dr. Ketch hopes that his book will contribute to better parent education about pediatric surgery in general and recommends that parents who are considering traveling to see specialists keep the following guidelines in mind:

* Look for a surgeon who has training in the kind of surgery your child needs

* Find out in advance what type of facility your child will have to be in for the procedure

* If you have a choice between a medical center that specializes in pediatrics and one that does not, choose the one that specializes in pediatrics

* Look for a surgeon who has extensive experience

These tips and more are part of Dr. Ketch’s efforts to give parents some insight into the world of pediatric surgery. He says hopes that more parents will take advantage of resources like his to learn about their options before making a final decision about where to take their child for surgery. 

Will It Hurt? helps educate parents about pediatric surgery. It is an easy-to-read resource that will give parents, children and families the help and reassurance they need to make surgical experiences as stress-free as possible.

Listed in The Guide to America’s Top Anesthesiologists by the Consumer Research Council of America, Dr. Ketch trained at Cornell Medical Center, with a fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a pain management elective at Boston Children’s Hospital. He has also worked to help develop new techniques in ambulatory anesthesia, taught medical students and residents, and cared for more than 10,000 patients.

Dr. Ketch is also the author of the children’s book Golden Apples (winner of the 2008 Reviewer’s Choice Award), a beautifully illustrated book that aims to help educate children about the dangers of drug abuse. 

For more information, contact the author directly at support@dr.ketch.com.

WARREN ENTERPRISES, LLC and author Dr. Armen G. Ketchedjian chose Arbor Books, Inc. (www.ArborBooks.com) to design and promote Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery. Arbor Books is an internationally renowned, full-service book design, ghostwriting and marketing firm. 

(Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery by Dr. Ketch; ISBN: 0-9815373-0-8; $14.95; 172 pages; 5½” x 8 ½”; softcover with illustrations; WARREN ENTERPRISES, LLC).

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Healthcare, Healthcare Professionals, Hospitals, Medicine, Society, Surgeons, Surgery

Lexington Medical Center and Providence Hospitals Reach Significant Agreement

After several months of discussions, Lexington Medical Center and Providence Hospitals are pleased to announce the terms of an agreement that advances both of their efforts to improve health care delivery in the Midlands of South Carolina. Specifically, Providence Hospitals will support Lexington Medical Center’s efforts to secure an open heart surgery program and Lexington Medical Center will drop its objections to a proposed expansion at Providence Hospitals Northeast.

Under the terms of this agreement, Providence Hospitals will support Lexington Medical Center in seeking regulatory approval through a joint Certificate of Need (CON) application. Within the application, Lexington Medical Center will request approval for one open heart surgery suite and the authority to perform open heart surgery and therapeutic cardiac catheterizations. If approved by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), Providence Hospitals will de-license one of its open heart surgery suites, allowing Lexington Medical Center to add a suite, in keeping with the 2008-2009 State Health Plan.

Lexington Medical Center has dismissed its lawsuit which opposes Providence Hospitals’ plans to expand and improve its existing Northeast facility. Additionally, Lexington Medical Center, upon licensing of the new heart program, would provide $15 million over a three-year period to Providence Hospitals in consideration of de-licensing one open heart surgery suite. Those funds will allow Providence Hospitals to reinvest in technologies and equipment for other service lines.

Lexington Medical Center’s unique situation as the only hospital located within Lexington County, with one of the state’s busiest emergency departments and a busy diagnostic catheterization lab, supports the need for a full service open heart surgery program to perform open heart surgery and therapeutic catheterizations. This agreement will allow Lexington to obtain such a program for the citizens of Lexington County.

Providence Hospitals believes that this joint CON application will not create new capacity in the open heart market, since no new open heart surgery rooms are being added to the service area. In addition, Providence believes that collaborating with LMC on the delivery of health care services and preserving the integrity of the health planning process is in the long term best interests of the Midlands community. While each of the hospitals will continue to be strong health care competitors, they may now also be able to explore additional strategies that would serve to improve patient care.

Providence Hospitals President and CEO George Zara noted the impact of working collaboratively in coming to a resolution on the issue. “In keeping with our faith-based mission, it is incumbent that we move past these conflicts to focus on our common goals of providing quality patient care.”

Mike Biediger, Lexington Medical Center’s president and CEO commented on the joint agreement, “For years, it has been our priority to make cardiovascular care more accessible to the people of Lexington County. We are now one step closer to achieving that goal. We fully expect that this agreement will allow us to address acute cardiac events in a more timely fashion, ultimately saving more lives.”

According to Thad Westbrook, chairman of Lexington Medical Center’s board of directors, “This agreement has been a long time coming and is an important milestone for citizens of Lexington County and the Midlands. The need for a full service open heart program for the people of Lexington County has never been greater, and we now see that our dreams may soon be realized thanks to this agreement with our colleagues at Providence Hospitals.”

Providence Hospitals’ board chairman Michael Kapp is optimistic about the understanding the two hospitals have reached. “I firmly believe that this marks a turning point in the relationship between Providence Hospitals and Lexington Medical Center. We have put aside our differences in order to pursue initiatives that will advance the delivery of quality health care for the people of the Midlands.”

Both Providence Hospitals and Lexington Medical Center appreciate the volunteer assistance of Mr. Frank Mood, senior vice president & general counsel for SCANA, during the mediation process.

About Lexington Medical Center

Lexington Medical Center, in West Columbia, S.C., anchors a county-wide health care network that includes six community medical centers throughout Lexington County and employs a staff of 5,100 health care professionals. The network also includes the largest extended care facility in the state, an occupational health center and physician practices. At its heart is the 384-bed state-of-the-art Lexington Medical Center, with a reputation for the highest quality care. Lexington Medical Center was voted one of the “Best Places to Work” by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, “Best Hospital” by readers of The State for nine years in a row, “Best Hospital” by readers of the Free Times and “Best Place to Have a Baby” by readers of Palmetto Parent. Visit http://www.lexmed.com or http://www.lexmed.tv.

About Providence Hospitals

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity Health System, Providence Hospitals was founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1938 and is known statewide for its compassionate care. This non-profit organization is licensed for 304 beds at its downtown and Northeast facilities and employs more than 1,900 caring individuals. Providence Heart & Vascular Institute is recognized nationally as a referral center for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease with several national rankings for quality outcomes including the Society for Thoracic Surgeons and the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines Coronary Artery Disease program. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina recently designated Providence Heart & Vascular Institute as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care, signifying Providence’s commitment to quality care, resulting in better overall outcomes for cardiac patients. Learn more at http://www.providencehospitals.com.

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Addictions, Healthcare, Hospitals, Rehab, Society, Therapies

One of the hardest parts of addiction recovery is taking that first step and verbalizing that a problem really does exist

Until that point it is easy for an addict to pacify the negative behavior as a way to relieve tension or handle a bad day in the office. Somewhere inside there is a little voice telling the addict that the behavior goes way beyond that flimsy excuse.

An addict’s worse fear is confrontation about what is going on in his or her life. They go to great lengths to avoid uncomfortable discussions to the fact with family and friends. When a boss starts hinting at an addiction problem, the addict quits his job and walks out the door. When a friend brings up the same problem, the addict walks away and deletes the friend out of her cell phone address book. Great life changes are made to avoid these situations.

Addiction takes on various formats. There is eating disorders, drugs, alcohol, anxiety, depression and the list goes on and on. Each addiction starts with its own circumstances. Likewise each addiction also comes with its own hurdles that must be overcome if an addict has any hope of recovery. Still the recovery process is not easy.

Cliffside Malibu is a place to start. Staff is trained in the areas of addiction treatment and knows how to be that effective first hand reaching out to an addict in the moments when all hope feels lost. One of the first steps that staff members take once an addict arrives for treatment is to engage in an intervention process.

The target objective of a staged intervention is to call attention to the addiction without allowing for excuses or escape options to be given. This may seem like a harsh way to start a rehabilitation process. However the staff at Cliffside Malibu knows that in order to be a successful drug rehab program, steps must be taken for the addict to face their addiction problems as soon as possible.

For this intervention to work, staff may approach family and friends about their participation in the event. Addicts often forget that they are not the only injured parties in this situation. Family and friends bear the brunt of anger, stress and addictive behavior as the addict stops at nothing to get that next soothing fix. These are the people that know the addict best. These are also the people that have been hurt the most by the addiction.

Staff at Cliffside Malibu is aware of these and other issues that will come up as the intervention process begins. There is a specialized intervention team in place at all times ready to help the addict make that first step towards admitting there is a problem. Addicts may get angry and say or do things that would be viewed as hateful in the outside world. Intervention members do not stand in judgment against the addict or turn their backs. Instead a helping hand is offered and the addict is made to feel safe and secure. In this environment many times an addict feels secure enough to come to terms with the addictive behavior and let the recovery and healing process begin.

Once this admission has been made, productive alcohol treatment can begin. Intervention team members are with an addict from the moment he or she walks through that door. From that point a personalized treatment plan is devised that will best meet the needs of that addict. Team members work to set a starting point that will get the addict moving in the right direction. After awhile those hateful moments of the first day intervention are replaced with life long friendships towards a staff that helped the addict get back on track and make a new choice for life.

About Cliffside Malibu:
Cliffside Malibu offers treatment program approaches based on individual need rather than a mass group approach. All treatments are tailored to each addict and include equine therapy, acupuncture and yoga. The rehabilitation center offers treatment for drugs, alcohol, eating disorders, depression and anxiety among others.

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Addictions, Healthcare, Hospitals, Rehab, Society, Therapies

There’s a way to relax and be as stress free as possible while undergoing alcohol treatment in Malibu California

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And yes, it’s the same Malibu that’s home to many celebrities and those seeking a California beach lifestyle.

Many strolls through the beachside location will help focus thoughts on the changes ahead. Chefs prepare terrific meals which you may eat in the airy and light dining room. Guest rooms are spa-like and refreshing. There’s a new buzz going around about addiction treatment, and you’ll find the answer right here at Sunset Malibu. Relaxing in the lovely gardens or taking in a Pacific sunset, or perhaps talking with new friends also undergoing treatment, or just being alone in your guest suite reading a book, will help you focus on addiction treatment and getting better.

Alcohol addiction is a monster of a disease and it’s often chronic. But, how do you even contemplate breaking out of the mold of this treacherous path? Trying to make a go of getting better on your own is, to quote an old cliché, a great uphill battle. Once you have decided for yourself that life must get better, contact the professionals here at Sunset Malibu. Just making that first decision to call and receive any information you need, will relieve a lot of stress that you may be feeling.

Undergoing an alcohol rehab program is not easy. The thing is about any kind of addiction treatment – it must be personalized to be effective. While advice from a friend may be of help in some ways, why not save yourself a lot of time and wasted energy – energy not directed towards getting better – by going direct to the source for one of the best in Southern California. The huge number of programs offered here at this facility helps ensure that each person that needs help gets it and can be sure that the treatment is a perfect fit.

The kinds of programs offered at Sunset Malibu are called holistic. They treat the whole person here instead of focusing on just the drug-caused problems. It is like, at most rehab places, they are treating just your hand or perhaps maybe just a foot or leg. And honestly, how good would that be? A whole human being with an addiction problem has to be treated as a whole person, hence the holistic approach.

People from every ethnic group and background can suffer from the disease of alcoholism. Best results are obtained when a recovery program is tailored to each individual’s needs. And why not undergo this recovery in a facility that offers luxury amenities and a smaller number of guests? How can recovery and the experience itself be very effective if there are few undertrained staff, many people trying to get help at the same time, and a mediocre organization that is merely “doing their best”? Sometimes in literature, addiction is almost glamorized. It is not glamorous. It is a disease and what’s glamorous about a disease?

When you sign up for addiction treatment at Sunset Malibu the cliff side vista and blue Pacific vistas will help you to relax and concentrate. They have two acres of wonderful grounds, gourmet chefs, five star-like guest rooms, even a personal trainer for the gym. The fitter you are mentally, the better you will be able to concentrate on recovery from your addiction. Someone you know may have descended into the living purgatory that can be addiction. Don’t let it happen to you when help is close at hand.

So, if you have decided to “give it a go” and begin your recovery to health and a sense of wellbeing, try the new approach at Sunset Malibu. After your stay is over here, and as you are driving away, you know deep inside that whenever you pass by Sunset Malibu, at whatever time of the day, you will always think of this place as your sunrise, and never your sunset.

About Sunset Malibu:
Professional staff offer the most gentle and effective care for alcohol, drug and food addictions, plus depression.

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Cancer, Healthcare, Hospitals, Medicine, Oncology, Society

Field Fisher Waterhouse has recovered compensation for the cost of a claimant’s hospice care in a case that is though to be the first of its kind

Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW), the full service European law firm, has recovered the value of the hospice care that was required by a claimant. This is thought to be the first case of its kind, with most hospices generally exclusively funded by charitable donations. As part of the settlement, the firm was able to recover £12,500 to be paid over to the hospice.

The case arose out of the death of a 64 year old man due to mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, in December 2007 after spending his final days being cared for in a North London Hospice dedicated to cancer patients.

Through his life the man suffering from the cancer had worked as a carpenter, painter and labourer. In 1963, whilst employed as a painter for J Murphy & Sons Ltd, he was exposed to asbestos dust whilst sanding down and filling in walls in prefabricated housing containing asbestos. He was then exposed to further asbestos when working for the same company at a factory in Dagenham, cleaning debris from the guttering on roofs made from corrugated asbestos.

In August 2005 he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an asbestos related cancer on the lining of one of his lungs. He was eventually admitted to the hospice where he spent the last month of his life.

Rodney Nelson-Jones, partner in the Asbestos Claims Group at Field Fisher Waterhouse, was instructed to claim compensation on behalf of the man’s family. The firm was able to recover £170,000 from J Murphy & Sons Ltd, £12,500 of which is being paid to the hospice which provided him with care worth over £400 a day.

This is thought to be the first time that compensation has been recovered for a patient’s hospice care, which is usually funded by charitable donations. It has long been possible to recover compensation for the value of care provided by relatives but FFW’s innovation has been to extend this principle to charitable care provided by hospices. The firm plans to continue to claim the cost of hospice care in future mesothelioma cases.

Rodney Nelson-Jones commented: “We are delighted to have been able to secure extra funding for the hospice. Hospices do a wonderful job and rely on charitable donations to provide much needed palliative care for cancer patients. We hope that this case will mean that they are now provided with an additional source of funding.”

About Field Fisher Waterhouse
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP is a full-service European law firm with offices in Brussels, Hamburg and London. With 119 partners, over 200 other lawyers and nearly 300 support staff, FFW assist a wide range of international clients, advising across a full range of legal issues.

The main areas of practice are corporate and commercial, IP and technology, banking and finance, regulatory and real estate. Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP also have particular expertise in competition & EU law, dispute resolution, employment, asbestos and mesothelioma claims, personal injury cases and clinical negligence, public sector and tax.

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Business of Medicine, Healthcare, Healthcare Products, Healthcare Professionals, Hospitals, Nurses

Maker of high-end performance medical apparel enlists retail partners

Medelitaâ„¢, maker of breakthrough medical apparel for female clinicians, including womens scrubs and lab coats, announced today that it is assembling a national network of retail uniform shops that will be authorized to carry the Medelita product line. The company has quickly established itself as one of the pre-eminent brands in medical apparel by differentiating its garments in several ways. This innovation now extends to include a marketing program that is unusual within the retail uniform industry.

Prior to the introduction of the new retail program, Medelita was sold exclusively through its website (http://www.medelita.com) and at medical conferences. However, the garments are so well received by prospective customers at medical conferences, that it was apparent what needed to be done. Making the line available to customers in a retail environment is necessary; however, the executives at Medelita were concerned about maintaining the high-end image of their brand, which they have carefully cultivated.

To ensure that its reputation is maintained, Medelita has structured a retail program that offers select uniform retailers exclusive rights to sell the Medelita line of uniforms within a defined geographic area. In exchange for those territorial rights, the retailer is obligated to display Medelita in a designated area of their store. Retailers not only get exclusive rights to sell the Medelita line within their trade area, they also benefit from the unusual profitability of this high-end brand.

“When customers have an opportunity to experience the flattering fit of the Medelita scrubs and lab coats, the enthusiasm for the brand quickly translates into sales,” says Lara Manchik, founder and chief executive officer, Medelita. “Our garments designed not only to fit the female body, but to flatter it. At the same time, the apparel’s high performance fabrics are created to accommodate the endurance test which we call a day at work in health care.”

Historically, uniform retailers had concerns about manufacturers selling directly to the consumer, affecting channel sales, however, Medelita is committed to using its website to inform customers about its product line and support retail sales with fair trade pricing.Medelita does not and will not discount their uniforms on their website, with exceptions for discontinued styles or colors. As the only brand in the industry to do so, Medelita makes a commitment to work only with authorized retailers and not through catalog or online discounters.

The program is in the process rolling out in three markets: California, Texas and Ohio. For information on becoming a member of the Authorized Network of Medelita Retailers, please contact Joe Francisco at 877-987 7979.

About Medelita
Medelita has one purpose: to reinvent the way women of all healthcare professions present themselves at work by offering the highest quality, best fitting, and most comfortable medical apparel available, including lab coats, clinician scrubs and nursing scrubs. Medelita caters to professional women who want their uniforms to embody the poise and confidence already displayed from within. For more information, visit our website at http://www.medelita.com or call (877) 987-7979.

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Cardiac Surgery, Cardiology, Critical Care, Healthcare, Healthcare Professionals, Healthcare Services, Hospitals, Society

Officials From East Carolina University And University Health Systems Of Eastern Carolina Dedicated The East Carolina Heart Institute Today

Officials from East Carolina University and University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina dedicated the East Carolina Heart Institute today. Several hundred invited guests joined leaders from the two organizations to celebrate the facility. The Heart Institute puts ECU and Pitt County Memorial Hospital “at the forefront of progress and the cutting edge of the future,” said Dr. W. Randolph Chitwood, director of the East Carolina Heart Institute.

“What we dedicate today is a concept called the East Carolina Heart Institute that encompasses these new facilities, dedicated to the people of this region, and to the physicians, researchers, educators and staff devoted to their care,” said Chitwood, who is cardiothoracic surgery and vascular surgery at the Brody School of Medicine at ECU. He is also senior associate vice chancellor for health sciences at ECU.

The dedication ceremony, held at the East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU, capped more than four years of work to bring a world-class cardiovascular disease institute to eastern North Carolina. In 2004, the General Assembly approved $60 million for a research, education and outpatient care facility at ECU. Pitt County Memorial Hospital secured private funding for a $160 million bed tower. Today, leaders from the two organizations celebrated the end of construction on both facilities.

Many who attended the ceremony also toured the two facilities after the event ended. The crowd included local and state officials, donors and other friends of each organization.

The celebration marked “the most significant collaboration University Health Systems and East Carolina University have ever undertaken,” said UHS CEO Dave McRae. “It’s the biggest step of a journey we started more than 30 years ago, when a small county hospital and a fledgling medical school committed to forming the world-class academic medical center we’re part of today,” McRae said.

ECU and PCMH have been “joined at the hip” for decades, ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard said. “The East Carolina Heart Institute is the latest partnership between us, and it will make a major and lasting impact in eastern North Carolina, the entire state and beyond,” Ballard said.

The new buildings aren’t the only sign of a new approach to heart disease for ECU and PCMH. The two organizations have also redefined their model for treating cardiovascular illnesses. Both have organized their clinical staffs around illnesses and disease processes, rather than following a traditional model based on academic specialties. That new model encourages more information-sharing among doctors and puts new emphasis on patients’ best interests, Chitwood said. “This new model of care delivery is an innovative way to blend the science and art of medicine so that we add value to the patient,” Chitwood said.

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease in North Carolina justifies the massive investment in treating and researching heart and vascular illnesses. Cardiovascular disease is the second-leading cause of death in the state, and nearly a quarter of N.C. residents suffer from cardiovascular ailments.

Planning for the East Carolina Heart Institute dates to early 2003. ECU and PCMH held a groundbreaking for the Heart Institute in March 2006. In addition to the six-story 375,000-square-foot bed tower, the Heart Institute at Pitt County Memorial Hospitalspawned a pair of companion projects: construction of a massive central utility plant to power the new building and the relocation of Moye Boulevard.

The Heart Institute at Pitt County Memorial Hospital has 120 cardiovascular beds, six operating rooms, seven interventional laboratories, three electrophysiology labs and a heart-healthy cafeteria, all designed to create the optimal patient care environment.

The four-story, 206,000-square-foot East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU houses science and clinical research, robotic-surgery training, future space for simulation laboratories, a clinical outpatient facility for cardiovascular diseases, a database center, offices and an auditorium.

The Heart Institute at Pitt County Memorial Hospital will open Jan. 5. ECU physicians have been seeing patients at the East Carolina Heart Institute at ECU since September. For more information please visit www.eastcarolinaheartinstitute.com

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