Baylor Scott & White
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BaylorHealth.com/Irving
MARCH 2015
‘‘I can
eat my favorite foods again.
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Josh Ned found the solution he needed for chronic heartburn PAGE 6
Sidestep Stroke Everything you need to know about risk factors, warning signs and more page 4
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QUICK HITS
6 Reasons to Choose Baylor Irving Emergency Care With a recent expansion completed, the emergency department (ED) at Baylor Medical Center at Irving is increasing the services it offers to the community. Charles Su, MD, medical director of emergency medicine at Baylor Irving, says, “We have new, bigger rooms, more equipment, more personnel and we’re better able to service the community. In an emergency department as large as ours we have a wide range of specialists available.”
The ED offers: Stroke care, with advanced certification as a primary stroke center and telemedicine capabilities for fast diagnosis and treatment of stroke.
Heart care, including level 3 chest pain accreditation and heart failure accreditation. Critical care beds for people with stroke, heart attack or trauma. Sepsis care to help treat septic patients earlier and improve outcomes. Express care for less-serious illnesses and injuries, with advanced technology and services available if the problem turns out to be more serious. Door-to-provider times that average under 30 minutes. The expanded ED takes advantage of collaboration with local EMS. If paramedics see signs that indicate a stroke or heart attack, they can transmit data and the Baylor Irving team is activated before the patient arrives.
Baylor Irving Expands ED
With 50 beds, five intake rooms and a revamped triage area, the new emergency department at Baylor Medical Center at Irving is equipped to handle the demands of the more than 70,000 patients who seek care each year. Barbara Klausing, RN, director of the emergency department for Baylor Irving, points out a few of the improvements: 3 A 64-slice CT scanner with advanced capabilities for CT angiograms to help diagnose stroke 3 A clinical observation unit for people undergoing testing, reducing the need to admit them to the hospital 3 S creening and treatment that begins in the triage area to help reduce delays 3 Adjustable lighting for people with migraines and for children 3 A design that supports efficient processes 3 Speakerphones for interpretation services 3 C omputers in every patient room for documentation
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Care When You Need It To learn more about the ER services offered at Baylor Irving, please visit us at BaylorHealth.com/Irving today.
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Baylor Medical Center at Irving, 1901 N. MacArthur Blvd. Irving, TX 75061 • 972.579.8100; Baylor Health Center at Irving-Coppell, 400 W. Interstate 635 at MacArthur Blvd., Irving, TX 75063 • 972.785.5500; President: Cindy Schamp; West Region Director of Marketing: Dee Dee Ogrin; Manager of Marketing/PR: Leanne Pettit; Physician Liaison: Josh Marte; Community Outreach Manager: Rachel Nobles; Main Switchboard: 972.579.8100; Patient Information: 972.579.4358; Physician Referral: 1.800.4BAYLOR (1.800.422.9567); Irving Cancer Center: 972.579.4300; Irving Women’s Pavilion of Health: 972.579.8240; Irving Imaging Centers (Mammography): 2001 N. MacArthur Blvd., Suite 250 • 972.254.1616; 440 W. Interstate Hwy. 635, Suite 120A • 972.785.5650; 2740 N. State Hwy. 360, Suite 200 • 972.579.4480; 24-Hour Emergency Department: 972.579.8110; Human Resources Job Line: 972.579.8750 Baylor Scott & White Health Mission: Founded as a Christian ministry of healing, Baylor Scott & White Health exists to serve all people through exemplary health care, education, research and community service. Visit BaylorHealth.com or call 1.800.4BAYLOR for information about Baylor Medical Center at Irving services, upcoming events, physician referrals, career opportunities and more. Baylor Scott & White Health is published six times a year by McMURRY/TMG, LLC. © 2015 Baylor Scott & White Health. The material in Baylor Scott & White Health is not intended for diagnosing or prescribing. Consult your physician before undertaking any form of medical treatment or adopting any exercise program or dietary guidelines. Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those medical centers, Baylor Medical Center at Irving, Baylor Health Center at Irving-Coppell or Baylor Scott & White Health. Photographs may include models or actors and may not represent actual patients. If you are receiving multiple copies, need to change your mailing address or do not wish to receive this publication, please send your mailing label(s) and the updated information to Robin Vogel, Baylor Scott & White Health, Marketing Department, 2001 Bryan St., Suite 750, Dallas, TX 75201, or email the information to robinv@BaylorHealth.edu.
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TAKE THIS QUIZ If you have diabetes, it’s essential that you understand hemoglobin A1c, a test that measures your average blood glucose. Visit BaylorHealth.com/ HemoglobinA1c to see what you know.
Play Safely Exercise is a vital component of good health for young and old. Yet the way to prevent injuries changes as we age. Here are two tips to keep you in the game.
Beat Blood Sugar Spikes Although managing diabetes might seem daunting, a big part of your plan boils down to this: Avoid blood sugar spikes. The good news is, it really can be as easy as 1-2-3.
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Add exercise to your life—ideally, right after a meal. Eating raises blood sugar. Exercise lowers it.
Fill up on fiber. Beans, whole grains and some high-fiber vegetables can actually squash blood sugar spikes. Added bonus: These foods are filling, so they help with portion control, too.
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Find your whey. Recent research suggests that consuming whey protein prior to a high-carb meal helps reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes in well-controlled type 2 diabetes patients.
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Kids, avoid overtraining. Many experts recommend taking off at least one season a year to reduce the risk of injury. According to one research study, young athletes should not spend more hours training per week than their age. Those who exceeded the limit were 70 percent more likely to suffer an overuse injury. Adults, avoid undertraining. Build up your exercise level gradually, and avoid the “weekend warrior” temptation to fit a week’s worth of activity into a day or two.
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Get Help for What Hurts Visit FindDrRight.com to locate a sports medicine physician near you—and make an appointment today!
Six out of 10 adults in Texas got colorectal screenings as recommended in 2010. That’s up from 35 percent in 2000—but it’s just below the 2010 national average of 65 percent. Screenings help find polyps before they have a chance to become cancerous. BaylorHealth.com/Irving
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M o re Specialized Stroke Care Baylor Irving is a certified primary stroke center. To learn more about the hospital’s stroke services, visit BaylorHealth.com/Irving or call 1.800.4BAYLOR.
Sidestepping a Stroke
What you need to know now about risk factors, warning signs and more
FIRST, THE BAD NEWS: Stroke is the
fourth leading cause of death in the United States, claiming nearly 130,000 lives each year. But there’s good news, too: Up to 80 percent of these brain attacks are preventable. So if you aren’t already doing all you can to stop stroke in its tracks, it’s time to start. rISKY BUSINeSS “When it comes to stroke, some risk factors are controllable and some are not,” says Jennifer Rasmussen, MD, a neurologist at Scott & White Memorial Hospital – Temple. “No matter what, though, you want to be aware of all of them.” She also points out that “evaluation and treatment at a certified stroke center reduces a patient’s risk for future strokes. It is very important that patients do not wait to be treated.” What’s out of your control: Your age, race and family history can all increase your risk for stroke.
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What you can control: The major lifestyle risk factors for stroke are smoking, excessive alcohol use, being overweight and a sedentary lifestyle. “If you’re over 55, African-American or have a history of stroke in your family, it’s even more important to keep your lifestyle risk factors in check,” Dr. Rasmussen says. “Stroke prevention tactics—eating healthy, exercising, not smoking, drinking alcohol moderately— are in line with recommendations for an overall healthy lifestyle, so they should already be top priorities.” SPoT THe SIGNS “Many people believe there is no treatment for stroke, when that just isn’t the case. If you call 911 at the earliest signs of a stroke, treatment may be available,” Dr. Rasmussen says. Signs include numbness or weakness on one side of the body, sudden confusion or trouble speaking, trouble seeing through one or both eyes, trouble walking and a sudden severe headache with no known cause.
THINK FAST Use the acronym FAST to remember the signs of a stroke:
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ace: Does one side of the face droop?
Arms: Does one arm drift downward? Speech: Is speech slurred? T
ime: If you see any of these signs, call 911 immediately. Even if the symptoms seem to go away, they still need to be taken seriously. Temporary stroke symptoms can be a harbinger of what’s to come and always require medical attention. ©Thinkstock
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Your Lungs: What Can Go Wrong?
Yes! You can have exercise if you asthma. Talk to out your doctor ab . creating a plan
The low-down on three chronic conditions that cause trouble for the lungs, and the treatments that are making a difference Every time you take a breath, it kick-starts a complex series of events that brings oxygen from the air into the blood that circulates through your entire body. It’s a fascinating process that can sometimes hit speed bumps. “At least 40 million Americans are currently diagnosed with a chronic lung condition,” says Mark Millard, MD, medical director of the Martha Foster Lung Center at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. Here, he brings us up to speed on three conditions that cause trouble for the lungs (and have nothing to do with smoking), as well as the latest treatments.
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aSThMa AMERICANS AFFECTED: ABOUT 26 MILLION The most common chronic lung condition, asthma is characterized by inflammation and spasms of the airways, which causes wheezing and shortness of breath. Though asthma has a strong genetic component and usually develops in childhood, Dr. Millard says some cases do appear in adulthood. “Those are often more serious and difficult to treat.” HOW IT’S TREATED: Daily medications can help keep symptoms at bay, and the latest inhalant medications are very effective at reducing inflammation and spasms, Dr. Millard says. You can also reduce your risk of an attack by avoiding exposure to cigarette smoke, allergies and pollution.
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PULMonaRy FIBRoSIS AMERICANS AFFECTED: 140,000 This progressive disease causes scarring and stiffness in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. “It stems from a defect in how the lungs repair themselves—they scar instead of heal,” Dr. Millard says. Causes may include autoimmune
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diseases, genetics and chemical The Sneezy exposure (such as Season asbestos). For a referral to an allergy HOW IT’S TREATED: specialist on the Baylor Irving Without medical staff, please visit medication, the BaylorHealth.com/Irving prognosis is bleak. or call 1.800.4BAYLOR. “Life expectancy after diagnosis is just three to five years,” Dr. Millard says. “Thankfully, two newly FDA-approved medications may help slow its progression and turn back the clock on scarring.”
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CySTIC FIBRoSIS AMERICANS AFFECTED: 30,000 This inherited condition is characterized by an inability of the lungs to effectively clear mucus from the bronchi, the main passageways of the lungs. “These individuals experience chronic lung infections, and many will require transplantation,” Dr. Millard explains. HOW IT’S TREATED: Individuals born with cystic fibrosis have a difficult road ahead, requiring treatment several times each day as well as frequent hospitalizations. “But exciting new medications for treating CF are on the horizon,” Dr. Millard says. “These treatments may be able to repair the basic genetic defects and allow these individuals to lead normal lives.”
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REAL PATIENTS. REAL STORIES.
Burned Out
After a decade-long bout with heartburn, Josh Ned is pain-free and back to eating the foods he loves with occasional heartburn after a particularly greasy or spicy meal. But Josh Ned’s heartburn was anything but occasional. “I was taking over-the-counter medication for heartburn about 10 times a day,” says the 32-yearold McKinney resident. “I couldn’t eat anything spicy or sweet. Even apple juice and orange juice were off the list.” After nearly a decade of discomfort, Ned finally mentioned his heartburn to his doctor last spring, who sent him for an upper endoscopy, a procedure used to determine the cause of heartburn. It showed that Ned had gastroesophageal reflux MOST OF US ONLY DEAL
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disease, or GERD, a condition in which the valve between the esophagus and stomach doesn’t close properly, allowing stomach acid to back up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation and severe damage. The fi x was medication— one that Ned would only have to take once a day. He was thrilled. “I haven’t had heartburn since starting the new medication,” Ned says. “I can eat my favorite foods again—Tex-Mex, barbecue, cranberry juice and smoothies. I just feel so much better.” Ned may have waited years to ask his doctor about heartburn, but you don’t have to. Here are the answers to some common questions about GERD.
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“Within a few days of starting the medication, I saw a difference. It makes me wish I would’ve talked to my doctor a lot sooner.” —Josh Ned
HoW CAN I TeLL WHeTHer IT’S GerD? A doctor will need to diagnose GERD, but symptoms include: 3 Frequent heartburn 3 Regurgitation of food or a sour
taste in the back of your mouth
3 Chest pain 3 Difficulty swallowing 3 Cough 3 Hoarseness or sore throat 3 Feeling as if there’s a lump in
your throat
“Different people have different symptoms. More common than not, people will have heartburn or discomfort in their stomach or chest,” says Praveen Srungaram, MD, a gastroenterologist on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at McKinney. “But those symptoms overlap with heart and lung issues. Talk to your doctor to make sure it’s not your heart or lungs.” IS GerD DANGeroUS? GERD itself isn’t dangerous, but it can lead to other conditions. “When stomach acid is constantly coming back up into the esophagus, it starts to eat away at the esophageal lining,” Dr. Srungaram says. “That can lead to inflammation, bleeding and, in some cases, Barrett’s esophagus.” Barrett’s esophagus is a condition where the tissue of the esophagus, after repeated exposure to stomach acid, begins to resemble tissue found in the intestine. It’s an uncommon complication of GERD, but it can lead to esophageal cancer.
HoW IS GerD TreATeD? Your doctor may recommend trying over-the-counter antacids to curb the pain associated with heartburn. But if that doesn’t work, other medications are available to help reduce acid production and strengthen the esophageal valve. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to repair damage to the esophagus. “If you’re finding that you have to take medicine on a regular basis or you still have symptoms after eight to 12 months, it’s probably a good idea to see a specialist,” Dr. Srungaram says. WHAT CAN I Do To PreVeNT GerD? Although you can’t prevent GERD, there are steps you can take to reduce heartburn. Maintain a healthy weight. Excess belly fat directly contributes to heartburn because it puts pressure on your stomach and causes acid to back up into your esophagus. Aim for a waist circumference of no more than 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men. Loosen your belt—literally! Avoid tight-fitting clothing around your abdomen for the same reason as above—it puts unnecessary pressure on your stomach. Don’t lie down after eating. Wait at least three hours before going to bed. Don’t smoke. Smoking reduces the effectiveness of the esophageal valve. Avoid trigger foods. Different people have different heartburn triggers, but common culprits include spicy dishes, fatty foods, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, chocolate, peppermint, alcohol and caffeine. Large meals of any type can also trigger heartburn.
3 Causes of Digestive Distress When you’re having digestive issues, three culprits are often to blame. Paulino Rivera-Torres, MD, a gastroenterologist on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Irving, explains. 1. If you have bloating or gassiness, it could be caused by lactose intolerance. “As we get older we can have more trouble digesting lactose,” Dr. Rivera-Torres says. You can change to a lactose-free diet and see if symptoms improve. 2. Diarrhea and bloating may be caused by gluten intolerance. Dr. Rivera-Torres says it’s important to distinguish between celiac disease, which your doctor can screen for with a blood test, and gluten intolerance. People with celiac disease need to follow a strict gluten-free diet, while those with gluten intolerance may be able to eat gluten on occasion. 3. Constipation can be triggered by a low-fiber diet. Exercising and adding more fiber and water to your diet can help ease symptoms. Discuss your digestive distress with your primary care doctor or a gastroenterologist so he or she can diagnose any underlying conditions and help you find ways to get your symptoms under control.
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Tummy Trouble? For a referral to a gastroenterologist on the medical staff at Baylor Irving, visit BaylorHealth.com/Irving or call 1.800.4BAYLOR.
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How Bad Is It?
Talking on your cellphone all day. Saying yes to tanning and no to sunscreen. Skipping screenings. Find out how risky these actions really are when it comes to cancer NOBODY’S PERFECT. But with cancer prevention, it pays to be as close to impeccable as possible. Here, we rate your habits on a one-to-five scale based on advice from Baylor Scott & White Health experts.
RISK RATING
Not too much to worry about. 8
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Stop it right this minute!
GETTING YOUR BRONZE ON Sun-kissed, golden skin might look great, but melanoma does not. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a working group of the World Health Organization, people who use tanning beds before age 30 increase their lifetime risk of melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer) by 75 percent. So if you want a tan, hit the bronzer bottle, not the bed—self-tanner options are inexpensive, easy to use and completely safe.
SKIPPING YOUR SCREENINGS Health screenings aren’t exactly fun, but their benefits are well worth the tedium, says James Fleshman, MD, a physician on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. For example, he says, “colonoscopy screening starting at age 50 and every 10 years thereafter in a patient with no risk factors can prevent cancer from ever occurring by detecting and removing precancerous polyps.” The same principle holds true for mammograms, says Michael Grant, MD, a physician on the medical staff at Baylor Dallas. “For women over age 50, studies show that screening mammograms can help reduce the number of deaths caused by breast cancer,” he says. In laymen’s terms? You can’t overcome cancer if you don’t even know it’s there. Talk to your doctor about setting up your screening schedule. ©Thinkstock
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Cancer Care at Baylor Irving Organic or not— eat those veggies!
People who need diagnosis or treatment for cancer can find the services and specialists they need under one roof at the Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Irving. The center’s multidisciplinary staff includes surgeons, medical oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, nurse navigators, dietitians, genetic counselors and specialized support staff. They offer a range of services
including digital mammograms, breast MRIs, PET scans, MRI-guided biopsy, X-rays, CT and low-dose CT scans, interventional radiology, chemotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, endoscopic ultrasound, stereotactic radiosurgery, image-guided radiation, partial breast radiation, and more. The center is accredited by the Commission on Cancer and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers.
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Find Out More
To learn more about the cancer services offered at the Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Irving, call 1.800.4BAYLOR or visit BaylorHealth.com/IrvingCancer today.
OPTING OUT OF OrGANIC If the pressure to buy all organic produce has you avoiding fruits and veggies entirely, take note: Whether organic foods translate to a lower risk of cancer because they are less likely to be contaminated by cancer-causing compounds is largely unknown, the American Cancer Society (ACS) says. So, while choosing organic produce certainly won’t hurt you (although it can be a bit pricier than conventional options), it may not be completely necessary. More important than organic versus nonorganic is fresh food versus junk food. Eat those veggies!
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TALKING ON YOUr CeLLPHONe ALL DAY Hold the phone—literally. A recent report by the IARC found limited evidence of a possible connection between cellphone use and brain tumors. One of the studies examined for the report, which looked at cellphone use in several countries prior to 2004, showed that the heaviest cellphone users had higher risks for malignant
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brain tumors. Heavy use was defined as 30 minutes per day for 10 years. Although the evidence is not conclusive, it is enough to warrant concern, the ACS says. What can you do? Use an earpiece or a landline (remember those?) to limit time spent with your cellphone to your ear. BaylorHealth.com/Irving
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ADVANCING MEDICINE
Seek and Destroy A specialized immune receptor could hold the key for an HIV vaccine
ANY SOLDIER WHO HAS gone on a dangerous mission knows that being swift, strong and focused can make the difference between failure and success. Thanks to a recent study at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research (BIIR), the lipoprotein ABOUT receptor LOX-1 could THE STUDY be that difference LOX-1 Receptor’s when it comes to Role in Mediating creating vaccines for Immune Responses viruses like HIV.
The cell-recognition lipoprotein receptor could boost immune response to infections like influenza, tuberculosis and HIV.
Key Players Baylor Institute for Immunology Research National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Tulane National Primate Center in Louisiana CEA (France)
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HOW VACCINES WORK To understand the importance of the research findings, you first have to understand how vaccines work. “Vaccines trigger an immune response by introducing a weakened version of a virus or bacteria to dendritic cells, which induce, regulate and orchestrate the immune response,”
says SangKon Oh, PhD, principal investigator of the study. But until now, researchers have had difficulty developing effective vaccines for certain viral infections, like influenza and HIV. “Th is is either because the virus can mutate, making it difficult to destroy, or because it remains latent, which makes it difficult to fi nd,” Dr. Oh says. HOW LOX-1 HELPS LOX-1 is a receptor on the surface of dendritic cells (immune system messengers) that senses inflammation caused by fungal, bacterial or viral infections and then activates the immune response, says co-investigator Gerard Zurawski, PhD. In this National Institutes of Health-sponsored study, BIIR researchers took existing vaccines and “aimed” them directly at LOX-1. “By fusing an antibody binding, LOX-1 and a virus protein, we were able to stimulate a much more effective, powerful immune response that was directed specifically at the body’s defense barriers, like the skin and mucous membranes,” Dr. Zurawski says.
HOW IT COULD CHANGE THE FUTURE Their findings could be the key to developing new vaccines against infections that have previously eluded scientists—and that’s created quite a buzz in the research community. In fact, the study made the cover of the journal Immunity in October 2014 and has garnered BIIR funding for future research from the Gates Foundation and others. “It’s our hope that we will see or even participate in the development of new vaccines for illnesses like HIV in the not-so-distant future,” Dr. Oh says. Now that’s a mission we can all get behind.
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More Research Like This
Visit BaylorHealth.com/ AdvancingMedicine and clinicaltrials.sw.org for more of our stories about groundbreaking discoveries in medicine.
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WHAT’S ONLINE BaylorHealth.com
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“There was absolutely nothing wrong with me—or so I thought.”
TOOL
TRYING TO GET PREGNANT? ➜ Use our ovulation calculator at BaylorHealth.com/ OvulationCalculator to predict when you’re most fertile. ONLINE
What’s Your Allergy IQ?
See Why We Score High
Where are those dust mites most likely to be hiding? And what food is most likely to trigger an allergic response?
Baylor Medical Center at Irving has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best hospitals for 2014–15 in gastroenterology/GI surgery, pulmonary, neurology/neurosurgery and diabetes/endocrinology.
➜ Visit BaylorHealth.com/ AllergyQuiz to take the quiz and find out.
➜ To learn more about our specialties and services, visit BaylorHealth.com/Irving.
QUIZ
RECIPE
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GRILLED PORK & PEACH SALAD
Left three images: ©Thinkstock
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If you’ve never tried adding fruit to your salad, now’s the time to start.
Bill Dippel didn’t know he had colon cancer until his physician suggested a routine colonoscopy screening.
➜ Visit BaylorHealth.com/Recipe to get this recipe, plus many more.
➜ Visit BaylorHealth.com/ MyStory to watch Bill’s story.
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Baylor Health Care System Marketing Department 2001 Bryan Street, Suite 750 Dallas, TX 75201
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BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE HEALTH
R E A L PAT I E N T S. R E A L S TOR I E S.
I had never heard of telemedicine before Baylor used it for my stroke.
Judy Buck knew something was wrong when her left side started feeling numb, so her husband took her straight to Baylor Medical Center at Irving. Suspecting stroke, the ER staff used advanced telemedicine to link in a specialist from the Stroke Telemedicine program at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. In a matter of seconds, he was at her bedside via computer monitor. “It was like he was in the room with me,” says Judy. The examination and test results confirmed the stroke diagnosis, and Judy received clot-busting drugs in time to prevent more serious damage. “Six months later,” she adds, “no one would guess I had a stroke.”
For a physician referral or for more information about neuroscience services, call 1.800.4BAYLOR or visit us online at BaylorHealth.com/Irving. 1901 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, TX 75061 Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of those medical centers, Baylor Health Care System, Scott & White Healthcare or Baylor Scott & White Health.©2015 Baylor Scott & White Health BMCIRV_611_2015 RT
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