Health Watch September 2017

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HEALTH WATCH

* L I V I N G H E A LT H Y I N C I N C I N N A T I

INNOVATIONS IN HEALTHCARE WATCHMAN • NEW CORONARY ARTERY IMPLANT • CANCER TREATMENT SYMPTOM CARE • NEW SHOULDER REPLACEMENT SURGERY METHOD • IMAGING EXCELLENCE • RESEARCH IN PREVENTING PRETERM BIRTH

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HEALTH WATCH INNOVATIONS

INNOVATIONS

IN HEALTHCARE

FIND OUT ABOUT NEW AND NOTEWORTHY PROGRAMS, RESEARCH, AND EFFORTS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE IN OUR REGION.

BY VA L P RE V I S H

CALL US EARLYCALL US FIRST DECREASES EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS

OHC Call Us Early–Call Us First triage oncology nurse

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ancer patients undergoing treatment can experience uncomfortable symptoms, such as nausea, dehydration, or pain. If these symptoms become difficult to manage at home or are not addressed early enough, many will seek help at a hospital emergency room.

To help patients get treatment in a more comfortable and efficient setting, OHC, one of the region’s largest inde-

pendent oncology practices, has rolled out a campaign to educate its patients to call OHC first, before making a potentially arduous trip to an ER. The program, Call Us Early–Call Us First, was initiated last spring to remind OHC patients that the practice provides a timely, friendly, and cost-effective way to intervene if they experience symptoms associated with their disease or treatment. Research found that patients

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didn’t think of OHC’s call center before seeking out other options.

“We realized that many of our patients didn’t even try to call us about their symptoms,” says Randy Broun, M.D., president of OHC. “They went straight to an emergency room. What we’ve learned with this new campaign is that a lot of these issues can be resolved with a phone call or a visit to our office the same or next day.”

The campaign reminds patients to use OHC’s call center (which is supervised by highly trained oncology nurses), and educates patients with flyers, brochures, posters, and buttons worn by staff.

So far, the results have been significant. “We’re seeing an increase in the number of calls, same day intervention for symptom relief, and a decreased number of ER visits,” Broun adds.

The initiative grew out of the OHC task force. This group of clinicians and administrators regularly identify best quality-care practices, specifically in relation to the oncology care model.

The symptom management service was developed to meet patient needs and quality care standards set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

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HEALTH WATCH INNOVATIONS

IMAGING HONORS POINT TO BESTQUALITY PRACTICES AND DIAGNOSTIC CARE

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COME IN MONDAY, LEAVE MONDAY. WITH A TOTAL JOINT REPLACEMENT.

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t. Elizabeth Healthcare has joined an elite group of healthcare organizations nationwide by being named a Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence (DICOE) by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

Fewer than 200 imaging facilities and 90 healthcare systems in the country are recognized with this distinction, and St. Elizabeth is the only healthcare system in Kentucky or Greater Cincinnati to receive the honor. Facilities considered for the award must be accredited by the ACR in all modalities they provide and in which the ACR offers accreditation. A DICOE designation means the imaging centers have gone beyond accreditation to include best-quality imaging practices and diagnostic care.

“This is wonderful news, and the fruit of a six-year process,” says Garren Colvin, president and CEO of St. Elizabeth Healthcare. “This leads to better accuracy, better outcomes, and less radiation exposure to our patients.”

The evaluation includes a comprehensive assessment of the entire medical imaging enterprise, including structure and outcomes. Every level of the imaging program is examined, including professional staff, technology, and the policies and procedures followed by the healthcare organization. St. Elizabeth facilities recognized by this award include the Kentucky imaging centers in Alexandria, Hebron, and Independence, as well as all hospital locations and the Women’s Wellness Center.

For knee and hip replacements that get you home the same day, there’s St. Elizabeth — nationally recognized for orthopaedic care. In addition to outpatient total knee replacements, we’re proud to now offer same-day total hip replacements, so you can get back to your life sooner. Come see what a difference one day can make. stelizabeth.com/orthopaedics

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HEALTH WATCH INNOVATIONS

NEW CARDIOVASCULAR PROCEDURE

TRYTON Side Branch Stent

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new FDA-approved cardiovascular procedure for treatment of bifurcated coronary artery stenoses using bifurcated stent implants was recently performed for the first time in the tri-state area at Mercy Fairfield Hospital by Kevin Cochran, M.D., interventional cardiologist with Mercy Health–The Heart Institute.

Patients often required additional treatments to solve the problem of a clogged bifurcated artery—a portion where one artery branches into another.

Standard treatment usually meant that the main artery received a stent—a small mesh tube used to treat narrowed arteries—while the side artery received

angioplasty and/or complex stent placement. Unfortunately, this course often led to more procedures at a later date to reopen the narrowed main or branch vessel. Between 20 and 30 percent of all patients requiring treatment for blocked arteries suffer from a bifurcation lesion in the side branch, Cochran says.

The new coronary artery implant helps prevent further procedures down the road. “This technology allows for better patient outcomes and improved quality of life,” Cochran says. “Its design, which resembles scaffolding, props open the side branch and allows for the placement of a conventional drug-eluting

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stent in the main vessel.” (Drug-eluting means that the stent releases medication over time to keep scar tissue from forming.)

“This allows us to treat the entire bifurcation in a way that provides more predictable outcomes,” Cochran explains.

“There are other benefits for patients as well. Implanting a coronary artery stent is a less invasive procedure than bypass surgery, and it involves a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery.”

In the past, bifurcations have been the Achilles’ heel of coronary artery implants, he adds. But with this new device, patients can get a treatment specifically designed to address this concern.

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Your Gamma Knife treatment will be expertly planned by an oncologist, neurosurgeon and physicist to help ensure the best possible outcome. Most patients need only a few treatments and are back at home the same night.

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HEALTH WATCH INNOVATIONS

RESEARCH FOCUSES ON PREVENTING PRETERM BIRTHS

Kenneth and Ashley Hamner with their son Kameron.

Cristie Lang with her daughter Ariel.

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ould an inexpensive nutritional supplement help significantly reduce the number of preterm births, a worrisome public health issue that affects millions of babies every year?

Physicians at UC Health say the answer is yes. They are studying the effectiveness of increased doses of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in pregnant women, which has been shown to reduce the rate of preterm births by as much as 75 percent, according to previous research. DHA is a particular Omega 3 fatty acid and is consumed normally in a person’s diet.

However, many women in the U.S. get less DHA than is recommended. It is believed that DHA helps to prevent inflammation, which can contribute to preterm birth if it is not controlled, says Christina J. Valentine, M.D., a visiting professor at the University of Cincinnati and one of the

principal investigators in the research of DHA supplementation. Other contributors to the study are Emily DeFranco, D.O., and Sadie Caldwell, clinical coordinator.

Preterm births affect one in 10 pregnancies and cost the public health system billions of dollars due to the increased medical care preterm infants need. In addition, infants born before they reach full term have a greater risk of dying before their first birthday and often have health issues that last long into childhood if they survive. Increasing gestation would improve a child’s outcome through the first year and beyond. Babies born before 34 weeks of gestation are at greatest risk for complications, and their numbers have remained stubbornly high despite efforts at improved prenatal care for at-risk mothers.

Valentine says simply increasing the dose of DHA from the currently recom-

mended 200 milligrams per day to 1,000 milligrams per day could prove to be a turning point when it comes to this vexing public health problem. The University of Cincinnati is taking part in FDAregistered clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of DHA supplementation in pregnant mothers. Women in the study will be given a 1,000-milligram dose of DHA derived from algae, a safe and approved source of the nutrient. They will be compared with women who take the current recommended dose of 200 milligrams of DHA. “It’s so exciting that we are at the forefront of finding a low-risk, high-efficacy method of preventing preterm birth,” Valentine says. “This study could have an impact globally as it increases awareness of the importance of diet and nutrients during pregnancy.”

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HEALTH WATCH INNOVATIONS

A SURGICAL ALTERNATIVE TO PRESCRIPTION BLOOD THINNERS

The Watchman

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he risk of stroke increases for patients with the heart condition known as atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Treatment to prevent stroke has normally been through prescription blood-thinning drugs, also known as anticoagulants.

However, these drugs aren’t tolerated well by some patients, and there haven’t been good alternatives for treating AFib stroke risk—until now.

A recently introduced surgical alternative to blood thinners is now available, and physicians at The Christ Hospital

are the first in the area to offer this new procedure.

A breakthrough device offered by Boston Scientific called the Watchman can now be implanted in a patient with AFib to reduce the risk of blood clots that lead to strokes, says Joseph Choo, M.D., interventional cardiologist with The Christ Hospital. The FDA-approved surgical procedure allows the coin-sized Watchman device to be implanted via catheter into a specific area of the heart known to produce blood clots that lead

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to stroke. Thanks to advances in minimally invasive surgery, it can usually be completed as an outpatient procedure. The Watchman acts like a filter to prevent blood clots from escaping the heart and traveling to the brain, Choo explains.

“For patients whose risks on blood thinners are especially high, this is an alternative that provides protection,” Choo says. “Our results with stroke prevention with this new device have been phenomenal.”

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Schedule your appointment: 513-713-0988 Learn more at TheChristHospital.com/Heart

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HEALTH WATCH INNOVATIONS

FASTER RECOVERY FOR SHOULDER REPLACEMENT

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houlder replacement has long been the standard of care for patients suffering from arthritis or loss of motion in the shoulder, but the Mike Greiwe, surgery can often lead to M.D. a long recovery due to rotator cuff issues that result from the necessary incision in the targeted area during the procedure.

OrthoCincy, the largest independent orthopaedics practice in Greater Cincinnati, has advanced a new surgical procedure that uses minimally invasive techniques to preserve the rotator cuff and to allow for faster healing and recovery. R. Michael Greiwe, M.D., an orthopaedic

surgeon at OrthoCincy, developed the technique and performs the surgery at St. Elizabeth Healthcare.

Rotator Cuff Sparing Method for Total Replacement Surgery, as the procedure is called, helps patients avoid the long recovery times associated with traditional shoulder surgery. This traditional method involves accessing the ball and socket joint through the front of the shoulder by cutting into the rotator cuff. Unfortunately, this incision affects the tendons, and afterward, patients need to heal from the repair to the joint as well as from the injury to the tendons of the rotator cuff. This could mean months away from normal activities.

Greiwe says his new technique ap-

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proaches the joint from the back, without cutting into the rotator cuff, using a special set of tools he is patenting. The instruments allow him to pull away the muscles and tendons without cutting them, resulting in a speedier recovery.

The new surgical method, in development for more than three years, will allow patients to enjoy a better quality of life more quickly after surgery. The procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis, and total recovery can be completed in about three months versus six to nine months for traditional surgery.

“My first patient was able to go back to fishing after just three days,” Greiwe says.

“This will be a significant game changer for patients and their surgeons.”

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