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Health Care Hero Finalist: Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital
Mon, 03/15/2010 - 09:25The Maryland Daily Record's Health Care Heroes awards ceremony honors special caregivers who exemplify extraordinary commitment to their profession. The breakfast to honor the 2010 finalists is on Wednesday, March 24, but before the big day we wanted to use this space to profile the nominees.
Advancement in Health Care: Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital
A true neighborhood is more than people just living in the same area. It is also a feeling of closeness that those people share.
In 2005, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital became the first long-term care center in Maryland to begin implementing the Neighborhood Model. We are constantly striving to improve the concepts created by William Thomas, M.D. The national concept of the Neighborhood Model turns the traditional structure of a nursing home upside down to become more resident-centered. This means that residents are given the ability to make more choices about their daily lives. Levindale employees are also empowered to hear those choices and to act on them.
Culture Change
In the business world, it is always a challenge to retrain people. However, it’s nothing new for Levindale to be a pioneer for the elders that it serves. Levindale’s culture change journey began when it became the first Eden Alternative center in Maryland in 2000. The Eden philosophy recognizes how important quality of life is for all residents.
So it only seemed natural that Levindale would embark on the inventive Neighborhood Model, the next step of culture change. This includes:
- Giving residents more control over their lives, by having staff schedules work around what residents want.
- Improving the one-on-one relationships between staff members and residents.
- Improving the staff’s commitment to patient care and the work environment.
- Showing employees that they are appreciated.
- Increasing family involvement and satisfaction.
The Neighborhood Model not only requires cultural change but organizational restructuring. Levindale has gone from using a medical model to using a quality-of-life health model. It has also redesigned the way that it operates, switching from a traditional top-down management organization to self-governing teams.
Neighborhoods
Each unit is now a neighborhood. Neighborhoods are made up of the residents who live there and the employees who work there, from nurses to housekeepers to social workers to dietary employees. Neighborhoods incorporate families and visitors. Each neighborhood has a leader, who can be from any department.
Commitment
Levindale has made the commitment to spend the time and resources to train every employee in the Neighborhood Model philosophy. No matter what department, each employee is part of a neighborhood and taught the principles of homelessness, sensitivity, enhanced dining, plus encouraged to know residents for who they are.
Levindale continuously works to empower the staff and to build neighborhood teams to self schedule, problem solve and plan social events with more resident involvement.
Finally, Levindale is breaking ground this year to build new buildings and renovate existing ones to construct private rooms and kitchens on each floor.
We believe the Neighborhood Model is the future of nursing home care. The top priorities are to make sure the residents enjoy life and that employees think it is the best place to work. These are lofty goals, but ones that can be achieved.
Daylight Savings Time Starts Tomorrow
Sat, 03/13/2010 - 09:00If you find yourself tired at work next Monday morning, it could be because this weekend will be the shortest one of the year. (Don’t forget to “spring” your clocks forward before bed tonight, as Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday.) Or, it could be because you suffer from one or more of 85 known sleep disorders.
This past week (March 7 – 13) was National Sleep Awareness Week. Doctors estimate that 60 million Americans suffer from one or more sleep disorders, and yet it is believed that 95 percent of sleep disorder cases remain undiagnosed.
This is unfortunate. Lack of quality sleep is often responsible for car crashes and mistakes and accidents in the workplace.
Plus some sleep disorders, like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), exact a heavy toll on one’s health. OSA has been linked to high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. OSA, in which the upper airway repeatedly becomes blocked during sleep, is a condition that affects 24 percent of men and 8 percent of women. Symptoms include loud, irregular snoring; restless sleep with frequent (and possibly unnoticed) awakening; and waking up with a headache, dry mouth and/or sore throat.
Other common sleep disorder symptoms include daytime sleepiness; frequent nighttime urination; irritability or moodiness; memory loss; and poor concentration.
If you haven’t been getting a good night’s sleep lately, you owe it to yourself – and to your long-term health – to talk with your doctor about having a sleep study and seeing a sleep specialist.
Sleep studies are covered by most insurance plans. If you have a referral from your physician for a sleep study and consultation, appointments for a sleep study are available seven days a week at the sleep centers at Northwest and Sinai Hospitals. To schedule a sleep study, call 410-601-9355.
Daylight Savings Fun Facts
Did you know that Benjamin Franklin was the first one to record the idea of daylight savings? He thought it could be an economical way to save energy if church bells would ring earlier than usual in the summer to wake up people shortly after sunrise. With the early waking time, people would be persuaded to go to bed sooner, thus saving on candles and oil for lamps to light time spent awake in the dark.
In the U.S., Daylight Savings Time (DST) began in 1918. At that time, each local jurisdiction passed its own rules about whether or not to go on DST and on what day, which occasionally led to confusion about what time it was and where. (Imagine what air travel must have been like in those days!) Not until 1966 did the United States pass the Uniform Time Act, which standardized the dates that states must observe DST. However, states are still free to not use DST, and Arizona and Hawaii are currently the only ones that skip the biannual ritual of changing clocks.
What do you think about DST? Does it affect your sleep?
If you have repeated sleep problems and want to schedule an appointment at a sleep center, call 410-601-WELL.
Grey Matter
Fri, 03/12/2010 - 15:15by Robin Wilson, M.D., Ph.D.
Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute
Last night, we once again got to see Grey's Anatomy's Dr. Izzie Stevens at Seattle Grace Hospital (Season 6, episode 9, “New History”), pushing the wheelchair of her high school teacher, Dr. Singer (played by Joel Grey). Izzie returned not to reclaim her career, but to demand a medical workup to determine why her mentor went from teaching school to living in a nursing home in less than one year. After a lumbar puncture, Dr. Singer leapt from the exam table, his confusion cleared and his ability to walk restored. Izzie realized that Dr. Singer had a treatable disease - normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) - and set out to talk her friends into providing free shunt surgery for him.
Every week at the Adult Hydrocephalus Center of the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute, we evaluate patients for possible NPH. Like Dr. Singer, most of our patients are older than 60 and have experienced a gradual decline in balance and ability to walk; some are wheelchair bound. Many also have mild dementia and loss of bladder control. We diagnose NPH by reviewing the patient’s medical history, signs and symptoms, physical exam, brain MRI, and response to removal of cerebrospinal fluid by lumbar puncture or extended drainage (while in the hospital). Because the symptoms associated with NPH have many other causes, we evaluate patients thoroughly to confirm that surgery is likely to help before we recommend it.
Though sometimes remarkable improvement is achieved with shunt surgery, the magnificent and instantaneous response demonstrated by Dr. Singer is not what we expect to see. Typically after shunt surgery, our patients experience gradual improvement over 6–9 months. As the shunt only treats hydrocephalus, if a patient has other disorders contributing to dementia, mobility impairment, or loss of bladder control, unfortunately, he or she will have only partial improvement with the shunt. We tell our patients, “We can make you better, but we can’t make you any younger.”
Izzie had the right idea, though - no Grey area about it. A patient who has a progressive course of gait or cognitive impairment deserves a complete medical workup to screen for a treatable disorder such as NPH.
To learn more about normal pressure hydrocephalus, visit the Adult Hydrocephalus Center or call 410-601-WELL.
The Evolution of Liver Transplantation
Fri, 03/12/2010 - 09:01End-stage liver disease is best treated by a liver transplant, a renowned gastroenterologist said at yesterday's Sinai Hospital Department of Medicine Grand Rounds.
Paul Y. Kwo, M.D., is an associate professor of medicine and the medical director of liver transplantation in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Indiana University. His talk at Sinai was made possible by the Ellen Wasserman Lectureship.
The good news, according to Dr. Kwo, is that the increased use of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) gives more weight to disease severity than the patient's time on the wait list. At Indiana University, the median wait time for a liver transplant is 1.6 months versus 11.3 months nationwide, and the adult survival rate for the organ recipients is at 90.04 percent. Physicians are "inching our way" toward transplants for HIV-positive patients, and there's increasing evidence that age doesn't impact the success of a liver transplant.
Plus, transplantation in patients with severe obesity is "feasible," Dr. Kwo said. "The one-year survival rate is no different," he said.
Now for the bad news.
The demand for livers, along with other critical organs, continue to exceed what's available. Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the United States. Hepatitis C is the most common indicator for liver disease; between 3 to 4 million people are infected in the United States; and half a million people have Hepatitis C-related cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the slow degeneration of the liver, and while it's most commonly associated with alcohol, it can also result from hepatitis B, C or D or other diseases. Finally, while the death rate from liver disease has fallen overall, it is still highest in the African-American population.
What does this mean for you? Protect your liver by avoiding excessive alcohol consumption and eschewing drugs. Maintain a healthy diet and weight, and stop smoking.
Finally, remember that National Donate Life Month is around the corner. Talk to your family members about becoming an organ donor and sign up with your state registry.
on holism
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 12:47
"If holistic-health advocates were content with encouraging sensible preventive medicine or with criticizing the economic organization of American medicine, we might be enthusiastic, but they are not. If the movement were without influence on American life, we would be indifferent, but it is not. Holistic medicine is a pablum of common sense and nonsense offered by cranks and quacks and failed pedants who share an attachment to magic and an animosity toward reason.
Too many people seem willing to swallow the rhetoric—even too many medical doctors—and the results will not be benign. At times, physicians may find themselves in sympathy with the holistic movement, because some fragment of the rhetoric rings true, because of certain practices and attitudes they encounter in their daily work with colleagues and patients, or because of dissatisfaction with the economic and social organization of medicine. One hopes they will speak bluntly, but it does no good to join forces with cranks and quacks, magicians and madmen."
-C. Glymour and D. Stalker from "Engineers, cranks, physicians, magicians"; N Engl J Med. 1983 Apr 21;308(16):960-4
Updated - 10:50pm: While I like letting quotes like this one stand on their own merit, I'll provide a bit of insight as to what got this on my mind. The word "holistic" is often used to describe philosophies or treatments that are being marketed as being somehow outside of, or different than, medicine - the implication is that they somehow address the "whole patient" while medical practice does not... which is patently untrue. Terms like holistic and "natural" don't mean anything beyond marketing, and the above quote from a seminal journal article from almost 30 years ago still holds true about that today.
Sinai Forms Health Equity Panel
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 11:09Sinai Hospital has formed a Health Equity Community Advisory Panel to look at inequalities in health care and how they are affecting the health outcomes of the residents in the communities that Sinai serves.
"Sinai was founded over 143 years ago because of health inequalities that the Jewish community faced," said Neil Meltzer, president and COO of Sinai Hospital. "We have a history of responding to inequities in our society. It's important that we understand the different groups in our community and respond to their health care needs in a way that is most comfortable for them while still ensuring the best outcomes."
The panel is made of a diverse group of people from health care and non-health care backgrounds, including local political and community leaders, state health officials, and residents who are of Caribbean, Orthodox Jewish, Russian, Hispanic and African American descent. Two researchers, one from the University of Maryland and one from Morgan State University, also are part of the group.
"We want to partner with a broad-based group of people who can help us understand the changing demographics of our patient population and how it affects their health," said Pamela Young, Ph.D., director of Community Initiatives at Sinai and co-chair of the hospital's Health Equity Task Force. "We eventually hope to tap into this group's expertise to develop strategies and implement efforts to make a meaningful impact on the health of our communities."
Sinai's initiative began three years ago when state Delegate Shirley Nathan-Pulliam selected Sinai for a pilot project to look at whether training hospital staff to be culturally sensitive to patients could improve health outcomes. That initial project evolved into Sinai's decision to develop a Health Equity Task Force inside the hospital. This group is helping raise awareness of health inequities and educate staff with the goal of improving patient-provider communication to achieve better health outcomes. The development of the Community Advisory Panel is the next step in Sinai's health equity project.
The health equity project is being conducted with the guidance of the Adventist HealthCare Center on Health Disparities in Montgomery County, whose expertise will be used to design and implement strategies developed by the Health Equity Task Force and the Health Equity Community Advisory Panel.Celebrate Registered Dietitican Day
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 11:31By Jamie Strauss R.D., L.D.N.
Clinical Dietitian, Food and Nutrition Services, Sinai Hospital
Today health care and community organizations across the United States are celebrating the annual Registered Dietitian Day.
Registered Dietitian Day was created by the American Dietetic Association to increase the awareness of registered dietitians (RDs) as the critical providers of food and nutrition services. Today is the great day to reflect on how RDs, including those at LifeBridge Health, help people enjoy healthy lives.
Registered Dietitian Day and National Nutrition Month promote the ADA and registered dietitians. RDs educate the public and media as they provide valuable and credible information on food and nutrition.
Registered dietitians:
- are food and nutrition experts who provide a scientific basis for a health lifestyle.
- have degrees in nutrition, dietetics, public health or a related field from accredited colleges and universities. They have completed an internship and passed an examination.
- work in hospitals, schools, public health clinics, nursing homes, fitness centers, food management, food industry, universities, research, and private practice.
- use their nutrition expertise to help individuals make positive lifestyle changes and are advocates for advancing nutrition knowledge.
Guidelines for Prostate Cancer Screening Revised
Tue, 03/09/2010 - 10:19
by Sandra Crockett
When it comes to cancer screening, the process of early detection and treatment seem straightforward. But slightly revised guidelines from the American Cancer Society encourage physicians and patients to have a conversation about prostate cancer. The goal is to help men in their decision-making process regarding screening.
“We are now at the beginning of a very large conversation with the public over treatment of prostate cancer,” says S. Mark Redwood, M.D., Chief of Department of Uurology at Sinai Hospital.
The guidelines focus on men with no symptoms of prostate cancer who can expect to live at least 10 more years. These men are encouraged to discuss the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits associated with prostate cancer screening with their physician, with the talks starting at age 50. Men with no symptoms who are not expected to live more than 10 years (due to their age or health conditions) should not be offered prostate cancer screening.
The risks or side effects of treatment may outweigh the benefits of treatment, the ACS says.
“What is new is the direct statement that if a patient has many (serious) conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or other illnesses that would shorten his life, less aggressive approaches should be taken with respect to screening for prostate cancer,” Dr. Redwood says.
However, this opens another dilemma. “The problem arises in the judgment of what constitutes a serious co-morbid condition and what is less life threatening,” he says.
What also hasn’t changed is the ACS recommendation that African-American men, and men who have a father, brother, or son diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65 begin discussing screening options at age 45. Men with multiple family members affected by the disease before age 65 can start at age 40.
Prostate cancers are now being classified into low, intermediate and high risk, Dr. Redwood says. If the man is still undecided after talking with their doctor, ACS recommends the doctor make the call based on his or her knowledge of the patient's health preferences and values.
“We are fortunate to have multiple modalities for prostate cancer treatment, including Cyberknife, prostatic brachytherapy, da Vinci Robotic Prostatectomy and cryoablation of the prostate at the the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute at LifeBridge Health,” Dr. Redwood says.
It would benefit the patient and his family to have these conversations with a LifeBridge physician who is comfortable with presenting all aspects of management.
“We provide comprehensive care of prostate cancer,” Dr. Redwood says.
For patient education and availability of comprehensive services for prostate cancer management, LifeBridge Health invites patients and their families to participate in this new dialogue now encouraged by the ACS guidelines.
To make an appointment with a urologist, please call 410-601-WELL (9355).
VSP Helps Employees Learn New Computer Skills
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 11:08by Holly Hosler
What if you could perform your job better all because you spent a scant six hours in front of a computer? Hundreds of LifeBridge Health employees have done just that by taking a computer course at VSP. VSP provides training, job assessment and business services to the Baltimore community.
“Our most popular class is Excel for Beginners,” says Tracy Piazza, a VSP technical skills trainer who teaches the computer courses. “It’s a very functional course as Excel does everything – it calculates budgets and inventories; it tracks data much like a database would; it allows users to create charts and tables; and it can be used to execute mathematical formulas that give managers good information.”
Morgan Green, patient care associate in the Intermediate Care Unit at Sinai Hospital, took classes in both Word and Excel. She had some experience with Word in high school, but the VSP classes reacquainted her with the program, which she was using extensively for her job in dietary. Now that she’s a nursing student, Morgan finds the skills she gained invaluable to her school work and even uses Excel to make charts for her assignments.
“The teacher made the classes fun,” Morgan says. “Tracy was very helpful and even gave us her e-mail and phone number so that we could ask her questions outside of class.” Upon completion of a workshop, each student receives a user-friendly manual for the software and a quick reference card.
Jonathan Karanja, clinical systems coordinator at Levindale, also took the Word and Excel classes at VSP. Jonathan’s newfound knowledge of Excel allows him to use pivot tables for audits, which are a large part of his job. The computer classes have also made him the computer “go-to guy” at Levindale and Courtland Gardens.
“I love the fact that I can help others with what I know,” he says.
VSP offers Word and Excel courses (at beginner, advanced and expert levels) and PowerPoint (beginner and advanced), so no matter your existing knowledge of these computer programs, chances are there’s a class for you. For those who consider themselves computer-illiterate, there’s a Computer Fundamentals class, which teaches students the Windows operating system and how to use a mouse through a series of “mousercises.” And if figuring out the LifeBridge Health e-mail system is a puzzle for you, there’s a class on using GroupWise. Each two-session course meets for three hours during a workday morning or afternoon; and if the course relates to your job, many departments will even cover the $72 class fee.
Linda Bailey, recreation therapist at Levindale, was motivated to take the two PowerPoint courses so she could prepare a formal presentation, but she now applies her expertise to better serve the residents.
“Learning how to use PowerPoint has opened up a whole new world of activities for my residents and me,” says Linda. “Some of my residents have problems with the spoken word and require visuals to know what we are talking about. … With PowerPoint, the entire group can view the pictures at one time.” She also uses the software to play Jeopardy! games with the residents, which helps keep their minds active and memories sharp.
“I cannot say enough about how happy I am that through my employer I was able to update my skills in such a practical way,” concludes Linda. “My new skills benefit the people I work with.”
To learn more about VSP, call 410-358-8200.
New Guidelines for Prostate Cancer
Mon, 03/08/2010 - 10:09by Sandra Crockett
When it comes to cancer screening, the process of early detection and treatment seem straightforward. But new guidelines from the American Cancer Society encourage physicians and patients to have a conversation about prostate cancer. The goal is to help men in their decision-making process regarding screening.
“We are now at the beginning of a very large conversation with the public over treatment of prostate cancer,” says Dr. S. Mark Redwood, a urologist at LifeBridge Health.
The guidelines focus on healthy men with no symptoms of prostate cancer who can expect to live at least 10 more years. These men are encouraged to discuss the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits associated with prostate cancer screening with their physician, with the talks starting at age 50. Men with no symptoms who are not expected to live more than 10 years (due to their age or health conditions) should not be offered prostate cancer screening.
The risks would likely be greater than the benefits, the ACS says.
“What is new is the direct statement that if a patient has many (serious) conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or other illnesses that would shorten his life, less aggressive approaches should be taken with respect to screening for prostate cancer,” Dr. Redwood says.
However, this opens another dilemma. “The problem arises in the judgment of what constitutes a serious co-morbid condition and what is less life-threatening,” he says.
What also hasn’t changed is the ACS recommendation that African-American men, and men who have a father, brother, or son diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65 begin discussing screening options at age 45. Men with multiple family members affected by the disease before age 65 can start at age 40.
If the man is still undecided after talking with their doctor, ACS recommends the doctor make the call based on his or her knowledge of the patient's health preferences and values. Men should also remember there are several effective options for treating prostate cancer.
“We are fortunate to have multiple modalities for prostate cancer treatment (including Cyberknife, prostate brachytherapy, da Vinci, the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute) at LifeBridge Health,” Dr. Redwood says.
It would benefit the patient and his family to have these conversations with physician.
“At LifeBridge Health, we provide comprehensive care of prostate cancer,” Dr. Redwood says.
To make an appointment with a urologist, call 410-601-WELL (9355).
Celebrate National Nutrition Month
Fri, 03/05/2010 - 11:38By Jamie Strauss R.D., L.D.N.
Clinical Dietitian, Food and Nutrition Services, Sinai Hospital
What is National Nutrition Month? How did it start? Is there a different theme every year? These questions may be floating around in your mind if you have wandered into your facility’s cafeteria and saw a banner hanging or dietitians at a booth advertising good health.
National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign created by the American Dietetic Association. The campaign, held each year in March, focuses attention on making informed food choices and developing better eating and physical activity habits.
Initiated in March 1973 as a long-week event, “National Nutrition Week” became a month-long observance in 1980 in response to growing public interest in nutrition. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) sponsors National Nutrition Month as part of its mission to promote optimal nutrition and well being for all people by advocating for its members.
Each year National Nutrition Month has a different theme with key messages. The theme for March 2010 is “Nutrition from the Ground Up." These messages include making it clear that eating right doesn't have to be complicated. A healthy eating plan emphasizes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy and includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, and nuts and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars.
Nutritional health includes being aware of portion sizes. Even low-calorie foods can add up when portions are larger than you need.
You should make the most of family meal times. Eating meals together provides the opportunity to help children develop a healthy attitude toward food and enables parents to serve as role models, introduce new foods, and establish a regular meal schedule.
Finally, balancing physical activity with healthy diet is best for managing weight and promoting overall health and fitness.
Women's Heart Group Offered at Northwest
Thu, 03/04/2010 - 10:28Do you or someone you know have heart disease?
A partnership through Northwest Hospital and the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is now providing support for women living with heart disease. Heart disease can include coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and congenital heart disease. Each year, roughly 1.2 million Americans have a coronary attack, and about 452,000 will die.
Heart disease is the No.1 killer of women. The mission of WomenHeart is to improve the health and quality of women with heart disease and to be advocates.
A Baltimore County chapter of WomenHeart was recently formed. The first meeting will be Tuesday, March 9 at 11 a.m. in the Reisters Room on the Ground Floor of Northwest Hospital. Women who have heart disease or at risk for heart disease (for example, hypertension) are invited to attend. A heart-healthy brown bag lunch is encouraged.
For more information, call Cardiac Rehab's Lisa Gerberg at 410-701-4333.
Blog Subscription Winners
Wed, 03/03/2010 - 15:25Congratulations to Shanika Jones, practice manager in the Sinai Division of Gastroenterology, and Barbara Church, director of long-term care at Levindale. Shanika was our 100th subscriber to the LifeBridge Health blog, and Barbara was chosen at random as one of our other faithful subscribers. Thank you to everyone who has subscribed!
The Question of Organic Food
Wed, 03/03/2010 - 11:32By Sandra Crockett
So you want to eat healthy but are confused about all the different guidelines. It’s pretty clear to most people that trans fat is something to limit in your diet or stay away from altogether. The same is true of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), although hard to do since it is in so much processed food products.
Perhaps going organic is the safer way to go. But what exactly makes any produce “organic?” And what if you have the choice of going to a grocery store and buying something labeled “organic” or going to a local farmers market and purchasing fresh produce without the “organic” label? It's clear that the road to good health, healthy eating, and being kind to the environment is not always easy.
A food label “organic” means the producer has been certified organic, says Laure L. Sullivan, resident district manager, Food and Nutrition Services for LifeBridge Health. The producer has to meet certain standards to gain certification, and it is not the same for all countries.
In the United States, a food labeled “organic” usually means only organic ingredients were used. Legally, if a food is 95 percent organic, it can be labeled organic.
That said, buying from a local farmer’s market whenever possible would be your best bet, Sullivan explains.
“Buy local at your local farmer’s market and support the farmers,” Sullivan says. Farmers at local markets can have organic produce without having the organic label. “Farmers’ produce can be chemical free but not all farmers can afford to get the certification,” she says.
“You can get organic strawberries from China. But then you have the whole carbon footprint question.”
LifeBridge Health buys as much seasonal produce from local farmers as possible, Sullivan says.
Like we said, living healthy and being environmentally aware is not always easy. However, if you love yourself and your planet, it is worth it.
If you want to learn more about how sustainable food practices, several hospitals in Maryland and D.C. are being recognized tomorrow night for improving nutrition, maximizing carbon footprint and purchasing sustainable-produced meat through the Balanced Menu Challenge.
The “Balance Meets Taste” event kicks off National Nutrition Month for March 2010. It is being organized by Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment.
If You Go
What: Balance Meets Taste
When: Thursday, March 4
Where: Pier 5 Hotel, Baltimore Inner Harbor, 711 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD
Time: 6:30 - 10 p.m.
Cost: $100 (hors d’oeuvres and cocktail hour, four-course meal including wine. Proceeds donated to Future Harvest – Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture.
For More Information: 410.706.1924 or click here. You can also e-mail Lmitc001 (at) son.umaryland.edu
LifeBridge Health Wins Social Responsibility Award
Tue, 03/02/2010 - 09:21
LifeBridge Health has won the 2010 Communitas Award for Green Initiatives, under the category of Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility.
Communitas winners are recognized for specific programs involving volunteerism, philanthropy or ethical, sustainable business practices; and nominees are evaluated based on the extent and effectiveness of their programs. The size and potential scope of the nominee is also taken into consideration.
The green initiatives at LifeBridge Health include waste reduction, composting, non-toxic chemicals, green construction, and the reduction of energy use. By switching to compact fluorescent lighting in operating rooms, cafeterias, and parking garages, LifeBridge Health saved nearly $400,000 in fiscal year 2009. LifeBridge Health is the only Maryland-based health care system on the list of 2010 winners.
The Communitas awards are an outgrowth of the pro bono recognition program of the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, a group that honors creative achievement and fosters partnerships with charities and community organizations.
Colon Cancer Screenings Save Lives
Mon, 03/01/2010 - 09:24by Sandra Crockett
Talking about colorectal cancer may make you wince. But discussing it with your physician is a key to good health. In fact, it may save your life.
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and a good opportunity to discuss colon cancer screenings, which are relatively painless. For African Americans, the recommended age for screening is now 45.
“For uncertain reasons, African-Americans often have more advanced cancers at the time of diagnosis, hence the modified guidelines,” says John C. Rabine, M.D. The recommended age to begin screenings for other ethnic groups remains 50.
Rabine, a gastroenterologist at Sinai Hospital, points out that colon cancer is the third most common cancer in this country.
“And – depending on which study is cited - a colonoscopy reduces that risk by 65-90 percent," he says.
Colonoscopies are powerful tools that only needs to be done every 8-10 years in patients who are considered "average-risk" for colon cancer. Cancer of the colon or rectum causes an estimated 55,000 deaths each year, according to the American Journal of Gastroenterology. More than 138,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed annually, and men and women are equally susceptible to the disease.
Sudhir K. Dutta, M.D., head of Sinai’s Division of Gastroenterology, and Rabine’s preferred method of screening for cancer is the colonoscopy. A colonoscopy allows a doctor to look inside the entire large intestine. The procedure, which enables the physician to see things such as inflamed tissue, abnormal growths (polyps) and ulcers, is most often used to look for early signs of cancer in the colon and rectum.
“It is somewhat of a misnomer to call it a screening test, as it is really intended to remove polyps and be a preventative test,” Rabine says.
All colon cancers arise from polyps, which are benign growths that can occur in several locations in the gastrointestinal tract. They vary in size and look like small bumps growing from the lining of the bowel. If identified at a very early stage, they can be removed before they become cancerous, usually while the doctor is examining the large intestine during a colonoscopy.
“Polyps are very common in adults,” says Dutta, who explains that there is an increased chance of developing them as you age. He adds that with appropriate screening like the colonoscopy, “we should be seeing fewer cases of colon cancer.”
The Endoscopy Center at Sinai Hospital is the principal site of GI diagnostic work, providing endoscopic procedures of the gastrointestinal tract including the esophagus, stomach, duodenum and colon. Using state-of-the-art equipment, medical specialists can provide a quick and accurate diagnosis of a GI problem.
To schedule an appointment or learn more, call 410-601-WELL (9355).
Presciptions in Pregnancy
Fri, 02/26/2010 - 10:33It’s a common fear: a woman becomes pregnant and starts worrying about the medications she is taking.
According to Michael Carson, M.D., who presented at Sinai Hospital Grand Rounds yesterday, internists need to become more familiar with the impact of disease on a pregnancy, and what medicines are safe. Carson is an assistant clinical professor in the Departments of Medicine and Obstetrics at the UMNDJ – Robert Wood Medical School and the director of research and outcomes at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
“Women of childbearing age bear children. You need to address pregnancy with your patient before she becomes pregnant,” he told the group of Sinai physicians. “Fifty percent of pregnancies are unplanned.”
It’s estimated that anywhere from 14 to 45 percent of women beginning prenatal care in the United States have medical problems. Physicians should talk about resources and options available for the patient, Carson said. According to a study published in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, pregnant women ingest an average of three difference prescription medications during pregnancy. The most common are antimicrobial (to treat infections), antiemetics (to treat nausea), tranquilizers (to treat stress) and analgesics (to treat pain).
“Medication use is not a yes/no issue,” Carson said. “You have to weigh the risks and benefits.”
Patients and physicians also need to discuss what is realistic. For example, a smoker may not be able to go cold turkey, but she can use a nicotine patch. A woman who is depressed may be able to cut back on her medication, but needs to be able to function.
There's a tendency to undermedicate during pregnancy, Carson says. The bottom line is internists need to make sure they're looking at the whole picture.
“The best thing for a healthy kid is a healthy mom,” Carson says.
Orthopedic Surgeon Reflects on Haiti Experience
Thu, 02/25/2010 - 12:05
Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, several LifeBridge Health employees have volunteered their time and services to earthquake victims. Among these are physicians Shawn Standard and Albert Aboulafia.
An orthopedic surgeon and co-director of sarcoma services at the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute, Aboulafia traveled to Haiti from Feb. 3-7 to work with Project Medishare. Before he left, fellow orthopedic surgeon John Herzenberg sent over 50 pounds of donations that included soap and blankets.
An estimated 300,000 Haitians were injured in the 7.0 earthquake. Once Aboulafia arrived, there were roughly 140 adults and 65 children and adolescents in the Medishare tents who were awaiting treatment.
He worked at a breakneck pace, estimating that he performed 50 operations over a two-day period, including wound care, skin grafts, amputations and fracture realignments. When a severe wound is left untreated, infection can develop, leaving no choice but to amputate.
“I think we did a lot of good,” he says. “There, you could really make an impact. Would I fix a fracture different in Baltimore? Yes. But there were no lab tests, no blood. We did the best possible care that we could under the circumstances.”
One patient who sticks in his mind is a 90-year-old woman with a femur fracture.
“She understood the risks of surgery, and we were able to help her,” he says. “She had a place to go home to, and we were able to get her thigh fixed, put her into a wheelchair, and send her with relatives to go home.”
Aboulafia said he was lucky to have physical therapists, nurses, physician assistants, and volunteers who were dedicated to helping treat patients.
“Lots of times it was the people who were very much out of their element who excelled,” he says. “It was a tense and emotional time, but you saw a lot of people who were at their best.”
He hopes to return soon. To learn more about Project Medishare, click here.
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Battling the Winter Blues Through Fitness
Wed, 02/24/2010 - 11:00
by Tim Hyland
(The following is an excerpt from an article appearing in the 2010 Md.MD for Life, available now.)
Matt Carlen knows a thing or two about the winter blues.
Growing up in not-so-sunny Sweden, Carlen became all-too-well acquainted with that Nordic nation's long, gloomy, dark winters. Cold, too. Put it this way: By comparison, Maryland winters (even this one) are paradise.
And while Carlen isn't a doctor, he says he's picked up tidbits over the years, both in Sweden and here in the United States, about how long stretches of dark weather can lead directly to dark moods - a condition that doctors now call seasonal affective disorder (SAD). He's also learned how to fight off those winter blues.
"I'm not a scientist," says Carlen. "I can't tell you if the link between exercise and reduced seasonal affective disorder has been proven or not. But I know that I grew up in Sweden, and it's dark for four months a year there. But by being active, by exercising, that definitely helps."
There is an increasing body of evidence indicating that exercise may be among the most effective means of staving off SAD. Simply put, says Carlen, exercise does more than keep your body well. It also keeps your mind well.
That's one of the main messages Carlen delivers as executive director of LifeBridge Health & Fitness, one of the Baltimore area's finest health and fitness centers. Carlen truly believes that regular exercise can make for a better life, and he says he sees more poof of that every day at his club. There, on the rows of treadmills and stationary bikes and elliptical machines, people of all ages and all abilities find fitness, relaxation and happiness in their daily workout - even during the darkest days of winter.
To read more, click here. To learn more about LifeBridge Health & Fitness, call 410-484-6800.
