PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL MEDICINE® NEWS BUREAU
Contact: Leonard N. Karp
215-575-3720
lkarp@philadelphiamedicine.com
January 27, 2006
For immediate release:
In this month's issue:
- MossRehab Adds Top Brain Injury Program to Suburban Philadelphia Campus
- Independent National Study Recognizes Crozer for Excellence in Cardiac Care
- Obesity Increases Endometrial Cancer Risk, but Minimally Invasive Surgery Offers Hope
Editors note: Research, new techniques and improved facilities by Philadelphia International Medicine hospitals and physicians may lead to new ways to treat some of our most challenging diseases. Below are just some examples from our hospitals.
MossRehab Adds Top Brain Injury Program to Suburban Philadelphia Campus
Philadelphia – MossRehab, a leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation, recently renovated 32,000 square feet at its main campus in suburban Philadelphia to make room for their nationally-recognized brain injury rehabilitation program, which has been designated by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research as a Model System of Care. It is one of only 16 rehab facilities in the nation with this special recognition.
The nearly $4 million project is the second major renovation at the Elkins Park facility since 2003. In 2004, MossRehab renovated more than 57,000 square feet of space and opened a 30-bed stroke and a 20-bed spinal cord injury rehabilitation unit, as well as a newly constructed outpatient center and three diagnostic labs, including the renowned Sheerr Gait and Motion Analysis Lab.
With the addition of the 30-bed, self-contained unit dedicated to brain injury rehabilitation, MossRehab in Elkins Park is now capable of addressing the specific medical, physical and behavioral needs of this population, in addition to treating individuals experiencing a wide range of other conditions, from common problems such as back pain and arthritis, to those more debilitating as with stroke and spinal cord.
"By centralizing our key treatment programs—stroke, brain and spinal cord injury—in Elkins Park, MossRehab will be better able to utilize its considerable resources to provide the most effective care available," said Ruth Lefton, COO, MossRehab.
For individuals recovering from a stroke, brain or spinal cord injury, the comfortable patient rooms and designated treatment areas on each of the units offer patients the opportunity to rehabilitate with other individuals experiencing the same or similar problems. "Patients on these units are also treated by a multidisciplinary team of medical, nursing and therapy staff dedicated to and experienced in these specific conditions," said Alberto Esquenazi, MD, chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Chief Medical Officer at MossRehab. "This environment fosters better communication, a greater integration of rehabilitation activities and a stronger sense of community."
In addition to the services available in Elkins Park, MossRehab continues to provide inpatient and outpatient care on the campus of Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, as well as its various outpatient sites located throughout the region.
As part of the Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, MossRehab provides high-quality, compassionate medical care for individuals with physical disabilities. MossRehab offers a wide range of specialized services, including comprehensive programs for brain and spinal cord injury, stroke, amputation and orthopedic conditions. MossRehab has two main facilities – MossRehab at Elkins Park at 60 East Township Line Road in Elkins Park, PA, and MossRehab at 1200 West Tabor Road in Philadelphia.
Independent National Study Recognizes Crozer for Excellence in Cardiac Care
Crozer-Chester Medical Center has again been recognized for clinical excellence in cardiac care according to a recent study released by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading health care quality company.
Crozer has been ranked among the top 10 percent nationally, and among the top 10 hospitals in Pennsylvania, for cardiology for the past four years (2003-2006). The medical center has also been ranked among the top 10 percent nationally, and among the top 10 hospitals in Pennsylvania, for coronary interventional procedures for the past two years (2005-2006). In addition, Crozer has achieved five-star ratings in four clinical areas related to cardiology, including coronary interventional procedures, heart attack, heart failure and valve replacement surgery.
"We’re very pleased and proud to be recognized with these outstanding HealthGrades quality ratings, which validate our commitment to clinical excellence," says Joan K. Richards, chief operating officer of Crozer-Keystone Health System and president of CKHS Hospitals. "Top ratings from an independent, objective national source demonstrate the quality care that our physicians, nurses and staff deliver to the patients and families in our community every day."
As part of its seventh annual Hospital Quality in America Study, HealthGrades independently analyzed nearly 5,000 hospitals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for its 2005 ratings, objectively assessing their clinical outcomes and quality. The HealthGrades ratings measure whether patient outcomes for each of more than 24 procedures and diagnoses are better than expected (5-Star), as expected (3-Star) or worse than expected (1-Star).
"HealthGrades objectively assesses and rates hospital performance in order to help consumers make better and more informed health care choices," explained Sarah Loughran, HealthGrades executive vice president. "With consumers having a greater stake in their health care purchasing decisions, it’s important for them to know that there is a tremendous difference in clinical quality outcomes between hospitals.
Joseph Saunders, chief operating officer for Crozer-Chester Medical Center and CKHS vice president, added, "These ratings confirm what we have known for a long time – that Crozer’s experienced cardiac physicians, nurses and other clinicians provide high-quality cardiac care to the people of Delaware County. Congratulations to our entire cardiac team on these honors."
Crozer’s ratings in the area of Coronary Interventional Procedures refer to the mechanical treatment of heart diseases, including the use of cardiac catheterization and stents to open blocked coronary arteries.
Ancil Jones, MD, chief of Cardiology at Crozer, says, "Since we began offering interventional cardiology services in 1992, we have taken many steps to make sure that we can help patients achieve the best possible outcome. These include offering primary angioplasty for the treatment of heart attack patients and drug-eluting stents for patients with clogged arteries. We also recently introduced new, state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization laboratories."
The 2005 HealthGrades ratings for all hospitals nationwide are available, free of charge, on the web at www.healthgrades.com. More than two million unique users and 125 major employers visit the HealthGrades web site every month to access quality information about hospitals, nursing homes and physicians. HealthGrades also provides consumers and payers with detailed assessments of hospitals’ patients outcomes, based on indicators developed by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
HealthGrades is the leading independent health care quality company, providing ratings, information, and advisory services to health care providers, employers, health plans, and insurance companies. HealthGrades works with health care providers to help assess, improve and promote their quality. HealthGrades provides consumers access to information about the clinical quality and patient safety outcomes of health care providers and practitioners through its website and provides liability insurers, employers, and payers with critical information about health care quality and safety.
Obesity Increases Endometrial Cancer Risk, but Minimally Invasive Surgery Offers Hope
Women who are obese may be at greater risk for endometrial cancer, which strikes more than 40,000 women every year. Women who are 30 pounds overweight are three times more likely to get the disease; 50 pounds of excess weight increases the risk by 10-fold.
At Pennsylvania Hospital, Thomas Randall, MD, director of Gynecologic Oncology, performs a minimally invasive surgical procedure that offers an excellent cure rate and significantly fewer complications than traditional procedures, especially for obese women.
"Endometrial cancer, which affects the lining of the uterus, can be caused by overexposure to estrogen and estrone, which are hormones produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands," says Dr. Randall. "Women who are obese and postmenopausal are more likely to have excess levels of these hormones in their tissues." Dr. Randall notes that the incidence of endometrial cancer has increased steadily in the last decade, mirroring rising obesity rates.
Endometrial cancer does have high cure rate – 70 percent of patients make a full recovery. The treatment, however, is fairly extreme: Surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy), as well as the Fallopian tubes and ovaries. In most cases, the procedure requires a three- to four-day hospital stay and leaves a 14- to 20-inch abdominal scar.
Dr. Randall offers a better, safer option. His surgical technique, which he’s performed on nearly 100 women, involves using a laparoscope, a narrow surgical telescope that he inserts into the abdomen through a tiny (5-12 mm) incision. A small video camera is attached to the outer end of the scope, allowing him to view the images on a high-resolution TV monitor. He also makes three other incisions, no longer than 12 mm each, to insert other manipulating and cutting devices. With this sophisticated equipment, Dr. Randall accomplishes the same goals as traditional surgery with markedly better results.
"The scope provides up to 40-fold magnification, so we’re actually able to see the tissues better than we would in traditional surgery," notes Dr. Randall. He can also explore other areas of the abdomen and sample adjoining lymph nodes without widening existing incisions or creating new ones. The technique enables him to detect and remove potentially cancerous tissue extremely effectively, which makes the chances of a recurrence very low.
The postoperative benefits of laparoscopic surgery are significant: Patients experience less post-operative pain, a shorter recovery period, a lower risk of complications, and less scarring than patients who have traditional surgery.
For obese patients, the safety benefits are even greater. "Women who are obese have a greater risk of complications at the surgical site, such as hernia, scar tissue formation, and abscesses, as well as more general complications, such as pneumonia and blood clots," says Dr. Randall. "With laparoscopic surgery, we can greatly reduce these risks."
Patients generally stay in the hospital for only one night and leave the day after surgery. They generally require only over-the-counter pain medications and resume regular activities, such as going back to work, in about two weeks. Less than 30 percent of patients require follow up treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation.
For Sandra Davis, the procedure couldn’t have gone more smoothly. "Dr. Randall explained the procedure to me in detail, and it sounded much better than the traditional approach," she says. "The morning after surgery, the nurses offered me a pain relief injection, but I didn’t need it, and I went home later that day. Two weeks later, I was back to normal. It’s almost like nothing ever happened."
Anna Recchia notes that her incision scars are even smaller than the ones she has from an appendectomy. "I was so pleased," she says of her surgical experience and her interaction with Dr. Randall. "I like him as a surgeon and as a person. He’s incredibly passionate about his job."
Dr. Randall urges all women who have abnormal or irregular bleeding or vaginal discharge to see their physician immediately. "The good news is that most women do catch this early and are completely cured by surgery," he says. "Doing the procedure laparoscopically gives us an extra edge by decreasing the risk of complications and enabling patients to get back to their lives sooner."