N E W S F R O M T H E R E G I O N ’ S P R E M I E R A C A D E M I C M E D I C A L C E N T E R

ADVANCES DECEMBER 4, 2014

Heart Failure Infusion Center Program Spotlight

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To suggest a By the Numbers, email Advances@kumc.edu.

Even though they weren’t at home, patients, visitors and staff at The University of Kansas Hospital enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal last week. Added benefit: No dishes!

2,000 29050

Dozen fresh rolls

60 Pies (pumpkin, of course) Approximate number of meals served on

Thanksgiving day

By the Numbers: Thanksgiving at the hospital

Parents, siblings and spouses: They reflect a close-knit environment

During the holidays, thoughts turn to family – including families within our academic medical center.

There are dozens of them here. Of the 13,000 people who comprise The University of Kansas Hospital, University of Kansas Medical Center and The University of Kansas Physicians, it seems everyone knows some-one related to someone else.

“In most companies, families in the workplace can lead to com-plications,” said Cynthia Smith, the hospital’s Human Resources recruitment manager. “But here, depending on the circumstances, they can have a positive effect. They reflect our close-knit environment.”

Healthcare invites a warm, supportive atmosphere. Family members working in that setting can strengthen the sense of

closeness all staff – not just those who are related – feel toward each other and toward their patients, she said.

Relatives also can bring out the best in each other. Ashley Huppe, MD, is a radiology resident. Her father, Marc Inciardi, MD, is a breast radiologist here, and her sister, Erin Inciardi, RN, works on

Medical-Surgical ICU (Unit 61).“We all learn from each other

quite a bit,” Huppe said. She and her father have devised research projects over the dinner table. And Huppe and her sister have an appreciation for each other’s roles in the hospital, making them each better caregivers.

“We’re able to communicate less

formally and more often,” Huppe said. “We are constantly talking about work outside of the hospital, so I have serious respect for what nurses do – and vice versa.” 

Mike and Kristy Blomquist, both RNs, married seven years ago after meeting at the hospital. They now work on separate in-tensive care units – Medical ICU (Unit 65) and Medical-Surgical ICU (Unit 61).

Whether their young children follow Mom and Dad into health-care is anyone’s guess, but if they do, Mike Blomquist hopes they will join them at the hospital.

“I’m sure they would get the same rewards Kristy and I do – that satisfaction of helping other people,” he said.

After all, nursing runs in their blood.

A celebration of family – in the workplace

Roasted turkey

Stuffing

Glazed ham

Green bean casserole

Candied yams

What’s for dinner?

400 lbs

360 lbs

200 lbs

185 lbs

150 lbs

Like many families at the hospital, Radiology’s Marc Inciardi, MD, and daughters Ashley Huppe, MD (left), and Erin Inciardi, RN, bring out the best in each other at work.

Cups of turkey gravy

Events Holiday shopping – An

open house at Missys’ Boutique features 10 percent off retail (excluding medical necessities), $10 off select bras and purses, stocking stuffers at $10 and under, gift drawings and more. The open house is 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5. Missys’ Boutique (kucancercenter.org/missys) is an accredited appearance center in the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion in Westwood.

Police information session – As part of its re-accreditation by the Commission of Accredited Law Enforcement Agencies, the University of Kansas Medical Center Police Department is hosting a public informa-tion session 1:30-3:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8, in the Support Services building. The public and employees can meet the assessors, ask questions and share feedback about the department. To participate by phone 4-5:30 p.m. on that day, call 913-588-5063. Email Jeneb Coleman at jcoleman@kumc.edu for information.

Feeding the kind wolf – Based on a Cherokee parable, two wolves battle within us every day: the wolf of joy and compassion vs. the wolf of fear and resentment. The group will delve into the process of forgive-ness and how creativity and playfulness keep the kind wolf well-fed. The session is 5:30- 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8, at Medical Plaza North in North Kansas City. Call 913-383-8700 to register.

Talking with family about illness – Sharing information thoughtfully and calmly brings less anxiety to family members. When anxiety is high, family members can be left out or overly involved. Learn how to benefit from a “family systems” approach. The program is 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Turning Point: The Center for Hope and Healing in Leawood. Call 913-383-8700 to register.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

Infusion center expands heart careHeart failure is a chronic

condition in which the heart doesn’t pump blood efficiently to support other organs in the body.

Patients face frequent hospital-ization, but a new program at The University of Kansas Hospital offers treatment on an outpatient basis, leading to improved results and satisfaction.

The Outpatient Heart Failure Infusion Center opened last January with three chairs in Family Medicine Progressive Care (HC 7). The center proved so successful a fourth chair was added last month.

Among the 119 patients who have received infusions, readmission was just 5.8 percent, compared with 25 percent readmission rate among heart failure patients nationally.

Also, by providing infusion treatment on an outpatient basis, the hospital can discharge certain heart failure patients faster, shortening their length of stay and increasing their mobility.

“We’re able to prevent readmis-sion, which means less patient discomfort and lower healthcare costs,” said Detlef Wencker, MD, director for Advanced Heart Failure. “And we have a direct impact on patient outcomes.”

Wencker brought the concept to our hospital when he joined in August 2013. He developed a similar heart failure outpatient infusion clinic at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. Mortality for those patients was 5 percent per year, compared with 30 percent nationally.

Our hospital is the only one in the area offering this type of ad-vanced outpatient transitional care of heart failure patients, he said.

During infusion, the patient typically spends three hours receiving an IV of diuretics, which remove waste substance

from the body when the heart isn’t pumping vigorously.

Yet there is much more involved than just medication, Wencker said. Caregivers from nursing, dietetics, pharmacy and cardiac rehabilita-tion use the time to meet with the patient and their family members.

They review home healthcare, from proper nutrition and the im-portance of exercise, to weighing themselves daily, taking medica-tions and following regularly with their cardiologist.

“It’s a multidisciplinary team that embraces the importance of patient education,” said Wencker.

The Outpatient Heart Failure Infusion Center, located in Family Medicine Progressive Care (HC 7), includes RNs Anna Ward (from left), Brie Morgan and Kristin Jamour, prepping Arlie Weber for infusion.

EXPOSURE

Celebrating a $10 million challengeSurgery Chair Romano Delcore, MD, and other physicians and staff at The University of Kansas Hospital cheered a Nov. 19 announce-ment that philanthropist Annette Bloch has committed $10 million, in the form of a dollar-for-dollar challenge, to expand cancer programs at the hospital’s Cambridge North Tower. The gift is a significant addition to the campaign’s goal to construct the $279 million hospital tower north of the main hospital on Cambridge. Read more at kumed.com/building.

Trial explores new cholesterol drugAn experimental antibody drug may be effective in lower-

ing LDL cholesterol in patients who have difficulty tolerating traditional statin cholesterol medications.

Patrick Moriarty, MD, professor of medi-cine and director of clinical pharmacology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, was the lead researcher in a clinical trial. It examined the effectiveness and safety of the drug alirocumab in lowering LDL cholesterol.

“It was our hope that alirocumab not only would be more effective in lowering LDL, but also that patients would not experience the

serious side effects seen with statin drugs,” said Moriarty, who presented the trial’s results last month at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting in Chicago.

The study involved more than 360 patients from 67 sites. All the patients had experienced statin intolerance to at least two or more drugs.

The study found that the alirocumab group experienced a 45 percent drop in their LDL levels, compared to a 14.6 percent drop in patients taking ezetimibe, another cholesterol-lowering drug often used for patients unable to tolerate statins.

Moriarty estimates up to half the patients referred to his clinic have trouble taking statins such as atorvastatin (Lipitor) and simvastatin (Zocor) due to the side effects, most often muscles aches and pains.

“It is exciting to me that we may be on the verge of discover-ing a new class of medication that is effective and well-tolerated by the millions of people who have high cholesterol,” he said.

Restraint urged with BRCA gene testing The researcher who discovered the link between the

BRCA genes and breast cancer recommends all women over 30 years of age should be tested for the genes. However, genetic counselors at The University of Kansas Cancer Center believe such a plan may send the wrong message.

Jennifer Klemp, PhD, MPH, managing director of Breast Cancer Survivorship at the cancer center, said women should consider several factors before deciding to be tested for BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 genes. • Family history of cancer. A family history means examining

both paternal and maternal sides of the family. Another key question is how many women in the family contracted cancer before menopause.

• Reproductive landmarks. What age the menstrual cycle began, what age the woman had children or what age menopause began need to be considered.

• Precancerous changes in the breast. In either mammograms or biopsies, changes in the breast need to be noted and considered for genetic counseling.

Klemp also warned of clinics promising complex genetic testing for a low price. “Not all labs are created equal,” she said. “Genetic testing requires precision, not cut-rate lab work.”

In the NewsA recap of recent articles, TV segments and other media coverage of the region’s leading academic medical center

Hopeful future for Chiefs safety – The Kansas City Star, Nov. 24. Chiefs Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry underwent testing at The University of Kansas Cancer Center for what may be lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system. Berry traveled to Atlanta for additional evaluation and is out for the season, yet his youth and excellent condition “pay big divi-dends when you’re fighting cancer,” said Joseph McGuirk, DO, director of the cancer center’s BMT program, who was not directly involved in the player’s care. “I’m very bullish on this young man.”

A $10 million challenge for hospital – Fox 4 News, Nov. 19. Civic leader Annette Bloch and her family announced a $10 million donation, in the form of a dollar-for-dollar challenge, for The University of Kansas Hospital’s Cambridge North Tower. The project goal is $279 million, $100 million of which planners hope they can raise through philanthropy. “There’s a wonderful feeling of power when you’re able to give and to give something that you know will help so many people and save lives,” she said.

Dangers of secondhand pot smoke – HealthDay, Nov. 16. Just like cigarettes, secondhand smoke from marijuana can damage your heart and blood vessels, according to California researchers. “Marijuana for a long time was viewed as a relatively innocuous drug, but a lot of that came from a lack of information,” said Stephen Thornton, MD, medical director of The University of Kansas Hospital’s Poison Control Center. “Now, as more and more people are using it, we’re finding more and more detrimental effects. People just need to be cautious.”

A bright forecast – KSHB-41, Nov. 14. Fifteen years after he was diag-nosed with a rare bone cancer, KSHB-41 meteorologist Gary Lezak was declared cured of cancer. During a touching news segment, Lezak praised surgeon Howard Rosenthal, MD – “an incredible man” – and others at The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Sarcoma Center for his care.

New

s Br

iefs

Support for breast cancer survivors The University of Kansas Cancer Center last month hosted a Breast Cancer Survivorship town hall session. Approximately 50 people attended the session in the Westwood Campus Atrium, and more than 700 others participated through live web-streaming (lbbc.org/survivorship360).

Moriarty

Klemp

Bend but don’t break.

8900 State Line Road, Suite 240, Leawood, KS 66206 • turningpointkc.org • 913-383-8700

Suddenly, the course of your life unexpectedly changes. You or someone you love is diagnosed with a serious illness – and you need help coping with the new normal.

Turn to us.

Turning Point offers classes, resources and programs to support everyone affected. All with the goal of living life to the fullest.

Because chronic illness is a Turning Point.

Visit turningpointkc.org for more details.

Turning Point is open to all. Thanks to generous donors, all programs are free.

A program of

ADVANCES

is a bi-weekly publication produced by:

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Send story ideas to Advances@kumc.edu.

Bob Page, President and CEO The University of Kansas Hospital

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Kirk Benson, MD, President The University of Kansas Physicians

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@kuhospital@kucancercenter@kumedcenter

Our People President of urological as-

sociation – Brantley Thrasher, MD, University of Kansas School of Medicine’s William L. Valk Chair of the Department of Urology, has been named president of the American Urological

Association. The title is effective 2017-2018.

Thrasher will lead the activities for the board of directors and its executive committee. He also will represent the association as an of-ficial ambassador to approximately 18 associate organizations.

Thrasher, whose basic science research interest is in the area of prostate cancer, is a consultant in National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Department of Defense funded research.

Nursing awards – Last month’s March of Dimes Nurse of the Year ceremony honored a number of

faculty and staff at the University of Kansas School of Nursing and The University of Kansas Hospital.

Karen Miller, PhD, RN, dean of the school and

senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Kansas Medical Center, received the Legacy Award. She was praised as a pioneer, mentor, supporter and advisor to many leaders and aspiring leaders in the nursing profession.

Researcher and professor Janet Pierce, PhD, APRN, was named School of Nursing Educator Nurse of the Year. Pierce conducts research

in cardiopulmonary measures to address illness management related to hemorrhagic shock.

Three hospital nurses also were honored:• Hospice/Home Health/Palliative

Care Nurse of the Year – Carol Mulvenon, RN, clinical nurse specialist

• Oncology Nurse of the Year – Gloria Wiggins, RN, BMT Exam/Treatment at the Westwood Campus

• Rising Star Nurse of the Year – Franny McShane, RN, Cardiothoracic Surgery Progressive Care (HC 4)

They were among 20 Kansas and Kansas City-area nurses recognized at the black tie ceremony for their contributions to healthcare. There were 19 award categories, ranging from advanced practice and emer-gency to surgical and palliative care.

Healthcare leadership – Teri Banman, RN, nurse manager of navi-gation and intake at The University

of Kansas Cancer Center, has re-ceived a Leadership in Quality Award from the Kansas Healthcare Collaborative.

Banman, who works at the

Westwood Campus, won in the Ambulatory Setting category. She was honored for development and coordination of the cancer center’s nurse navigator program, which she has built over the past three years. Her work has led to improved time-liness of care, better coordinated care and improved culture.

“The navigation program has improved the culture by increasing communication and collaboration among all team members caring for the patient,” Banman’s colleagues wrote in her nomination.

Dmitriy Zhidovetskiy, DO Internal Medicine/Hospitalist

New

Phy

sici

ans

Shilpa Sachdeva, MD Psychiatry

Peniel Zelalem, MD Internal Medicine/Hospitalist

Clay Quint, MD, PhD Surgery/Vascular

David Terry, MDPsychiatry

Neha Chaturvedi, MD Anesthesiology

Miller

Thrasher

Banman