Grand Rounds February on Memphis Medical News

Grand Rounds February

Hand-washing Compliance Monitoring System Introduced

A monitoring system for hand-washing compliance that uses Radio Frequency ID technology has been introduced to hospitals nationwide by Jersey City-based HandGiene Corp.

With healthcare facilities spending up to $29 billion annually dealing with hospital acquired infections (HAIs), the RFID system gives administrators the ability to track, improve and meet a hand-washing compliance rate of up to 100 percent.

The system works with a proprietary formulation of soap for restrooms and patient rooms or hand sanitizers for hallways. The fluid takes 15 seconds of friction to dissipate, ensuring non-contaminated hands. Each user is issued a name tag or wrist band that can be read by the RFID-enabled system upon entering and leaving an area as well as being at the dispensing unit. Every instance is logged into a database that can be read in real time.

When installed, the system assures increased accountability and compliance with established infection protocols in specific areas or throughout the facility.

In 2007, there were nearly 1.25 million incidents of HAIs that resulted in more than 120,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The system integrates with existing legacy software for fast installment and ease-of-use. The web-based software also allows administrators to monitor specific employees, teams, departments and shifts in entire facilities or multiple locations.

Patent Filed for Revolutionary Colon Cancer Screening Test

Medical researchers with EDP Biotech Corporation (EDP) have captured national attention with their revolutionary new technology for a simple blood test to detect early-stage colon cancer.

Following the success of its pre-clinical trials for the ColoMarker™ assay, EDP has filed a patent on the biomarker, CA11-19, and all aspects of its use. Via an inexpensive blood test, ColoMarker™ will detect colon cancer in its earliest, most curable stages.

In pre-clinical trials, ColoMarker™ successfully detected the early stages (I, II, and III) of colon cancer. In tests of 2,370 blood samples, ColoMarker™ showed an accuracy rate of >99% for detecting colon cancer in these early stages. EDP Biotech is now moving forward expeditiously to get ColoMarker™ through the Food and Drug Administration clearance process.

Baptist DeSoto begins Monthly Heart Patient Support group

SOUTHAVEN — Designed to enhance patient care, Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto will host Mended Hearts, a national heart patient support group affiliated with the American Heart Association. Centered on visiting patients and sharing personal experiences with heart disease, the group will meet the second Monday of each month.

In addition to encouragement, trained visitors also provide educational information, from recommendations for healthy lifestyle choices and tips for medication adherence to suggestions for managing depression, a common side effect after a heart event.

To register for the Mended Hearts patient support group or obtain more information, please contact Carolyn Melton at 662-772-3000. The group will meet in DeSoto Rooms B and C. Limited space is available.

For more information on Mended Hearts, contact 888-HEART99 or visit www.mendedhearts.org.

David C. Portnoy, MD, Receives Board Certification in Hematology and Medical Oncology by American Board of Internal Medicine

The West Clinic is pleased to announce that Dr. David C. Portnoy recently received Board Certification in Hematology and Medical Oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The West Clinic welcomed Dr. Portnoy to its team of Medical Oncologists in August, 2009. He currently sees patients at our East Memphis and Corinth, MS locations.

Originally from Long Island, NY, Dr. Portnoy earned his Medical Degree cum laude from the State University of New York (SUNY) in Syracuse, NY, where he was appointed to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Society. Dr. Portnoy completed his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA and performed his Hematology-Oncology Fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.

Dr. Portnoy’s clinical and research interests include genitourinary cancers, gastrointestinal tumors, and coagulation disorders. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Massachusetts Medical Society and American College of Physicians. He also serves on the board of directors with the Susan M. Costa Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation.

Dr. Ice Freezes Mid-South Man

A “cool” new treatment is responsible for saving the life of 63-year-old Memphian Isaac Turner. “It saved him, no question,” said Bruce Wilson, M.D., a cardiologist with Methodist University Hospital.

Methodist University Hospital is the first hospital in West Tennessee to offer therapeutic cooling therapy for cardiac arrest patients who meet particular criteria.

Paul Deaton, M.D., is medical director of the Methodist University Hospital intensive care unit.

Turner collapsed while performing during a church service. When paramedics arrived, he was turning blue around the mouth from lack of oxygen and paramedics pronounced he was dead. They immediately shocked him several times in an effort to restart his heart. Paramedics were able to get Turner’s heart beating again and took him directly to Methodist University Hospital.

Once Turner entered the emergency room, medical staff quickly went to work.

They discussed a new protocol with his family called Dr. Ice that might help save Turner’s life. It involves dropping a patient’s body temperature about eight degrees Fahrenheit below normal. The purpose of cooling patients down is to help prevent or reduce the amount of brain damage from the loss of oxygen.

Cooling therapy works by chilling patients for 24 hours under careful observation in the intensive care unit and then rewarming them for another 12 to 24 hours. There are several methods to cool patients including saline drips and cold catheters. Methodist University Hospital uses cooling blankets to lower a patient’s body temperature.

Methodist plans to implement cooling therapy in its other three adult hospitals in the Memphis area, Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital, Methodist North Hospital, and Methodist South Hospital.

Help Distribute TDH Antivirals to Needy Tennesseans

The Tennessee Department of Health is asking TMA physicians to assist with a new effort to dispense antiviral medications, at low or no cost, to uninsured and under-insured Tennesseans. The antivirals will be provided free of charge to more than 200 partnering pharmacists registered in the Tennessee Antiviral Distribution Network. Physicians and other health care providers are being asked to participate by screening for eligible patients, designating “TDH Stockpile” clearly on their prescriptions, and sending them to participating pharmacies. To help, please go to: http://www.tnmed.org/antiviral/.

MERI Earns Accreditation by the American Association of Tissue Banks

The Medical Education and Research Institute (MERI) has received accreditation by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB). This voluntary quality assessment helps ensure that the Genesis donation program and anatomic services provided at the MERI are performed in a professional manner consistent with the applicable AATB’s Standards. By successfully meeting or exceeding the applicable AATB standards, the MERI becomes the first non-distributing tissue bank organization to earn AATB accreditation.

Baptist Memorial hospitals Welcome New Managers And Directors

Baptist Memorial hospitals recently hired or promoted several colleagues to manager or director positions.

Shannon Fristensky is now the manager of physician relations at Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women. She joined Baptist in 2009 and worked in outpatient marketing for Baptist Women’s Hospital and the Women’s Health Center.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis recently promoted Matthew Dane to nurse manager in surgery. A Baptist colleague since 2002, Dane has previously served as a health care technician, neurology staff nurse and a circulating nurse in the operating room.

Cheryl Berry has been named director of nursing at Baptist DeSoto. Areas she will be overseeing in this position include the patient flow office, intern program, float pool and nursing staff development. She has been a Baptist colleague for 14 years.

Yvette Anderson is now the nurse manager for the orthopedic and oncology unit at Baptist DeSoto. Prior to joining Baptist, she served as an emergency department director at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Russellville, Ark.

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis Receives Bcbs Quality Designations

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis has been designated a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery and a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement by Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BCBS). To receive these honors, the hospital met objective, evidence-based selection criteria that demonstrated reliability in delivering spine surgery and knee/hip replacement with better overall outcomes for patients.

According to BCBS, these designations are given to hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to quality care, and that offer comprehensive inpatient spine surgery and comprehensive inpatient knee and hip replacement services.

WomenHeart Teams With Uthsc And Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare In First-Time Program

In order to help women receive the care they need to live heart healthy lives, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, is presenting sponsor Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and The University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center are teaming to offer this first of its kind program to educate physicians and health care providers about the significance of this devastating medical condition.

The program features the nation’s leading experts on women’s cardiovascular health and will include a special presentation from Memphis resident Kathy Kastan, LCSW/MAEd, heart disease survivor, past-President of WomenHeart, author, and program organizer.

Physicians and health care providers interested in attending can register at www.methodistmd.org.

Cost: $125 Physicians; $75 Nurse practitioners, EMTs, physician assistants, residents, fellows, nurses and all other health care professionals

Saturday, February 27, 2010, 7:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. ]Westin Memphis Beale Street, 170 Lt. George W. Lee Avenue, Memphis.

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