Anthony Named Chief of Medical Oncology
LEXINGTON Dr. Lowell Anthony has been named chief of medical oncology at UK HealthCare. His appointment to this leadership role will be effective Aug. 1.
Anthony received his graduate medical education and advanced specialty training at Vanderbilt University. After being on faculty at Vanderbilt for several years, Anthony moved to Louisiana State University where he ascended the academic ranks and served for a period as the Acting Director of their Division of Hematology and Oncology. Anthony joined the UK College of Medicine as professor of medicine and member of the Markey Cancer Center in October 2011. He is a nationally recognized authority in neuroendocrine tumor medicine and is a widely published author in the field
Val Slayton, MD, Appointed Examiner for 2012 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
LOUISVILLE Val Slayton, MD, MPP, MBA, CPE, of the legacy Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare, part of KentuckyOne Health located in Louisville, Ky., has been appointed by Dr. Patrick Gallagher, Director of the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to the 2012 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The Award, created by public law in 1987, is the highest level of national recognition for performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive. This is Dr. Slayton’s third year of service on the Board of Examiners.
As an Examiner, Dr. Slayton is responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the Award. The board is composed of approximately 500 leading experts selected from industry, professional and trade organizations, education and health care organizations, and nonprofits (including government).
UK HealthCare, Norton Healthcare earn top rankings in U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals
LOUISVILLE AND LEXINGTON UK HealthCare and Norton Healthcare announced that their combined efforts to provide the best in specialized care to Kentucky residents have been validated by earning the top rankings in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospital analysis.
University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital has been ranked No. 1 in Kentucky and Norton Healthcare ranked No. 1 in Louisville and No. 2 in Kentucky in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals 2012–13 released on July 17. This is the first time state rankings have been included in the listing giving consumers a way to compare hospitals to other neighboring institutions across the state. The rankings are available at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals.
U.S. News & World Report released its 23rd annual listing of Best Hospitals. This year’s rankings showcase more than 720 of the nation’s roughly 5,000 hospitals. Fewer than 150 are nationally ranked in at least one of 16 medical specialties. Norton Healthcare was rated as “high performing” in cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonary, and urology.
In addition to the top hospital ranking in the state, UK Chandler Hospital was nationally ranked in orthopedics and listed as “High Performing” in 10 specialty areas. These clinical areas include Cancer, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Ear, Nose & Throat, Gastroenterology, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Pulmonology, and Urology. Overall, UK was among 140 of the 4,825 U.S. hospitals ranked in one or more 16 specialties.
In 2011 UK HealthCare and Norton Healthcare announced plans to work together across the state of Kentucky and beyond to target the region’s most pressing health problems: stroke, cancer, and heart disease. This focus is in response to the commonwealth’s incidences of these health conditions that far exceed most other states.
Norton Healthcare becomes first health care provider in Kentucky to launch da Vinci surgery program with Genesis™
LOUISVILLE Norton Healthcare recently acquired its fourth da Vinci surgical system, making the institution the only health care provider in Louisville to offer this level of increased procedure capability and visualization for surgeons. The da Vinci systems account for tremendous improvements in patient experience due to enhanced technology and minimally invasive techniques. In addition, Norton Healthcare will be implementing the Genesis™ program for operating da Vinci surgeries. This will allow patients at Norton facilities to experience reduced trauma and recovery times associated with several types of cancer and other diseases.
The addition of another da Vinci and the Genesis program advance the facility vision to become a pelvic floor health center of excellence. This will involve a multi-disciplinary team of providers with a nurse navigator to offer specialized care by in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction. This care involves Urology, Gynecology, Colorectal Surgery and more. Using the da Vinci system will allow physicians to treat pelvic floor issues without leaving the expected large scars and long recovery times.
As Norton Suburban Hospital transforms into the region’s premier women and children’s hospital, it is important that the facility achieves early productivity using the latest and greatest version of da Vinci systems. The Genesis program has been put in place to ensure the full potential for the robotic devices is met, especially as relates to pelvic floor health. Completion of all three Genesis phases will allow Norton Suburban Hospital to improve quality of care, differentiating the niche hospital as proficient in minimally invasive surgeries that treat various gynecological cancers in addition to many other diseases.
Valinda Rutledge Named KentuckyOne Health Market Leader Louisville and President of Jewish Hospital
LOUISVILLE KentuckyOne Health has named Valinda Rutledge as Market Leader Louisville and President of Jewish Hospital effective July 23, 2012. She will have responsibility for the oversight of the Jewish Hospital downtown medical campus, Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital, Our Lady of Peace and Frazier Rehab Institute, all in Louisville, in addition to Flaget Memorial Hospital in Bardstown and Jewish Hospital Shelbyville in Shelbyville.
Rutledge comes to KentuckyOne from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) where she served in a senior leadership role in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation as director of the Patient Care Models Group since June 2011. There she led the development and implementation of the National Bundled Payment Initiative.
In both 2010 and 2011 of Becker’s Hospital Review, Business & Legal Issues for Health System Leadership, Rutledge was listed as one of 56 top Women Hospital & Healthcare Leaders.
John Smithhisler Named KentuckyOne Health Market Leader Lexington and President of Saint Joseph Hospital
LOUISVILLE KentuckyOne Health has named John Smithhisler as Market Leader, Lexington and President of Saint Joseph Hospital, effective July 23, 2012. He will have responsibility for the oversight of the Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East.
Smithhisler comes to KYOne from Health Care Consulting in Shrewsbury, MA, and has served in a senior leadership role at several hospitals. Over the last year, he has been working with small and medium size businesses to reduce health care costs and premiums by negotiating with insurance companies and health care providers.
From 2005 to 2011, Smithhisler was president/CEO of a 348-bed Catholic hospital based in Worcester, MA. Saint Vincent Hospital, a teaching facility, saw continued growth of all major volume indicators, net revenues and earnings under his leadership.
Smithhisler’s earlier experiences include six years with Health Care Consulting, where he provided leadership as a president or CEO for health care facilities going through leadership transitions and also assisting in the development of short and long term business and strategic planning.
Norton Healthcare certified as Orthopedic Center of Excellence by the Joint Commission
LOUISVILLE The need for quality orthopedic care continues to grow as our population ages. That need is compounded by individuals who desire to maintain an active lifestyle later in life and by those who struggle with excessive joint pressure caused by obesity. In the next decade, the number of hip replacements is expected to rise by 22 percent and the number of knee replacements by 34 percent.
Norton Healthcare has recently been certified by The Joint Commission as a Center of Excellence for knee and hip replacements. This makes Norton Healthcare a leader in orthopedic care as the first and only certified Orthopaedic Center of Excellence in the region and the first multisite hospital system in Kentucky to achieve this designation.
The credentialing process included a series of on-site reviews by members of The Joint Commission. Several categories were reviewed for compliance with The Joint Commission standards that ensure exceptional patient care. The Joint Commission also conducted individual tracer activity, where patients were followed throughout the entire program associated with a hip or knee replacement. The competence assessment and credentialing process were based on a detailed review of all aspects of care, from when a patient is determined to be a candidate for joint replacement through shortly after discharge.
The multidisciplinary team of professionals at Norton Healthcare has collaborated for more than 18 months to obtain The Joint Commission certification at all four adult-service hospitals. A patient-centered focus has enhanced the overall patient experiences and outcomes of total joint replacement surgery. The protocols used to implement clinical practice guidelines meet The Joint Commission’s standards of excellence, and Norton Healthcare will continue to improve on program care and services.
Norton Healthcare approved by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers
LOUISVILLE Norton Healthcare has been granted a three-year full accreditation designation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a program administered by the American College of Surgeons. Norton Healthcare is the only healthcare network in Kentucky to achieve this accreditation for all its adult-service facilities. Accreditation is given only to those centers that demonstrate the highest level of quality breast care during a rigorous evaluation process.
During an extensive performance review by the NAPBC, Norton Healthcare demonstrated proficiency with all standards for treating women diagnosed with the full spectrum of breast disease. The standards reviewed include center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education, and quality improvement. Compliance with these standards allows Norton Healthcare to provide patients with every significant advantage during a trying time in their lives.
The NAPBC designation process took about two years to complete. The performance reviews and strict evaluation of standards involved physicians from multiple specialties and all adult-service facilities, as well as ancillary staff from each facility. The comprehensive process addressed each point of care from diagnosis through survivorship.
Norton Cancer Institute selected to continue participation in National Cancer Institute program
LOUISVILLE The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, recently selected Norton Cancer Institute to continue participation in its national network of community cancer centers. A member of the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) since 2010, Norton Cancer Institute was awarded $901,882 to fund participation in the NCCCP network for the next two years. Norton Cancer Institute is one of only 21 facilities in the nation to be selected for this program, which will directly benefit cancer patients and survivors in the local community and beyond.
The NCCCP is a network of community hospitals that work together to expand cancer research and improve quality of patient care with an emphasis on underserved populations. The goal of the program is to provide cutting-edge treatment in communities so more patients can remain close to home during treatment rather than traveling to major academic medical centers. The NCCCP network serves approximately 53,000 people newly diagnosed with cancer each year.
Launched in 2007 as a pilot program comprising 16 community hospitals, the NCCCP added 14 additional sites to the network in 2010. Funding available from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allowed the 30 NCCCP hospitals to compete for a program extension, and 21 have been awarded funds to continue participation. Norton Cancer Institute’s selection ensures that the NCCCP network’s ongoing efforts to offer state-of-the-art, coordinated care and create research opportunities will continue to be addressed in Greater Louisville. Norton Cancer Institute’s continued participation in the program helps support NCI’s overall mission of accelerating cancer research and improving outcomes for cancer patients across the United States.
UK Chandler Hospital Selected for National Initiative to Increase Breastfeeding Rates
LEXINGTON The University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital has been selected to participate in Best Fed Beginnings, a first-of-its-kind national effort to significantly improve breastfeeding rates in states where rates are currently the lowest.
Although breastfeeding is one of the most effective preventive health measures for infants and mothers, half of US-born babies are given formula within the first week, and by nine months, only 31 percent of babies are breastfeeding at all. Best Fed Beginnings seeks to reverse these trends by dramatically increasing the number of U.S. hospitals implementing a proven model for maternity services that better supports a new mother’s choice to breastfeed. The National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) is leading the effort through a cooperative funding agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and will be working closely with Baby-Friendly USA, Inc.
In addition to UK Chandler Hospital, 89 other hospitals are participating in this initiative and were selected from 235 applicants. The groups will work together in a 22-month learning collaborative, using proven quality improvement methods to transform their maternity care services in pursuit of “Baby-Friendly” designation. This designation verifies that a hospital has comprehensively implemented the American Academy of Pediatrics-endorsed Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, as established in the WHO/UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. Breastfeeding rates are higher and disparities in these rates are virtually eliminated in hospitals that achieve this status.
Daugherty Named Editor-in-Chief of Premier Academic Journal
LEXINGTON Alan Daugherty, director of the University of Kentucky Saha Cardiovascular Research Center, senior associate dean for research in the UK College of Medicine and Gill Foundation Chair in Preventive Cardiology, has been named the new editor-in-chief of the premier academic journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association (ATVB), a monthly journal devoted to the biology, prevention and impact of vascular diseases.
The July 2012 issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology is the first issue produced by the new editorial team.
AMA Honors Carolyn Kurz with Medical Executive Lifetime Achievement Award
LEXINGTON The American Medical Association (AMA) announced today that Carolyn H. Kurz, executive vice president and chief executive officer at the Lexington Medical Society in Kentucky, has been presented with the Medical Executive Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given by the AMA to honor a medical association executive who has contributed substantially to the goals and ideals of the medical profession.
“The AMA gratefully recognizes Carolyn Kurz for her legacy of notable accomplishments and her 40 years of dedication to the medical profession in Kentucky,” said Robert M. Wah, MD, past chair of the AMA Board of Trustees. “She has proven to be an outstanding leader and a highly respected advocate for physicians and their patients.”
Kurz began her career at Lexington Medical Society with a minimal budget and a membership of 350. Under her leadership the Society has become a full-service organization that has attracted more than 1,500 members and funds numerous programs that benefit physicians and patients.
Kurz has been active with The Rotary Club of Lexington, serving as its first female president from 2004–2005. As a member of Commerce Lexington, an organization dedicated to business and economic development, Kurz worked with area hospitals and facilitated the formation of the Lexington Health Economy and Life Sciences Institute, an innovative economic development program.
Study Suggests Touch Therapy Helps Reduce Pain, Nausea in Cancer Patients
LEXINGTON A new study by the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center shows that patients reported significant improvement in side effects of cancer treatment following just one Jin Shin Jyutsu session. Jin Shin Jyutsu is an ancient form of touch therapy similar to acupuncture in philosophy.
Presented at the 2012 Markey Cancer Center Research Day by Jennifer Bradley who is the Jin Shin Jyutsu integrative practitioner at Markey, the study included 159 current cancer patients. Before and after each Jin Shin Jyutsu session, Bradley asked patients to assess their symptoms of pain, stress, and nausea on a scale of 0–10, with 0 representing no symptoms.
The study found that in each session patients experienced significant improvement in the areas of pain, stress, and nausea with the first visit and in subsequent visits as well. The mean decreases experienced were three points for stress and two points for both pain and nausea.
Funded by a grant from the Lexington Cancer Foundation, Jin Shin Jyutsu is considered part of an integrative treatment plan available at the UK Markey Cancer Center. Bradley offers Jin Shin Jyutsu to all cancer patients at no charge. Patients may self-refer, though half are referred by their physician or Markey staff.
The study did not include controls for several parameters including the time between sessions or location and duration of service. Bradley’s next study will control more of these variables, and her team will access patients’ medical records over the time period of their participation to evaluate changes in patients’ medication usage for cancer and symptom management of pain, stress and nausea.
Kentucky Eye Surgeon Presents at Retina Conference in Milan, Italy
LEXINGTON Dr. John W. Kitchens, partner with Retina Associates of Kentucky, will be presenting at the Euretina Annual Congress in Milan, Italy in September. His talk to be given to the European Society of Retina Specialists is entitled: Ranibizumab for diabetic macular edema: Impact of concomitant therapy with glitazomes or fenofibrates. Dr. Kitchens joins retina specialists from around the world to discuss the most current treatments and therapies for diseases of the retina and vitreous. “Diabetes and diabetic retinopathy is a major problem in Kentucky”, says Dr. Kitchens, “it is rewarding to work on research that applies so directly to our patients.”
Retina Associates of Kentucky is a member of the DRCR Network, a network of elite retina practices across the US researching different treatments for diabetic retinopathy. Kitchens is the President of Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons.
STATEWIDE PARTNERSHIPS FORMED TO TARGET CANCER PREVENTION
American Cancer Society Announces Cancer Prevention Study in partnership with KentuckyOne Health and YMCAs of Greater Louisville and Central Kentucky
LEXINGTON A new nationwide long-term study aimed at cancer prevention has been launched by the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Department of Epidemiology & Surveillance Research with the goal of recruiting over 300,000 adults across the US and Puerto Rico to document the lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer.
Kentucky will have recruitment sites for the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CP-3) in Lexington and Louisville at the YMCA of Central Kentucky and the YMCA of Greater Louisville. Individuals who enroll in the CPS-3 complete a comprehensive personal information history with blood sample and waist measurement and agree to periodic follow-up surveys over a 20 year time span.
Researchers will use the data from CP-3 to build on evidence from ACS studies that began in the 1950’s that have involved millions of volunteer participants. The current study CPS-11 which began in 1982 is ongoing but changes in lifestyle and cancer research necessitate the initiation of a new study that will stretch nearly into mid century.
‘’Like the early Sisters of Charity of Nazareth who lived on the frontier in constant fear of starvation, attack from the natives and death, Kentuckians live with the fear of cancer,” said Dan Varga, MD, chief medical officer of KentuckyOne Health.
Lexington Mayor Jim Gray said that volunteering for the cancer prevention study was “one way for people who want to help in the fight against cancer.”
Six Saint Joseph facilities in Central Kentucky will participate: Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph London and Saint Joseph Mount Sterling. The Louisville hospitals that are part of the study are Jewish Hospital Downtown, Jewish Hospital Medical Center Northeast, Jewish Hospital Shelbyville, Sts. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital, Jewish Hospital Medical Center South, and Flaget Memorial Hospital.