A D V A N C I N G T H E P O W E R O F M E D I C I N E ®

By the Numbers: Volunteer Services

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

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Cardiologists at The University of Kansas Hospital are helping specialists around the world learn more about inno-vative heart treatments.

Approximately 250 cardiologists and others gathered this month in Kansas City for a first of its kind symposium focused specifically on the left atrial appendage.

The appendage functions as a reservoir for the left atrium. However, among patients with atrial fibrillation – when top heart chambers beat faster than lower chambers – the appendage becomes a prime source for blood clots, which can lead to stroke

and heart attacks.With heart specialists worldwide

exploring various treatment op-tions for these patients, our cardi-ologists decided the time is now to bring many of them together.

Our staff worked closely with colleagues at the University of Kansas Medical Center, as well as researchers and physician scientists at some of the nation’s leading heart care facilities, including Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic and Cedars Sinai Hospital.

“Because we are national leaders in the field of cardiology, we drew physicians to the symposium from across North America – and

even some from Russia – to learn about this critical topic,” said Barbara MacArthur, FAAN, Cardiac Services vice president.

Symposium highlights in-cluded two heart procedures live-streamed to the conference. One surgery featured DJ Lakkireddy, MD, assisted by Matt Earnest, MD, of the hospital’s Mid-America Cardiology.

As hundreds in the audience watched two large hi-definition screens, Lakkireddy and Earnest demonstrated a novel LARIAT  operation. In the minimally in-vasive procedure, surgeons insert a tool, like a lasso, through the

patient’s chest to close off the left atrial appendage.

Our hospital is the first facility in the Midwest and one of the leading centers in the United States to offer the innovative pro-cedure. Lakkireddy said response to the LARIAT surgery – and the overall conference – was over-whelmingly positive.

“Left atrial appendage is the new frontier in cardiovascular medi-cine,” said Lakkireddy, who was one of the symposium’s directors. “A lot needs to be understood and explored as cardiologists around the world are striving to balance the risk of strokes and bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation.”

He added, “With our exper-tise collaborating with scientists around the world, we’re helping to advance the science of left atrial appendage and strategies for its exclusion.”

MARCH 14, 2013

Volunteers at The University of Kansas Hospital play an important role helping patients and visitors feel at home.

255 Volunteers in 2012

16,000 Number of hours they volunteered last year; at $20 an hour, their volunteer effort was worth $320,000 to the hospital

6,500 Patient lunches served last year in the Westwood treatment area

6 Estimated miles per day a volunteer walks when serving as a Pathfinder, helping visitors find their way

Radiology Spotlight

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Where they workNODACancer Center, WestwoodMissys’ BoutiqueCancer Center, Lee’s SummitPastoral CarePathfindersVolunteer OfficeGift ShopOther

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

Lights, camera, operate!International symposium spotlights hospital’s heart expertise

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Mid-America Cardiology’s DJ Lakkireddy, MD (left), and Matt Earnest, MD, perform a novel LARIAT procedure. The procedure was live-streamed to the conference.

Melissa Mitchell, MDRadiation Oncology

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2330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Suite 100 Westwood, KS 66205

Send story ideas to dvances@kumc.edu.

Bob Page, President and CEO The University of Kansas Hospital

Doug Girod, MD, Executive Vice Chancellor University of Kansas Medical Center

Kirk Benson, MD, President The University of Kansas Physicians

Staff: Mike Glynn, Editor Kirk Buster, Graphic Designer

OUR PEOPLE

Honoring our ‘Heroes in Healthcare’

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Michael Abraham, MDNeurology

Jennifer Kenny, MDAnesthesiology

David Anderson, MDOrthopedics

Julie Holding, MDPlastic Surgery

Deepti Satelli, MDInternal Medicine

This year’s Heroes in Healthcare from Ingram’s Magazine includes three representatives from The University of Kansas Hospital. Congratulations to them!

Lee Norman, MD, senior vice president, chief medical officer: A native of Iowa, a former Air Force flight surgeon who served

in Desert Storm and a 20-year resident of Seattle, Norman revealed his health-care inspiration: “It’s the resilience of the

human spirit, in patients and care- givers alike,” he told the magazine. “Every day there is an occurrence that amazes me and inspires me.”

The occurrence “might be dem-onstrated in the patients and their families, or in a time-pressed phy-sician at midnight at the bedside or in the ‘nail-biting’ we collec-tively do as we watch and wait as somebody gets better.” Yet people “have a remarkable capacity to heal,” and he finds satisfaction in being part of that process.

Ralph Long, volunteer: Long has logged more than 11,000 hours as a volunteer at our hospital. His

family connections run deep: His daugh-ter and son-in-law both worked here – she was a nurse and he was a physician.

And when cancer took his wife of 40 years, Long decided he would devote more time to his post-retirement interest in volunteering. The logical place to

do so, he told Ingram’s, was at the hospital that had provided such good care for her.

Now 84, Long said he finds his greatest rewards making the rounds to deliver patients’ maga-zines, mail and even printed e-mail messages. Those are in addition to many other duties, such as moving equipment to storage and helping patients find their way – tasks he thoroughly enjoys. “I’m an active guy,” he said. “I want to do volun-teer work on my feet.”

Lynn Kindred, MD, Mid-America Cardiology: Kindred founded a small practice in 1971, which grew into Mid-America Cardiology. MAC aligned with The University of Kansas Hospital in 2000.

“That was a real satisfying venture for everybody,” Kindred

told the magazine. “They promised to build a heart hospi-tal, which they did. They gave us one of the best locations for

patients, and they brought four heart surgeons over, too.”

MAC now has 37 cardiologists, and the hospital’s heart program is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report. “I’m impressed with how things have gone – the growth of the program and that it’s nationally recognized,” he said. “I’m really excited about it all.”This year’s Heroes in Healthcare were honored at a breakfast March 13. Read more at ingramsonline.com.

Advanced surgery for even the most complex cases

See the difference academic medicine can make. Watch our

video at kumed.com/surgery. Or call 913.588.1227.

The right move makes all the difference

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Events Brackfest 2013 – Features

buffet breakfast and panel of local sports personalities discussing the NCAA tournament: 7:30 - 9 a.m. Monday, March 18, the College Basketball Experience, downtown Kansas City. Event benefits the Brain Health Initiative at the University of Kansas Medical Center and The University of Kansas Hospital. Information: kuendowment.org/brackfest.

Understanding Diabetes – Learn about the types of diabetes and explore the causes, symptoms and treatment options: 3-4 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, KU Clinical Research Center, Fairway. Register: 913-588-1227 or kumed.com/bewell.  

Healing Meditations – Through meditation, learn to slow down, relax and access the healing and wisdom within you: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28, KU Clinical Research Center, Fairway. Register: 913-588-1227 or kumed.com/bewell.

Cancer Wellness 101 – Two four-week series provide tools to build strength, minimize side effects, remain positive and fight cancer with the healthiest body and mind possible: 1-2 p.m. Tuesdays April 2, 9, 16 and 23, The University of Kansas Cancer Center-South; and 4-5 p.m. Wednesdays April 3, 10, 17 and 24, The University of Kansas Cancer Center-North. Register: 913-588-1227 or kumed.com/bewell.

Look Good – Feel Better – This American Cancer Society program helps women under-going cancer treatment learn to cope with appearance- related concerns: 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, The University of Kansas Hospital. Registration required: 913-588-1227 or kumed.com/bewell.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

Radiology: Where ‘specialized’ is the normThe field of radiology is vast

and complex. With ever increas-ing speed and adaptability of computerization, the demand rises for more sophisticated and specialized technologists and radiologists.

At The University of Kansas Hospital, the Radiology Services team encompasses 31 radiologists and more than 200 technologists and support staff. They specialize in a wide range of radiology modali-ties, from reading X-rays to cross-sectional MRI and CT images.

The department continues to advance the power of medicine through the training of tech-nologist and physician imaging specialties. Stephen Smith, Radiology director, said the department is actively involved in research and provides several advanced studies available only at the hospital.

“The amount of information and visual recognition of human anatomy that can be obtained re-quires technologists and radiolo-gists to perform and interpret at a much higher level – a specialist level,” he said. “Our Radiology team provides world-class results.”

Patient convenience is also

important. In addition to inpa-tient services at the main campus, Radiology provides outpatient diagnostic testing at nine other locations around the metro:

Cancer Care Pavilion, Westwood

Westwood

Physicians Medical Office Building, Kansas City, Kan.

Center-East, Lee’s Summit

Center-North, Kansas City

Center-South, Kansas City

Cancer Center-Overland Park

Overland Park

Many of these locations offer advanced imaging equipment and procedures, such as a 3T MRI at the main campus and 3D breast imaging at the Westwood Campus.

“With their dedication and experience, our radiologists can interpret images of even the most complex conditions,” Smith said. “They combine knowledge and skill with advanced technology to provide accurate diagnostic imag-ing and therapeutic services.”

Bret Press, CNMT, prepares a patient for a PET scan, or positron emission tomography.

EXPOSURE

Celebrating women’s heart health

The Farmhouse restaurant’s Michael Foust (second from left) was a fea-tured chef at Girls’ Night In, held last month at Portfolio Kitchen & Home.

The eighth annual event drew more than 300 attendees and raised an estimated $70,000 for women’s heart health programs at The University of Kansas Hospital.

Heart program leaders attending included (from left) Lynn Dreier; Ashley Simmons, MD; Rhea Pimentel, MD; and Greg Muehlebach, MD. Muehlebach also was on one of four teams in the Top Civic Sous Chef Contest, which raised more than $22,000. Cookbook author Anne Byrn (far right) demonstrated recipes from Unbelievably Gluten-Free!

Combining food, fun and friendship, Girls’ Night In raises awareness about women’s heart disease, promotes heart-healthy lifestyles and raises funds to expand the hospital’s programs at the Adelaide C. Ward Women’s Heart Health Center in the Center for Advanced Heart Care. Visit achangeofheartkc.org for a photo gallery and recipes from the event.

Estrogen’s link to pelvic pain Scientists at the University of Kansas Medical Center

continue to further our understanding of how estrogen, the hormone that most defines femininity, paradoxically contrib-utes to female pain syndromes.

Researchers in the Women’s Pain Division of the University of Kansas Institute for Neurological Discoveries have pioneered work on how estrogen contributes to migraines. Now a group of researchers has published a paper in January’s Journal of Neuroscience that establishes a link between estrogen and pelvic pain.

“We’ve known for some time that estrogen can modulate pain,” said Peter Smith, PhD, professor in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and direc-tor of the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Institute for Neurological Discoveries. “Some types of pain are associated with a drop in estrogen, as occurs n menopause, or an in-ability to respond to estrogen, which can happen to women in their teens and twenties.”

Smith and Aritra Bhattacherjee, a doctoral student in Smith’s lab who is the paper’s lead author, are exploring a new function for a protein called BMP4. “This particular molecule appears to be important in making sure you have the right number of pain-sensing nerves,” Smith said.

Interactive campus mapNeed help finding your way around our main campus?

Check out a new interactive map. It shows locations of all clini-cal care facilities, emergency phones, major auditoriums, public parking and shuttle stops. Click on the map’s red balloons for more directions and information. The map is at kumc.edu, then Maps & Contact Information.

Community campaign targets cancerThe University of Kansas Cancer Center has launched a new

community awareness campaign with the theme “If it’s cancer, why would you go anywhere else?”

The campaign highlights important information for consum-ers when choosing a cancer care program, such as:

offer all phases of clinical trials.

from U.S. News & World Report as a leading cancer center.

academic experts to develop a personalized treatment plan.

beginning with their first call.

second opinion, or ongoing treatment, convenient.

In the NewsA recap of recent articles, TV segments and other media coverage.

Omega-3s may lead to healthier babies: The New York Times, March 4. The article examines research by Susan Carlson, PhD, professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Institute for Reproductive Health and Regenerative Medicine, and her colleagues who randomly assigned 350 women to take daily capsules of either a placebo or DHA, type of omega-3 fatty acid, starting midway through pregnancy.

‘My Strange Addiction’ features physician: The Learning Channel, Feb. 27. The cable channel program invited Richard Gilroy, MD, Liver Transplantation director at The University of Kansas Hospital, to examine a young woman who eats sand throughout the day, chews on nail files and has developed a craving for chalk.

Ischemic stroke linked to chronic AF in dialysis patients: Renal & Urology News, March 7. Chronic atrial fibrillation is associated with a modest but significantly increased risk of ischemic stroke in dialy-sis patients, data show. James Wetmore, MD, associate professor of Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, led research involving 56,734 dialysis patients.

Patients go to BMT clinic in spite of storm: Fox 4 News, Feb. 27. The news segment features patients and BMT staff at the Westwood Campus who didn’t let the snowstorms halt lifesaving treatments.

Neuroscience could be key in medical center’s future: Kansas Health Institute News Service, Feb. 25. In the article, Doug Girod, MD, executive vice chancellor of the University of Kansas Medical Center, points to research into Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other brain and ner-vous system diseases as one of the medical center’s important strengths.

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Aritra Bhattacherjee (left) and Peter Smith, PhD

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