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 FEBRUARY 13, 2014

Hypertension Spotlight

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Love your heart! (We do)Nationally ranked program requires staff dedication, compassion.

The nation has much to celebrate this February, the 50th anniversary of American Heart Month. While the population has doubled since 1964, the number of people who die from heart dis-ease – still the nation’s No. 1 cause of death among both men and women – continues to decline.

Give some credit to Cardiac Services staff at The University of Kansas Hospital. For seven consecutive years, the hospital has been named to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals list for cardiology and heart surgery.

The heart program, which has climbed on the prestigious “top 50” list nearly every year, currently is ranked No. 23 in the nation. No other hospital’s heart program in the Kansas City area is on the list.

The rankings are based on a range of factors: patient survival

rates, advanced technologies, nurse staffing levels, number of heart patients treated and patient services, such as rehabilitation.

For Cardiac Services Vice President Barb MacArthur, FAAN, the high ranking year after year also hinges on the more than 300 people in our hospital’s heart program – including 36 cardiologists, six heart surgeons and 16 nurse practitioners.

“No matter what else we do, beyond the technology and our beautiful Center for Advanced Heart Care, it really comes down

to how we treat patients and their families,” said MacArthur, who sees heart physicians routinely collaborating with other special-ists, such as nephrologists (see Program Spotlight on page 2).

She randomly chooses a “patient of the week,” someone she talks with about the care they and their family have received. One such patient, a businessman in his 60s, wanted to mention one employee in particular.

“He’s amazing,” the patient told MacArthur. “He presents himself well and has a genuine

pride in what he does.” The employee’s job? He delivers lunch meals. “I would hire him today if I could,” the patient confided.

MacArthur sees such anecdotes as key to the heart program’s success. “There’s a lot of talk about hospitals being patient-centered, but you have to live it,” she said. “It has to be the foundation of what you do, and that requires everyone to be dedicated, knowledgeable and compassionate.”

The hospital’s heart program spans many specialty areas, including the hybrid suite, with surgeon Trip Zorn, MD, (left), and cardiologist Peter Tadros, MD, and pre-vention efforts with Sarah Sanders, RN.

By the Numbers: Physician ‘bridge’ in Kansas To suggest a By the Numbers, email Advances@kumc.edu.

The Kansas Bridging Plan, admin-istered by the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Rural Health Education and Services, provides financial incentives to physicians who agree to practice in rural areas for three years.

281 193 82%

Where they are now

By residency

Residents who have enrolled in the program since its 1991 debut

Have completed their three-year agreement

Have stayed in Kansas

–– 10% Relocated to another rural Kansas community

–– 10% Other (unknown, retired, deceased)

–– 8% Moved to a large city

–– 8% Moved out of state 64% Remained in their bridging community ––

79% Family Practice ––––––––––––––––––––

15% Internal Medicine –––––––

4% Pediatrics ––––––––––––––––

2% Medicine Pediatrics ––––

Events Breathe and meditate: Calm

amid illness – By developing a practice of focusing on your breathing, you can find peace when you’re agitated, energy and focus when you’re down and a sense of connectedness during illness. The class is 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, at Turning Point: The Center for Hope and Healing, in Leawood. Call 913-383-8700 to register.

JayRock 9 – The annual con-cert benefits JayDoc Free Clinic, a health clinic run by students at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. This year’s concert is 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at the Uptown Theater. Tickets are $20 general admission or $40 VIP. Information: Jaydocfreeclinic.org.

Soccer game support – International Education Night with the Missouri Comets, an indoor soccer team, is 7:35 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Independence Events Center. A portion of ticket sales benefits a student scholarship fund at the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Office of International Programs. Tickets are $15. Call 913-588-1482.

Girls’ Night In – The Ninth Annual Girls’ Night In is 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Heartfelt storytelling will be followed by art, wine and heart-healthy bites in the Bloch Lobby. This year’s event benefits the Adelaide C. Ward Women’s Heart Health Center and Turning Point: The Center for Hope and Healing. Details and ticket information are at girlsnightinkc.com.

De-stress your gut – More than 70 percent of your body’s immune system is housed in your GI system, which means your gut is one of your body’s first lines of defense against stress. Learn how to decrease symptoms, have more energy and reduce risk of disease. The class is 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, at The University of Kansas Cancer Center-South. Register by calling 913-588-1227.

Details and more events are at kumed.com/event-detail.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

Center targets resistant hypertensionHigh blood pressure is the most

common cause of stroke and a common cause of heart failure. Yet fewer than half of Americans with hypertension are aware they have it. And of those who do know, a significant percentage do not have adequate control. Estimates are that 35 million adult Americans are affected by hard-to-control hypertension.

When high blood pressure cannot be controlled through diet and multiple medical therapies, it is called resistant hypertension. The Complex Hypertension Center at The University of Kansas Hospital – the first of its kind in the Kansas City area – has the expertise to help patients control this life-threatening dis-ease. The center brings together healthcare experts specializing in the many causes of hypertension.

The center offers patients the opportunity to see several specialists in one place. It is led by Kamal Gupta, MD, interven-tional cardiologist and vascular medicine specialist, and Sri Yarlagadda, MD, nephrologist and renal disease/dialysis and hypertension specialist.

Patients consult with a

pharmacist, who ensures they are taking their medications cor-rectly and looks for medication interactions, and with a dietitian regarding proper dietary strate-gies. They then see a hyperten-sion expert. Other specialists are involved as needed.

“Primary care physicians are doing the right things, but they might not have the time or resources to detect underlying issues,” said Gupta. “We perform a range of tests and investigate secondary causes.”

Sometimes treatment is as simple as identifying lifestyle issues

that need modification. But most often, the problem has multiple contributing causes. The hyperten-sion center is also looking to be involved in research studies with innovative technologies and newer drug therapies as they become available, and hopes to offer these to patients in the near future.

Most patients come to the Complex Hypertension Center through referrals from primary care physicians. The center’s multifunctional team works with primary physicians and patients to ensure they continue to keep their blood pressure under control.

EXPOSURE

No snow day hereLast week’s heavy snowfall closed much of the city – but not The University of Kansas Hospital. As a pillar of the community, the hospital launches a protocol ensuring it is staffed properly during inclement weather. The protocol includes setting up cots in Kirmayer Fitness Center, which allows several hundred nurses, physicians and others to stay overnight on the main campus. Staff also create a transportation hub to coordinate rides for colleagues who could not make it in. And of course, there is no shortage of plain physical work: shoveling sidewalks.

The Complex Hypertension Center brings together experts from various specialties, including (from left) Pharmacy’s Jillian Petry; Nephrology’s Sri Yarlagadda, MD; medical team assistant Nicole O’Laughlin; Interventional Cardiology’s Kamal Gupta, MD; medi-cal team assistant Kelsey Hughes; and clinical nurse coordinator Vicki Denning, RN.

BMT program surpasses milestones During 2013, a record 303 patients received blood and mar-

row transplants at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, an increase of 31.7 percent from 2012.

The total reflects a 500 percent increase over the past six years, making the program one of the nation’s largest based on number of transplants.

Blood and marrow transplants are lifesaving treatments for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and other related blood diseases.

The BMT program also enrolled 143 patients in clinical trials, an increase of nearly 60 percent from the previous year. The total represents the third most among the nation’s BMT programs enrolling patients in National Institutes of Health-supported Clinical Trials Network research trials.

“As 2013 demonstrated, our BMT program continues to lead the region – not only in the number of patients treated, but also in our innovative approach to treating blood cancers,” said Joseph McGuirk, DO, BMT medical director.

The program encompasses approximately 100 employees devoted to outpatient care at the Westwood Campus; they also work closely with inpatient staff on units 41/42/45 at The University of Kansas Hospital.

The campus this winter is expanding its BMT area, renovating the patient waiting room, adding more exam and treatment rooms and enlarging a staff work area.

“Our growth requires a lot of hard work from a dedicated team of clinical and nonclinical professionals,” McGuirk said. “We couldn’t be successful without their commitment to excellence and dedication to providing the best patient care experience.”

Dissolvable heart stent ‘close to magic’Cardiologists at The University of Kansas Hospital are par-

ticipating in a clinical trial to determine if a coronary stent that slowly dissolves into a vessel can effectively protect the heart and enhance the free flow of blood.

Conventional stents are tiny metallic, mesh-like scaffolds that prop open vessels filled with plaque, dead cells and clotted blood, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. More than half a million Americans receive them every year.

The new device under study is made of a disappearing bio-degradable polymer. It leaves behind no traces of its existence – other than an opened and possibly more pliable vessel.

“Unlike metallic stents that stay within the vessels perma-nently, this scaffold completely dissolves within about two years after implantation,” said Mark Wiley, MD, an interventional cardiologist. “The new device’s ability to vanish over time is as close as science comes to magic.”

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

Intravenous vitamin C may boost chemo’s cancer-fighting power – The Los Angeles Times and other media, Feb. 5. Large doses of intravenous vitamin C have the potential to boost chemotherapy’s ability to kill cancer cells, according to research at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Qi Chen, PhD, assistant professor in Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, is senior author of the study, which involved tests in the lab, mice and patients. The results renew attention to vitamin C. “We believe the time has arrived for research agencies to vigorously support thought-ful and meticulous clinical trials with intravenous vitamin C,” Chen said.

Shoveling snow? Watch for signs of heart danger – The Kansas City Star, Feb. 4. People clearing snow should be alert to dizziness, extreme fa-tigue, faintness and chest pains, according to cardiologists at The University of Kansas Hospital. Even people in relatively good physical shape can be at risk during cold winter days. Cardiologists say dangers for the elderly can be especially high. They urged people to work up to outdoor chores.

Big data, big cure – The Kansas City Business Journal, Jan. 17. HERON, a data system at the University of Kansas Medical Center, has collected 1.3 billion facts about patient health. In a new project, HERON will be con-nected with computer systems at nine other medical centers around the Midwest. Russell Waitman, PhD, the medical center’s assistant vice chancellor for enterprises, explained how the tool – with access to so much more data – will search for cures to breast cancer, obesity and ALS by analyzing patient age, demographics, medications and other factors.

When children and teens tip the scales – 435 Magazine, January 2014. Healthy Hawks at the University of Kansas Medical Center is one of several local agencies targeting childhood obesity. “One in three kids is overweight or obese,” said Ann Davis, PhD, professor of behavioral pediatrics. She leads a Healthy Hawks team of wellness experts, which includes a child psychologist and dietitian. “We need as many of these programs as there are fast-food restaurants.”

New

s Br

iefs

BMT physicians in the new exam area include Joseph McGuirk, DO (left), and Sunil Abhyankar, MD.

ADVANCES

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Our People The power of nurse mentors –

New nurses typically turn to clinical instructors and preceptors for the formal training that provides the foundation of their practice.

Many of the most successful nurses at The University of Kansas Hospital also cultivate an informal training network, which can sup-port them throughout their careers. The network involves nurse men-tors – seasoned colleagues who coach, nurture, guide and provide feedback every day.

Clinical Projects Coordinator Gigi Siers, RN, who was named one of the nation’s first Extraordinary Daisy Champions last October, said she continues to turn to her nurse mentor, Nelda Godfrey, PhD, ARNP-BC, associate dean of academic affairs at the University of Kansas School of Nursing.

Their discussions range from situation debriefing and problem solving to sharing perspectives and strategic planning.

“Time with Nelda has always been a gift,” Siers said. “For nearly two decades she has shared her remarkable skills with me. She has patiently listened to my endless accounts of this and that, often with

tears in her eyes.”Not surprisingly, Godfrey has her

own mentor – Barbara MacArthur, FAAN, the hospital’s vice president of Cardiac Services. And now Siers is a mentor herself, for her daughter, Lauren Vulgamott, RN, a case manager.

Both mentees and mentors ben-efit: Mentees gain insight, confidence and the ability to see things from a different perspective, while mentors also learn a great deal from their mentees, and they report satisfaction from “giving back,” increased energy and fresh perspectives.

These one-on-one nursing rela-tionships have been in place since Florence Nightingale first tended to wounded soldiers on the battlefield. And for good reason. Said Siers: “They help us grow in ways we cannot by going it alone.”

Otolaryngology award – Hinrich Staecker, MD, PhD,

professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, will receive the Edmund Prince Fowler Award for a thesis submitted to The

Triological Society, the most presti-gious society in otolaryngology.

The award honors recipients for “the highest standards of perfection in the study, teaching and practice of otolaryngology.”

Staecker’s research focuses on de-veloping gene therapy treatments to cure hearing loss and balance disorders. The study he submitted described the development of ad-vanced generation adenovectors for treating loss of vestibular function.

Staecker will be inducted as a fellow into the society in May.

Student biomedical research – Two students at the University of Kansas Medical Center are among 18 winners at this year’s 12th annual Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) symposium.

The symposium, held last month in Kansas City, is part of an initiative to usher promising college science students into careers in biomedi-cal research in Kansas. Led by the

University of Kansas Medical Center, 10 campuses in Kansas and northern Oklahoma are part of the collabora-tive network.

“This program is vital for the continued development and re-cruitment of biomedical researchers in Kansas,” said Doug Wright, PhD, principal investigator for K-INBRE and professor of anatomy and cell biology at our medical center. “With this program we hope to keep the biosciences in Kansas growing and thriving.”

Winners from our medical center and the names of their presentations: • Angela Pierce, doctoral student

in neuroscience – “Pelvic organ-specific increase insensitivity and dysregulation of the HPA axis following neonatal maternal separation in female mice.”

• Nathan Wilson, doctoral student in anatomy and cell biology – “SPECC1L deficiency causes neural crest cell delamination and migra-tion defects in facial clefting.”

Staecker

You’ll be moved, inspired, entertained and educated by our storytellers speaking from their hearts. Then, mix, mingle and enjoy an evening of fun, friendship, refreshments and works of art.

kuhospitalheart

kuhospitalheart

Tickets on sale now: girlsnightinkc.com or 913-588-8888.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art4525 Oak Street, Kansas City, MO 64111

Wednesday, February 265:15 p.m. Registration

5:30 p.m. Auditorium doors open

6 p.m. Program begins Atkins Auditorium

Mingling, wine, art and heart-healthy bites after the programBloch Building Lobby

Preferred seating is reserved for Row Hosts and their groups. Please arrive with your friends to be seated together.

“ ”heartfelt eveningstorytelling

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THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ARTART FOR THE HEART at Featuring some of Kansas City’s

most interesting personalitiesLeslie Bayer, women’s heart health advocate

Lina Dickinson, business owner and health enthusiast

Charles Ferruzza, humorist and journalist

Sherry Kuehl, “Snarky in the Suburbs” blogger and author

Carolyn Long, KCTV5 News anchor

Honorary chairsMarina Hannen, MDRita Hyde, MDRhea Pimentel, MDAshley Simmons, MD

Host committee chairDarby Brender

Benefiting the Adelaide C. Ward Women’s Heart Health Center and Turning Point: The Center for Hope and Healing

Nelda Godfrey, PhD, ARNP-BC (from left); Barbara MacArthur, FAAN; Gigi Siers, RN; and Lauren Vulgamott, RN.