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 18, 2014

Palliative Care Program Spotlight

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

The University of Kansas Hospital’s Burnett Burn Center is the only facility in the area – and one of 44 in the country – nationally verified for adult and pediatric burn care.

36% Severely injured burn patients

at our hospital who survived – but statistically were not expected to based on diagnosis and condition at admission (April 2013-March 2014)

By the Numbers: Burnett Burn Center

Departments strive to brighten holidays for those in need

Somewhere in Kansas City, Kan., a family of nine will enjoy the holidays just a bit more, thanks to caregivers at The University of Kansas Hospital.

Physicians, nurses and others in Infectious Diseases adopted the family through El Centro, a nonprofit organization. The fam-ily – replete with triplet teenage boys – had fallen on hard times after the father lost his job.

Although he has found more work, they continue to struggle and were unlikely to be picked for adoption due to their large size.

That’s when staff from Infectious Diseases stepped in. The department purchased gift cards for the parents and older children, while younger daugh-ters will receive presents ranging from makeup to Elsa and Anna dolls from Frozen.

“It’s so nice when we have a chance to make someone’s Christmas a little brighter,” said Wendy Garza, RN, the group’s nurse coordinator. She points out the family frequently gives back by volunteering at El Centro.

Her department is like many at the region’s premier academic medical center: They strive to make the holidays especially warm for those in need in our community.

Many bring cheer directly to patients. Supervisors at The University of Kansas Cancer Center host dinner at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, a home-away-from-home for patients who travel here from far away.

Other groups donate games and toys to the hos pital’s Pediatrics unit, knowing the hospital can be especially stressful this time of year for children. Pediatrics staff say the

gifts are helpful during the holidays – and throughout the year when they need to bring a smile to a child.

In Patient Relations, employees purchased

toys and other items for foster children at the Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association’s Santa Store.

“We are very much a part of this community,” said Julie Hirsch-Bohs, a social worker in the department. “We feel like the community is part of our family. Taking care of them goes beyond providing healthcare.”

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Burn Center admissions U.S. verified burn centersNearest burn centers nationally verified in adult and pediatric care

Patient Relations prepared to deliver gifts to the Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association’s Santa Store. Staff (from left) included Jeanne Hansen, Carol Thies, Vilma Chaves, Becky Moburg, RN, Kristine Brees and Julie Hirsch-Bohs.

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The University of Kansas Hospital —

Mercy Hospital

Via Christi — Hospital

St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center —

University of Iowa Hospital

44 Adult and pediatric

14 Adult only

7 Pediatric only

In the spirit of giving – and community support

Events Lifesaving training – Learn

how to recognize and treat life-threatening emergencies, including cardiac arrest and choking for adult victims. Students also learn to recognize the warning signs of heart attack and stroke as well as breathing difficulties in adults. The class is 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, at KU MedWest in Shawnee. Call 913-588-1227 to register.

Childbirth tours – Maternity tours are part of The University of Kansas Hospital’s Prepared Childbirth classes. If you would like to visit the Labor and Delivery areas but are not signed up for the Prepared Childbirth class, you may take a tour 12:15-12:30 p.m. on most Mondays, including Dec. 22 and Dec. 29. All tours begin in the Labor and Delivery waiting room.

For men only – If you’re a man living with illness – yours or that of a loved one – explore common and challenging issues and ways to address them. This month’s topic is Changing for the Better: New Year’s resolu-tions and how to keep them. The session will explore how to set realistic goals and stages of change. The program is 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, at Turning Point: The Center for Hope and Healing in Leawood. Call 913-383-8700 to register.

Taming the sugar tiger – We all have sugar cravings, but sometimes our cravings can control our thoughts and actions, leading to an unhealthy life. Learn to understand sugar cravings and find ways to gain control of your sweet tooth without feeling deprived. The interactive workshop is 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the University of Kansas Clinical Research Center in Fairway. Call 913-383-8700 to register.

More events are at kumed.com/event-detail.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

Team supports seriously ill patientsThe University of Kansas

Hospital’s palliative care team helps patients achieve their best possible quality of life while facing serious illness or injury.

“We support all aspects of a patient’s care – the whole person: mind, body and spirit,” said Karin Porter-Williamson, MD, Palliative Medicine director.

Any patient facing a serious illness may benefit from palliative care core principles, which in-clude excellent pain and symptom management; communication between patients, loved ones and care team to ensure a patient-centered plan; treatment options; and course of the patient’s illness.

Unlike hospice care given near end of life, palliative care may be provided even during curative therapies. For example, our hospital is one of the first in the nation to embed palliative care services into the blood and marrow transplant process.

The 14-person team of physi-cians, nurses, social workers and spiritual care specialists works with patients of every age and stage of illness. They help coordi-nate care with patients, families and primary medical specialty

teams, developing comprehensive plans to enhance quality of life.

The hospital also offers three dedicated palliative care suites. They include a kitchen area, family room and sleeping accommodations, providing a homelike atmosphere for patients and families.  

Palliative care services are available for hospitalized patients and outpatients in the cancer center through the Allen J. Block Outpatient Cancer Palliative Care Program and in the Congestive Heart Failure Clinic.

The hospital also helps train caregivers across Kansas through the End-of-Life Nursing

Education Consortium. Since the program’s start locally in 2012, the hospital has trained 366 providers; it is supported by a gift from the Lower family in memory of their sister and daughter, Sandra Stewart.

“All medical providers need to have competency in the core principles of palliative medicine. Skill in this area is fundamental to providing high-quality, patient-cen-tered care,” said Porter-Williamson.

“Our specialty team strives to enable our partners to provide this care when issues are straight-forward, enabling us to focus on the most complicated situations.”

Karin Porter-Williamson, MD (front, arms folded), is the hospital’s Palliative Medicine director.

EXPOSURE

Holiday colorsThe University of Kansas Hospital lobby is taking on a holiday glow, thanks to 100 poinsettias donated by physicians. The plants are dedicated to hospital employees and volunteers who work hard every day to take great care of patients. The poinsettias will be on display through the holidays, then given to patients and their families in early January.

Magazine profiles innovative treatmentsThe winter issue of Good Medicine is available. The magazine

is produced three times a year for community members, donors and friends of The University of Kansas Hospital.

In the new issue:• Fox 4 sports anchor

Al Wallace beat prostate cancer, thanks to early detection and treatment at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

• Expert neurosurgery put life back in focus for shut-terbug Kacey Hobson.

• Lane Green, district athletic director for Blue Valley Schools, and others discuss how a partnership between the school districts and the hospital’s Sports Medicine & Performance Center helps young competitors stay healthy.

• The Kinney family funded the purchase of five of the new-est, most enhanced apheresis machines available, enhanc-ing treatment for patients with blood cancer.

• Camp Courage, for children with sickle-cell disease, lets kids be kids. It is sponsored by Turning Point: The Center for Hope and Healing – a program of our hospital – in partnership with Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics.

Good Medicine also includes information about innovative treatments, fundraising events, giving opportunities and health and wellness tips. It is available online at kumed.com.

Less radiation following lumpectomy?New research reported in The Journal of the American

Medical Association suggests many breast cancer patients are undergoing more radiation treatments than they need follow-ing lumpectomies. Radiation oncologists at The University of Kansas Cancer Center agree.

“This is something we have been doing here for some time now,” said Melissa Mitchell, MD. She pointed to similar findings in European studies in 2012, followed by an American Board of Medication alert in 2013.

“Every patient should bring this up with their physician,” she said. “Some patients still need a longer treatment, but there is plenty of data now showing treatments are equivalent – if not even a bit better, in some circumstances – when you have the shorter treatment course.” Watch the cancer center’s video at MedicalNewsNetwork.org.

Award honors campus beautification The main campus was transformed this summer with flow-

ers and greenery for the benefit of patients, staff and students. Now the University of Kansas Medical Center’s department behind much of the work, Landscape & Campus Beautification, has received national recognition.

The department received a Green Star Award from the Professional Grounds Management Society. The award was second only to Duke University Medical Center in the Hospital or Institution category.

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Cell-abrations On The University of Kansas Hospital’s Hematology/Oncology unit (Unit 41), staff for years have created “cell signs” for patient doors, marking the

milestone day when a patient receives a stem cell transplant. The signs have become increasingly creative, often incorporating patients’ hobbies, family photos and their goals for when they are healthy. The project is one way staff such as Angela Hopkins, RN (left), and Cristen Morrison, RN, get to know their patients better.

Giving the gift of good health to our community

The University of Kansas Hospital | Winter 2015

Right time, right placeEarly detection saves Al Wallace’s life

Expert neurosurgerySchool partnerships help young athletes

Donation improves care for patients with blood cancers

Inside

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

New laser treatment offers hope for brain cancer patients – KCTV 5 News, Dec. 12. A man fighting inoperable brain cancer received a lead-ing edge laser treatment early this month at The University of Kansas Hospital. Called the NeuroBlate System, the laser targets tumors in hard-to-reach areas in the brain and kills them with heat.

Healthy tips for the holidays – The Kansas City Business Journal, Dec. 12. Busy businesspeople often put their health on the back burner this time of year. Robert Simari, MD, executive dean of the University of Kansas School of Medicine, was one of several local executives asked for advice. One of his tips: Get a flu shot. “While not uniformly protective this year, the flu remains a major health issue,” he said. “You owe it to yourself, your family and your workplace.”

Caregivers optimistic about player’s future – KMBC 9 News, Dec. 8. Physicians in Atlanta confirmed Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry has Hodgkin lymphoma. At The University of Kansas Hospital, where Berry was first examined, Siddhartha Ganguly, MD, said Berry’s age and health are positive factors. “If it has not gone anywhere outside the chest,” he said, “the overall outlook is actually expected to be excellent in 2014 with all the advances in medicine.”

New hope for kidney disease – KSHB 41, Dec. 3. Researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center are part of a national team that has published results of landmark studies for patients with polycystic kidney disease (PKD). The researchers participated in a large clinical trial that demonstrated for the first time the benefits of rigorously controlling high blood pressure for patients with PKD.

Grateful to swallow food – Fox 4 News, Nov. 26. While most of us were preparing for a hearty Thanksgiving meal, an Olathe woman was happy just to be able to swallow food again 18 months after surgery for throat cancer. She receives treatment at The University of Kansas Physicians. Speech pathologist Jessica Barton, CC-SLP, discussed sev-eral therapies available for patients who face food-swallowing disorders.

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

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

Kirk Benson, MD, President The University of Kansas Physicians

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Our People Leading the outreach for rural

healthcare – The University of Kansas Hospital has named two people to fill key positions in the new Kansas Heart and Stroke Collaborative.

Robert Moser, MD, joined the hospital Dec. 1 as executive director of the collaborative. He also will serve as a professor in public health practice for the University of Kansas School of Medicine in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health.

The executive director position is new at the hospital, created to oversee collaborative programs and resources funded by the $12.5 mil-lion federal Health Care Innovation Award received in partnership with Hays Medical Center. The grant was announced in July.

The Kansas Heart and Stroke Collaborative will bring systemic change to treatment for heart dis-ease and stroke in rural populations.

Moser joined our hospital because of its commitment to rural patient care. “Becoming part of the Kansas Heart and Stroke Collaborative is very exciting. It will allow me to capitalize on my passion to work from a regional perspective toward integrating and improving healthcare,” he said.

“The commitment of the hospital, Hays Medical Center and the western Kansas hospitals is commendable and the right thing to do for Kansas.”

Jodi Schmidt was named execu-tive director of Regional Outreach for the hospital, effective Jan. 1. She also will serve as operations director of the Kansas Heart and Stroke Collaborative.

Schmidt has 27 years of proven healthcare experience. She joined our

team because of the immediate need for healthier living in rural Kansas.

“Serving on the board of the Kansas Health Education and Research Foundation, I see the need for people in rural Kansas to receive the right care at the right place at the right time with the needed sup-port to live healthier lives,” she said. 

“To be a part of a collaborative effort that is committed to innova-tive new ideas for better health, enhancing resources and technol-ogy, is important for rural patients and communities.”

From hoops stardom to medicine – Tyrel Reed, who was part of the University of Kansas 2008 national championship basketball team and is the winningest player in Jayhawk history, is preparing for the next major role of his life: physical therapist.

After playing professionally for several years in Europe, he’s now a third-year student in the doctor of physical therapy (DPT) program at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

His wife, Jessica, also is a student at the medical center, in Occupational Therapy Education. If all goes according to plan, they will graduate in the spring and face the question: What next?

“I hope to find a job working with orthopedic/sports injuries and stay around athletics if I can,” Reed said. “Someday, when I get a little more experience, I would love to get back to Lawrence and help out as a PT in the athletic department. I love college athletics, and there would be no better place to work than KU.”

Reed remains a recognizable figure, whether it’s in medical center hallways or when he shows up to provide physical therapy for a client during his clinical practicum.

“I get a lot of different reactions,” he said. “Some people are kind of

shocked when they see I am going to be their physical therapist and am not wearing a KU basketball jersey,” he said. “Others couldn’t care less. I’d rather be known as the PT who got them better than some has-been basketball player.”

“Tyrel is just another one of our exceptional students,” said Lisa Stehno-Bittel, PhD, PT, chair of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science. “Amazing and inspiring stories could be written about any one of them.

“The difference is KU fans recognize Tyrel everywhere he goes,” she added. “Tyrel, on the other hand, appears to avoid attention and wants to be evaluated by his faculty like any other student starting on the first day of classes.”

2490

1,17111410th

years of continuous experience

multidisciplinary experts on the team

liver transplant surgeries performed since 1990

liver transplant surgeries performed last year

largest programin the nation

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®

Trust your liver transplant to the region’s most experienced team.

© 2014 The University of Kansas Hospital

Visit kumed.com/transplant or for a transplant evaluation call 913-588-1227.

Tyrel Reed in the classroom and (below) during his days as a Jayhawk guard.