Stereotaxis, the global leader in innovative robotic technologies for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, announced it has completed installations of the world’s first Genesis Robotic Magnetic Navigation (RMN) systems to treat heart rhythm disorders at Helsinki University Hospital in Finland and Banner – University Medicine Heart Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.

“The clinical benefits of robotics in electrophysiology have been extensively documented at our hospital over many years,” said Dr. Pekka Raatikainen, Chief of Electrophysiology and Pacing at the Heart and Lung Center at Helsinki University Central Hospital. “With the adoption of the first Genesis systems in the world, we are proud to be a pioneer in the process of advancing robotic technology for the benefits of patients and the medical community.”

“The capabilities of robotics are growing at a rapid rate, moving us toward a paradigm shift in our practice,” said Dr. J. Peter Weiss, Director of Ventricular Arrhythmia Management and Robotics at Banner – University Medicine Heart Institute. “I am extremely excited to play a part in bringing this advanced technology to our community of patients and heart rhythm specialists throughout Phoenix and beyond.”

Robotic Magnetic Navigation introduces the benefits of robotic precision and safety to cardiac ablation, a common minimally invasive procedure to treat arrhythmias. Tens of millions of individuals worldwide suffer from arrhythmias, abnormal heart rhythms that result when the heart beats too quickly, too slowly, or with an irregular pattern. When left untreated, certain arrhythmias can significantly increase the risk of stroke, heart failure, and sudden cardiac arrest. The Genesis RMN^® system provides the established benefits and reliability of RMN in a highly innovative architecture that is faster, smaller, lighter, and more flexible. Adopting the Genesis RMN system reflects a commitment to using the most advanced technologies to enhance patient care.

“Patients with medical conditions from the most complex to the most common seek us out for care in part because we remain on the cutting edge in technology and safety,” said Kristi McShay, Assistant Vice President for the Cardiovascular Line at Banner Health. “We are pleased to be the first in the nation to offer this new generation of robotics for treating heart rhythm disorders.”

“This technology allows us to positively address the increasing number of patients with complex arrhythmias. In addition, it provides us a competitive advantage to other Nordic centers concerning education and learning,” said Antti Vento, Medical Director of Helsinki Heart and Lung Center.

About Stereotaxis
Stereotaxis is the global leader in innovative robotic technologies designed to enhance the treatment of arrhythmias and perform endovascular procedures. Its mission is the discovery, development and delivery of robotic systems, instruments, and information solutions for the interventional laboratory. These innovations help physicians provide unsurpassed patient care with robotic precision and safety, improved lab efficiency and productivity, and enhanced integration of procedural information. The core components of Stereotaxis’ systems have received regulatory clearance in the United States, European Union, Japan, Canada, China, and elsewhere.

Schneider Electric, the global leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, has been helping hospitals in the Philippines address challenges brought about by COVID-19 pandemic, as well as effectively capacitating them in the longer-term.

“Schneider Electric has been at the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by providing technical expertise, guidelines, automation, and monitoring options for isolation rooms and prefabricated modular intensive care units. We do this by collaborating with designers, consultants, and partners to ensure that solutions more than meet requirements while being compliant to standards,” explains Tony Kang, Business Vice-President for Secure Power at Schneider Electric Philippines.

As hospitals are critical facilities with 24/7 operations, its owners and operators must consider facility uptime, energy use, and energy efficiency. Through its digital energy management systems, Schneider Electric helps maintain efficient heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, as well as electrical distribution, information technology, and security systems in hospitals. The company also provides back-up power in the event of power outages and other disruptions.

“Through Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure for Healthcare platform, we are able to provide end-to-end solutions for the digitization and transformation of hospitals. We connect different equipment and hospital systems, monitor real-time operations from a single dashboard, collect and analyze data, and take action on potential critical challenge, leveraging on the power of the Internet of Things,” shares Kang.

Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure for Healthcare platform has three levels. First, Connected Products have embedded connectivity and intelligence, designed to retrieve and send data to the edge computing layer. Second, Edge Control contains an integrated suite of software applications for building, power, and IT management, all of which enable hospitals to maximize efficiency and business performance. Third, Apps, Analytics & Services, would take all the data gathered and turn it to actionable information across the entire hospital infrastructure. By collecting data from the sensors in connected devices, Schneider Electric’s predictive analytics and experts can identify potential issues in a hospital, as well as provide recommendations for enhanced efficiency.

All these allow for hospital systems to work efficiently, ensuring the safety of both staff and patients. Schneider Electric ensures safe and efficient HVAC systems in hospitals by controlling and maintaining the air change rate at different areas, keeping it at optimum levels through air flow sensors and variable speed drives.

“Our technologies monitor air pressure with the use of pressure sensors to ensure airflow is going at the correct vector and not allow hospital staff to be compromised, keeping isolation rooms isolated and controlled,” says Kang. The company also provides hospitals with various room controllers to monitor and adjust temperature and relative humidity to inhibit the growth of bacteria and viruses.

Schneider Electric also provides solutions that ensure patient comfort and satisfaction. “Hospitals can create an environment conducive to healing by enabling patients to control the lights, air-conditioner, TV, and drapes with the use of apps on tablets and smartphones,” shares Kang.

On a larger scale, the technologies and solutions that Schneider Electric provides ensure smooth operations and allow for predictive maintenance, ultimately generating significant energy savings for hospitals.

All these make up the ideal “hospital of the future” for the Philippines, and Schneider Electric believes that more hospitals could stand to be effectively capacitated to better care for more patients, well beyond the current COVID-19 pandemic.

“The hospital of the future is a connected hospital, valuing patient and staff safety, improving efficiency by providing staff with the necessary tools to deliver better care and better patient experience, optimizing facility operations, and leveraging on the power of the Internet of Things,” concludes Kang.

Foster + Partners has begun construction on the new Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre in Cairo, Egypt. With views of the Pyramids of Giza, the hospital site borders the Zewail City of Science and Technology as part of an integrated health and medical research zone. The design was made to respond to the needs of patients, their families and the staff that care for them while decreasing recovery times.

The Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre was designed as the newest outpost of the Aswan Heart Centre founded by Egyptian surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub that provides free state-of-the-art treatment for the people of Egypt and beyond, in particular those in sub-Saharan Africa. The 300-bed hospital is being built with diagnosis and treatment facilities, including an accident and emergency department, a large outpatient clinic and rehabilitative departments. It will feature multiple courtyards, as well as a surgical department and intensive care units that are co-located.

Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners said, “New Aswan Heart Centre offers state-of-the-art, free-of-charge medical services to the Egyptian people, particularly the underprivileged. Lush and verdant, this oasis of paths and parks promotes wellbeing. With its passive design strategy, it is an exemplar of sustainability, responding to the needs of patients and to its locale. We are delighted to be working with Sir Magdi Yacoub and his foundation for such a noble cause.”

The hospital will also features support spaces for families to stay while the patients recuperate, as well as classrooms and other educational spaces for medical students to engage within an active learning environment. As the team states, the design was influenced by “the psychology of colors and Egyptian history.” The second floor will include a green terrace, as well as a staff canteen, children’s nursery and other collaborative meeting spaces. In turn, the roof is defined by a series of sculptural, shell-like roof structures.

Battery manufacturer GS Yuasa is playing its part in the fight against Coronavirus by supplying power to the NHS Nightingale hospitals and other key medical projects.

Since the beginning of the outbreak, GS Yuasa has supplied Yuasa-branded Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system batteries to the new NHS Nightingale hospitals, including London, Birmingham Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow and Newcastle, which will treat Covid-19 patients. The largest hospital at The ExCel Centre received its first patients recently and has the capacity to expand to up to 4,000 beds.

Yuasa VRLA (valve regulated lead acid) batteries are used as standby backup power in UPS systems which ensure the power remains on in the event of a mains electricity failure. The batteries are supplied directly to customers who are installing the UPS systems on site.

GS Yuasa has focused all its resources on supporting critical infrastructure and medical projects during the outbreak. Orders associated with the fight against the virus are being prioritised over all others, with stock and production ringfenced to ensure good availability and fast delivery is maintained at all times.

James Hylton, managing director of GS Yuasa Battery Sales UK said: “The enormous impact of Coronavirus has been felt by individuals and businesses around the world. We are proud that our batteries have been chosen to back up these key NHS Nightingale hospitals and humbled that because of the quality of our batteries we are able to make a small contribution to the national effort.”

GS Yuasa has also supplied thousands of Yuasa-branded VRLA batteries for use in critical infrastructure nationwide, including other medical facilities. Most Yuasa batteries supplied for these projects have been produced at GS Yuasa’s UK manufacturing facility in Ebbw Vale, South Wales.

The UPS systems installed in hospitals, and many other applications, rely on VRLA batteries to supply electricity in the event of a mains power outage. This power bridges the gap between a mains failure and the moment an emergency generator kicks in. The UPS system ensures that critical systems remain active despite the failure. Each UPS system typically contains hundreds of batteries assembled on specialist racking.

Mr Hylton continued: “We are prioritising our stock at this time to support these crucial projects and our team have been working hard to ensure we maintain high levels of availability and service in order to provide our partners with coordinated on time delivery.

“Our batteries are a key component for a wide range of emergency back-up infrastructure as well as a critical part for vehicles that are required for essential commuting and the distribution of goods.”

Although Hurricane Laura was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Louisiana in over 150 years, West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital (WCCH) has been able to provide continual care prior to and in the days following the storm. Our facility has remained on uninterrupted generator power since the storm made landfall.

In a region frequented by hurricanes, disaster preparedness planning, and ongoing investment in our infrastructure is vital. “With the support of local and state government, our organization has continually invested in our facility’s infrastructure. As a result, we were able to remain operational before and immediately after Hurricane Laura,” said Janie Frugé, CEO of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital. “Water is a vital resource for hospitals to properly operate and provide continual patient care. Due to backup generators at the City of Sulphur’s Water Plant, our facility did not completely lose water, but did lose water pressure. We remain under a boil advisory, and have secured drinking water and non-potable water to continue running the chillers for our HVAC system.”

The ER was able to resume patient care at 8:30 a.m. the morning after Hurricane Laura made landfall and remains open. “We are limiting admissions to urgent and emergent cases and have capacity for ER, medical-surgical, and ICU services,” said Frugé. Currently, West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital is providing the following ancillary services with limited capacity: lab, radiology, pharmacy, and pathology functioning.

Additionally, at the request of the state, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services deployed a team of medical professionals from its National Medical Disaster System (NDMS) to support the triage and treatment of patients coming to our hospital. The NDMS team arrived Monday, August 31,

and set-up operations outside of our emergency department on Tuesday, September 1. “NDMS responders are working collaboratively with our staff to address the needs of this community,” said Kenny Adamson, ER Director of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital.

“We are fortunate to have a hospital and healthcare team in our city that is dedicated to caring for our community every day, but especially in times of disaster. To know that the City of Sulphur and the entire Southwest Louisiana community can rely upon a hospital dedicated to their community solidifies West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital’s role as the backbone of this community,” stated Mike Danahay, Mayor of the City of Sulphur.

Several industry partners from the WCCH service district, like CITGO, have stepped up to supply immediate infrastructure needs in order to remain operational and provide uninterrupted patient care. “This storm has devastated nearly every facet of Southwest Louisiana—including many of our employees and their families. What gives us strength and hope is seeing the great work being done by WCCH to ensure our community has access to healthcare. I’m so proud of the CITGO Lake Charles team for rallying together so quickly to ensure WCCH was never without fuel to run the generators and help provide uninterrupted power for the staff and patients,” said Jerry Dunn, Vice President and General Manager of CITGO’s Lake Charles Refinery.

The employees of WCCH have risen to the ultimate challenge and have shown immense courage and bravery in meeting the needs of the Southwest Louisiana community during this natural disaster, even when they were dealing with loss to their own personal property. “Our employees and medical staff are the heart of this organization and I am incredibly proud of our team. While our facility has been tattered in places, the spirit of our employees and this community will carry us through,” said Frugé.

The Hackberry Rural Health Clinic of WCCH sustained significant damage as a result of wind. Cameron LNG has reached out to offer support for the citizens of Cameron Parish. “The clinic is a vital part of our community providing accessible quality healthcare, and our team is working to restablish services in a portable building as soon as possible,” said Stevie Trahan, Cameron LNG External Affairs manager.

“We consider providing healthcare to the citizens in our service district: Sulphur, Carlyss, Westlake, Vinton, and Hackberry, especially in times of need, a privilege. We are grateful for the ongoing support from parish and state government, as well as our industry partners, for their ongoing support of our mission,” said Joe Devall, Chairman of the West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Board of Commissioners.

Additionally, West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital wants to thank members of our Louisiana Legislative delegation, the Louisiana Department of Health, including their Emergency Support Function (ESF -8) unit, Louisiana Hospital Association, local industry, and so many others for their support and assistance.

Power has been restored at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital (WCCH). However, in collaboration with Entergy, WCCH will remain on generator power for the next couple of days until more areas are added to Entergy’s power grid.

“We are extremely grateful to Entergy and all the electrical crews who have been working tirelessly to restore power to our facility,” said Janie Frugé, CEO of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital. “While the Entergy power grid may have been down, West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital has remained on uninterrupted generator power and has been able to provide continual healthcare to those in need during and after Hurricane Laura thanks to our incredible Plant Operations team.”

West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital remains committed to providing exceptional patient care to Southwest Louisiana. Currently, WCCH is providing ER, medical-surgical, maternity, and ICU services, as well as the following ancillary services with limited capacity: lab, radiology, pharmacy, and pathology functioning, and continues to add more service line capacity each day.

These facility connection boxes provide an easily accessible docking station to quickly connect a rental generator set to a building’s electrical system, delivering temporary power in a matter of seconds.

Caterpillar has introduced a flexible new family of Cat temporary connection boxes for mobile generator sets.

These facility connection boxes provide an easily accessible docking station to quickly connect a rental generator set to a building’s electrical system, delivering temporary power in a matter of seconds. Typical markets include healthcare, pharmaceutical, industrial, manufacturing, and light commercial construction.

Permanently mounted on the outside of a building, Cat temporary connection boxes feature a NEMA 3R weatherproof, wall-mounted enclosure with a door for cable access. Four configurations are offered to meet a range of needs.

The lug-to-lug tap box is designed for an application in which the end-user’s connections to their distribution system are simply connected via lugs into the box, where mobile generator set cables are quickly landed to a second set of lugs. This configuration supports 200 to 3,000 amps.

An enclosed circuit breaker arrangement is also available for those who don’t have a spare circuit breaker inside their building or are in need of additional circuit isolation for both safety and system protection. Supporting 200 to 800 amps, a circuit breaker disconnect and circuit protection are already built into the box and ready to utilize on a moment’s notice.

Two quick-connect weatherproof camlock configurations are also available with varied ampacity. The wall-mounted camlock tap box supports 400 to 2,400 amps, and the freestanding camlock tap box supports 1,600 to 4,000 amps.

“Understanding where and how to connect to your facility’s emergency power system is an essential component of a well-designed contingency preparedness plan,” said Tom Caldwell, rental power general manager at Caterpillar. “The new Cat temporary connection boxes are designed with ancillary connection options, ensuring that Cat XQ mobile generator sets, which are immediately available through our extensive Cat dealer network and at Cat Rental Stores, can be safely and quickly connected to supply critical power during emergencies or when performing service on existing permanent units.”

Various options suited to meet individual needs can be selected that facilitate ease of use with Cat XQ mobile generator sets. For safety, a phase reversal relay provides visual indication of correct phase rotation. A remote start signal connection is also available so that the temporary generator set can be called on by the facility’s existing transfer switch, and a block heater shore power receptacle includes two 30-amp twist-lock receptacles wired to an internal disconnect to keep the mobile unit pre-warmed and ready for any outage.

“These boxes have been engineered to provide a simple connection for a mobile generator set or load bank, assuring the facility has a solid mechanism for maintaining and testing their permanent assets without interrupting their back-up power capabilities,” said Marc Godwin, switchgear business development manager for Caterpillar. “A prime example are legally required emergency systems that provide power to hospitals and many other locations where reliable electric power is critical to ensure the safety of building occupants.”

These new Cat temporary connection boxes are designed to help facility managers comply with recent updates to the U.S. National Electric Code (NEC) standards for emergency and standby power systems. The NEC requires facilities with an emergency generator set permanently installed in a standby application to provide an alternate source of electrical power in the event that the normal electrical power source is disabled for maintenance or otherwise unavailable.

Cat temporary connection boxes are now available for customers across North and South America. A white paper was recently published about how the Electric Power industry can use connection boxes (docking boxes) for maintenance and is available at https://bit.ly/3hTJHld.

Cat dealers have the ability to provide and install rental generator sets that may be quickly connected via these connection boxes in the event of a non-scheduled service need for the facility’s permanent generator set.

Building on a history of successful collaboration to improve the health of residents across northern and central New Jersey, CentraState Healthcare System and Atlantic Health System have signed a Letter of Intent to create a unique model for health system co-ownership. Upon completion of this expanded partnership, Atlantic Health will become the majority corporate member in CentraState and CentraState will join the Atlantic Health System network of care.

Under the new model, both systems will hold seats on a single CentraState governing board, each with specific rights and responsibilities. This next step in the joining of these two highly respected organizations will immediately benefit patients, physicians and caregivers in the communities served by CentraState by strengthening its integrated clinical services, physician network and infrastructure through significant capital investments, outlined in a five-year plan endorsed by both system’s boards. The CentraState board and leadership team, led by John T. Gribbin, will continue to oversee system operations and ensure the continued advancement of its mission to enhance health and well-being through the compassionate delivery of quality health care.

Earlier this year, CentraState and Atlantic Health expanded oncology and neuroscience care for central Jersey residents through a clinical affiliation that has improved access to nationally recognized specialists and enhanced coordination of clinical and research activities. This affiliation expanded upon the systems’ existing relationship in the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, designed to provide broader and more affordable health insurance to employees across New Jersey.

This latest venture between two of the state’s leading health systems is a clear reflection of their shared mission and values. Both are grounded by strong ties to their local communities, along with longstanding commitments to clinical excellence, engaged physician leadership, and value-

based strategies to improve access to high quality, affordable health care. Both systems also take great pride in their exceptional workplace cultures that value the contributions of every team member while promoting award-winning innovation and compassionate care.

“After two years of study, we invited AHS to be a co-member of CentraState because we firmly believe that they share the values, philosophy and commitment to community that is the hallmark of CentraState,” said John T. Gribbin, Centrastate President and CEO. “Our organizations align in mutually beneficial ways, with the constant focus on a common culture of commitment to our patients, physicians and employees.”

“We are thrilled to partner with CentraState to support their longstanding commitment to the community and make this investment in the health and well-being of New Jersey’s residents and families,” said Brian Gragnolati, President and CEO, Atlantic Health System. “Having worked closely over the past few years with the CentraState team, we feel fortunate for this opportunity to combine our talents and resources to deliver high quality, affordable and accessible care for patients across the State.”

Both organizations will now engage in a due diligence process, working towards a definitive agreement, which will define the specifics of their future relationship. Approvals will be necessary from state and federal officials before the transaction can be considered complete.