GAINESVILLE, Fla. — At the conclusion of the first year of UF Health’s Personalized Medicine Program, the results are in: The program has successfully implemented a process for genetic testing that helps cardiologists identify which patients may benefit from a switch to an alternate anticlotting medication.
Drug to fight leukemia in sight, say Australian researchers
After discovering a potential molecular "target" for leukemia, Australian researchers say a drug to fight the disease is "in their sights," although it is still very early days. Writing in the journal Blood, they describe how the interaction of two proteins – Myb and p300 – appears to be essential to the development of acute myeloid leukemia.
Recycled blood is better than donated blood for transfusions, Hopkins study finds
We recycle a lot of things — paper, plastic, metal, blood.
Yes, blood. During some surgeries, operating room personnel try to capture as much blood as possible and return the red blood cells to your system, instead of, or in addition to, donated blood from a blood bank. They find that patients have better outcomes when transfused with their own blood.
Providers Still Using Traditional Analytics and Reporting Tools
Data analytics and reporting in healthcare is an emerging trend but the current tools in use by provider organizations are still fairly traditional, according to a new research survey.
Building a low-cost system
As Lord Nigel Crisp points out, there has often been a regrettable tendency among emerging health economies to copy some of the least effective elements of high-cost Western healthcare. Hospital dominated systems with sophisticated technology can seem attractive but tend to lead to very high costs without gains in outcomes and quality.
Smart seniors might have this gene variant
A gene variant that scientists already knew to be associated with longer life also seems to make people smarter, and may help offset the effects of normal cognitive decline in old age, according to a team of San Francisco researchers.
The findings, published Thursday in the journal Cell Reports, are encouraging news for the roughly 1 in 5 people who have the genetic trait, which is a variant of the klotho gene.
WellStar unveils new hospital in Georgia
WellStar Health System, a US-based not-for-profit health system, has opened a new hospital in Hiram, Georgia.
The new eight-floor, 295,000ft² WellStar Paulding Hospital has 56 beds, with the ability to expand to 112 beds.
The facility houses 40 emergency exam and paediatric emergency exam rooms, four surgical suites, decentralised nursing stations, private inpatient rooms, administrative offices and a café.
According to WellStar, the new hospital and adjoining medical office building will bring 500 new jobs to the area.
Additionally, the hospital will provide new services such as a dedicated paediatric emergency department and cardiac catheterisation centre.
WellStar said that it focused on three elements when designing the new space: safety, energy and family.
New safety features include UV air handlers and a water re-disinfectant system, which ensures that WellStar Paulding Hospital stays on the forefront of infection prevention.
During construction, WellStar Paulding Hospital incorporated innovative green technology and building practices.
WellStar Paulding Hospital is the first hospital in Georgia to use a geothermal heat pump system to heat and cool the building.
The hospital features an eight-storey atrium, connecting the hospital with a new four-storey medical office building and the existing seven-year-old medical office building to form the Paulding Outpatient Pavilion.
The hospital also features a loop road, which allows easy visible access to all three main entry points while minimising traffic in parking areas.
All floor transitions are carefully detailed to provide level/flush conditions and eliminate trip hazards.
WellStar Health System CEO Reynold Jennings said the hospital was designed with the guiding purpose of being the safest hospital in the world for patients, families, team members, the community and the environment.
"WellStar is committed to serving the people of northwest Georgia and metro Atlanta," Jennings added.
"We are always keeping an eye on innovation and forging new partnerships that will benefit our community and further our vision to deliver world-class healthcare."
In order to ensure the new facility was safe for patients and staff, the hospital's planning team, including nursing and other clinical staff, spent years collaborating on design elements.
For instance, 80% of items nurses commonly use are within six seconds of reach from the bedside, while the other 20% is centrally located on each floor.
Additionally, the WellStar Paulding Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, which is adjacent to the current hospital, will expand to use much of the existing hospital, transitioning many of the rooms from semi-private to private.
WellStar includes WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center (anchored by WellStar Kennestone Hospital) and WellStar Cobb, Douglas, Paulding and Windy Hill hospitals; the WellStar Medical Group; urgent care centres; Acworth Health Park; Health Place; homecare; hospice; Atherton Place; Paulding Nursing and Rehabilitation Center; and the WellStar Foundation.
Catholic Health Initiatives acquires Mercy Health hospital in Arkansas
Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a non-profit health system based in Engelewood, Colorado, and Mercy Health have signed a definitive agreement and transferred ownership of Mercy Hot Springs hospital and physician clinic to CHI's St. Vincent Health System (SVHS) in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
The 282-bed Mercy Hot Springs will operate in a regional network with SVHS and take the new name St. Vincent Hot Springs.
Physicians and staff members at Mercy Hot Springs will continue to be employed by the hospital.
The key objectives of the transaction are to enhance the Catholic health ministry and to strengthen access to health care.
St. Vincent president and CEO Peter Banko said, "The founding Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and Sisters of Mercy would be proud to see their 126-year ministries strengthened today through the formation of a larger, regional health care system serving southwest and central Arkansas."
Mercy president and CEO Lynn Britton said the agreement with CHI provides assurance that Catholic health care has a strong, sustainable future in Hot Springs.
"The affiliation with SVHS provides the opportunity to strengthen health services locally as well as across the entire region, and enables our co-workers and physicians to continue to do what they love – provide exceptional care and service to their community in a faith-based environment," Britton added.
Thomas Fitz, who served for nearly a decade as CEO for Catholic Health East's St. Mary's Hospital and Health Care System in Georgia, has been selected to serve as interim president of St. Vincent Hot Springs.
Fitz has previously worked with CHI in Kansas and Morrilton in supporting sponsorship transfers and serving as an interim leader.
SVHS has committed to preserving all existing physician relationships in the Hot Springs community, and to create a strong and integrated regional physician network throughout the state.
SVHS also intends to continue the core health care services and charity care, which is currently provided by Mercy in the Hot Springs community. Now this process will be overseen by a local board of community and physician leaders.
Through continued sponsorship of the Cooper Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center, Mercy will also maintain a commitment to outreach services in the Hot Springs community.
Mercy, the sixth largest Catholic health care system in the US, includes 33 acute care hospitals, four heart hospitals, two children's hospitals, two rehab hospitals and one orthopaedic hospital, nearly 700 clinic and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,100 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Concord Medical to establish Shanghai Concord Cancer Hospital in China
Concord Medical Services has received Chinese government approval to establish the Shanghai Concord Cancer Hospital, a premium cancer hospital, in Shanghai New Hongqiao International Medical Center.
The Shanghai Concord Cancer Hospital will have 400 beds and will feature advanced cancer diagnosis and treatment equipment and multidiscipline system.
Concord Medical claims that the hospital will become a leading cancer hospital in China and Asia.
Concord Medical has obtained the required Chinese government approval to develop the Shanghai Concord Cancer Hospital and the company is currently in the process of finalising the design and other pre-construction work.
Construction of the hospital is set to commence in the first half of 2015 and is expected to be completed in three years.
The Chinese government has recently issued several policies to encourage social capital into the healthcare services industry, including 'Several Opinions to Accelerate the Social Investment in Healthcare Services' and 'The State Council's Several Opinions to Promote the Development of the Healthcare Services Industry'.
Concord Medical chairman and CEO Dr Jianyu Yang noted that the establishment of a specialised, premium cancer hospital is an important component of the company's development strategy and is consistent with the Chinese government policies encouraging private capital to enter the medical service industry.
"As the most economically developed area in China, Shanghai possesses the most abundant medical and human resources in China. It is a very significant milestone for Concord Medical to build a leading cancer hospital in Shanghai.
"During the process, we have received strong support and guidance from Shanghai New Hongqiao International Medical Center, which represent a new direction for China's healthcare reform.
"After the construction of Shanghai Concord Cancer Hospital is completed, Concord Medical will become a leading hospital group, including cancer hospitals in Shanghai and Guangzhou and more than 140 existing cancer diagnosis and radiotherapy centres covering the whole country," Dr Yang added.
Shanghai New Hongqiao International Medical Center will focus on providing high-end medical services, attracting diversified investments from international and private sources.
The medical centre is supported by the Ministry of Health and approved by Shanghai Municipal People's Government. The project will explore an integrated healthcare delivery model, including medical service, technical support, managerial collaboration and supply-chain extension.
Construction of the Shanghai New Hongqiao International Medical Center started in March 2012. The first phase is anticipated to be fully operational in 2015.
DaVita Kidney Care acquires Sinar Indentiti clinics in Malaysia
DaVita Kidney Care, a provider of kidney care services, has acquired three haemodialysis centres from Malaysian dialysis provider Sinar Indentiti to further expand its care of kidney patients in the country.
With the addition of Sinar Indentiti's three new centres, DaVita now operates a total of 24 centres in both peninsular and east Malaysia.
In Malaysia, kidney disease is a growing health concern. According to the Malaysian Society of Nephrology, over 30,000 patients receive life-sustaining dialysis treatments, a population that has grown nearly 12% year over year.
DaVita Kidney Care Asia-Pacific region president Atul Mathur said that DaVita is committed to raising the standard of care for chronic kidney disease patients in Malaysia.
"As we continue to seek opportunities to bring DaVita's industry-leading outcomes to chronic kidney disease populations in the country, we believe Malaysia's kidney patients ultimately benefit," Mathur added.
"As we continue to seek opportunities to bring DaVita's industry-leading outcomes to chronic kidney disease populations in the country, we believe Malaysia's kidney patients ultimately benefit."
Sinar Indentiti nephrologist and clinic medical director with DaVita Dr Gan Wee Hin said that South-East Asia's growing population is resulting in an increase of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease.
"I strongly believe by joining DaVita – an organisation that has vast experience and an impressive record all over the world – we can improve clinical outcomes in our group of patients," Dr Hin added.
DaVita has witnessed an improvement in clinical outcomes each year since 2000 in the US and has consistently established clinical results that are among the best in virtually every category in the kidney care industry.
These outcomes help drive lower mortality rates and fewer hospitalisations, directly supporting DaVita's aim to improve patients' health and quality of life.
DaVita Kidney Care is a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners (DVA). As of 31 December 2013, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,074 outpatient dialysis centres in the US, serving approximately 163,000 patients.
The company also operated 73 outpatient dialysis centres located in ten countries outside the US.