As we look toward the new year and feel the sense of a fresh start, I want to share with you several milestones that we reached at the University of Chicago Medicine.
A major step forward in our continued growth occurred recently when we announced the signing of a joint venture with the AdventHealth hospitals in Bolingbrook, Glendale Heights, Hinsdale and La Grange. For our patients in the western suburbs, this partnership will provide seamless access to primary, specialty and subspecialty care. We also are working with Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox to expand the neuroscience program there, giving residents in Will County and beyond greater access to vital services such as stroke care and neurosurgery.
These are additional examples of how we intend to expand points of access through new partnerships and construction of facilities, including our new 130,000-squarefoot multispecialty ambulatory care center in Crown Point, Indiana, which will open in the spring of 2024.
There is also a tremendous amount of work going on behind the scenes in our plan to build a $633 million cancer center on our campus on Chicago’s South Side. As one of only two National Cancer Institutedesignated comprehensive cancer centers in Illinois and the only academic medical center on the South Side, UChicago Medicine is uniquely positioned to reimagine cancer care for the community and the city of Chicago. Through this new center, teams are looking at how to reduce the burden of cancer in underserved neighborhoods and advance cancer care by using the latest technology, expanding our clinical trials program and bringing the best minds together.
You will be hearing more about our cancer center project in the coming months, as we prepare for state regulatory approval of this important state-of-the-art facility.
Another update to share with you: our efforts to address the public health crisis of gun violence. This involves UChicago Medicine’s work with:
» The Gun Violence Prevention Learning Collaborative for Health Systems and Hospitals, a grassroots initiative that gives opportunities to healthcare professionals across the nation to talk openly about the impact of gun violence, share best practices and collectively take action.
» Legal Aid Chicago to embed full-time lawyers at our hospital. The innovative initiative, called Recovery Legal Care and funded through $6 million in federal grants, will provide bedside civil legal help for patients who suffer violent injury.
» Sponsorship of the Association of Health Care Journalists’ fall summit, which focused on training members of the news media to critically examine gun violence through a public health lens. More than 100 journalists attended the two-day event.
As healthcare providers, we have a responsibility to drive the national dialogue around gun violence and violence prevention. We hope you will join us in our education efforts to prevent unnecessary deaths by talking with your family and friends about the importance of gun safety. For additional information and resources, please go to HospitalsUnited.com.
Finally, I would like to formally extend a warm welcome to Mark Anderson, MD, PhD, a renowned scholar, physician and caregiver, who has joined the University of Chicago Medicine as Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine.
Dr. Anderson comes to us from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he served as director of the Department of Medicine, the William Osler Professor of Medicine and physician-in-chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital. I’m confident that his fresh insights, perspective and energy will make us an even stronger health system with a renewed commitment to bringing academic medicine closer to homes across the Chicagoland area and beyond.
Here’s to a safe, healthy and happy start to 2023!
The Forefront magazine features stories about life-changing care and breakthroughs in medical research at the University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences. Mark Anderson, MD, PhD Dean of the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs Thomas E. Jackiewicz President of the University of Chicago Medical Center Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer: Daiquiri Lewers Editor: Anna Madrzyk Assistant Editor: Angela Wells O’Connor Art Director: Ken Rickard Contributing editors and writers: Jamie Bartosch, Cassandra Belek, Alexis Hayes, Ashley Heher, Angela Wells O’Connor, Anne Stein and Jack Wang Contributing photographers: Eddie Quinones, Jordan Porter-Woodruff, Jason Smith and Nancy Wong This publication does not provide medical advice or treatment suggestions. If you have medical problems or concerns, contact a physician, who will determine your treatment. Do not delay seeking medical advice because of something you read here. For urgent needs, call 911. UChicago Medicine Medical Group is comprised of UCM Care Network Medical Group, Inc., and Primary Healthcare Associates, S.C. UChicago Medicine Medical Group providers are not employees or agents of The University of Chicago Medical Center, The University of Chicago, UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial, UChicago Medicine Dearborn Station, UChicago Medicine Medical Group – Homewood, UChicago Medicine at Ingalls – Tinley Park, UChicago Medicine River East or UChicago Medicine Orland Park.Taiylar Ball, 24, connected with a UChicago Medicine expert on minimally invasive gynecological surgery to help with her struggle with painful periods and other ailments caused by uterine fibroids.
RESPIRATORY VIRUSES IN KIDS / It’s hard to keep your children from getting sick, but an expert has advice on avoiding RSV, the flu and colds.
EXPLAINING PEDIATRIC ANEMIA / What are the symptoms or complications parents should be watching for?
DRIVING THE COMMUNITY / The annual Drive-Thru Baby Shower in Harvey fills a gap for expectant mothers in need.
COVID-19 UPDATES / Get the latest information from our experts on COVID-19 at UChicagoMedicine.org/Forefront.
MORE FROM THE FOREFRONT / Sign up for our Health & Science e-newsletter at UChicagoMedicine.org/enewsletter.
UChicago Medicine, in alliance with Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, has expanded its outpatient physical therapy services to Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood, at 2304 W. 95th St.
The state-of-the-art, 5,800 square foot facility will offer services for sports injuries, joint replacement therapy, work-related injuries and pre- and postsurgical therapy. Referrals are required. Email therapyservices@uchicagomedicine.org or call 773-702-6891.
Our 22nd consecutive ‘A’ for hospital and patient safety
The University of Chicago Medical Center earned its 22nd consecutive “A” grade in hospital and patient safety, continuing its 10-year run of scoring top honors from the watchdog organization The Leapfrog Group.
UCMC, an 811-bed hospital that is the Hyde Park-based hub of UChicago Medicine’s academic health system, is one of only 22 hospitals in the country to have earned the top grade in all of The Leapfrog Group’s semiannual report cards, which started in 2012.
Meanwhile, UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial, a 485-bed hospital in suburban Harvey, earned its third consecutive “B” grade.
For more information about UChicago Medicine’s ratings or about The Leapfrog Group, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
UChicago Medicine’s GI, Heart & Vascular ranked among world’s best UChicago Medicine’s Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition section was ranked the 19th best in the world — and UChicago Medicine’s Heart & Vascular Center was ranked 25th best — in Newsweek magazine’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2023 list.
No other Illinois hospital made the top 35 in either category.
The magazine reviewed 300 facilities in 28 countries and based their ranking on use of artificial intelligence, digital imaging, telemedicine, robotics and electronic functionalities.
Pacholek named nursing operations lead at Ingalls
Gretchen Pacholek, MSN, BSN, RN, has been named Vice President for Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital.
A nursing leader with nearly two decades of healthcare
The wait time for a heart transplant at the University of Chicago Medicine is the shortest in the country — and the shortest in the history of heart transplantation, according to an analysis of Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) data.
“We know from listening to patients that, what matters most to them is how long they will have to wait to receive a transplant. We’re thrilled that we’ve been able to achieve the shortest wait times in the country due to great teamwork and our ability to successfully transplant organs that other programs were not willing to accept,” said Sean Pinney, MD, Co-Director of the Heart and Vascular Center. The latest SRTR report shows UChicago Medicine’s heart transplant wait time was just 0.7 months. The national average is 4.9 months.
UChicago Medicine has been best in the nation in the time-to-transplant category for the last three consecutive SRTR reporting periods, as well as in other categories including best survival rate, lowest hazard ratio (the odds of having a complication) and highest number of African American heart transplants.
experience, Pacholek has led key organizational initiatives and overseen operational improvements in a variety of roles at UChicago Medicine, which she joined in 2004.
Pacholek now oversees all nursing operations at Ingalls,
coordinating standards and practices with the broader UChicago Medicine network.
She will manage the Ingalls inpatient Patient Care Services operations, oversee delivery of shared services and actively support physician relations.
UChicago Medicine continues to be one of the top places in the world to receive a heart transplant, the culmination of many years of investment and development in its program.”
— Valluvan Jeevanandam, MD, Director of the UChicago Medicine Heart and Vascular Center
Taiylar Ball, 24, had been experiencing painful periods for years. At times she suffered nausea and vomiting, had frequent urination and couldn’t move from her couch. She thought everyone’s periods were painful, but when her mother pointed out her bulging stomach, Ball went to see a medical provider. An ultrasound revealed uterine fibroids — benign growths in the uterus that develop in up to 80% of people who can get pregnant.
“I went into research mode,” Ball said.
That research led her to the obstetrics and gynecology team at the University of Chicago Medicine Center for the Advanced Treatment and Research (CATeR) of Uterine Fibroids. Ball, a Black woman, wanted a Black obstetrician-gynecologist who specialized in minimally invasive surgery. After her first appointment with CATeR Director Sandra Laveaux, MD, MPH, Ball knew “she was the one.”
“I felt heard,” Ball said. “It’s important to have a provider you feel comfortable with — whatever that means to you. I knew that Dr. Laveaux was advocating for me.”
Black people are more likely to develop fibroids, to get them younger and to have larger fibroids than white people. The cause of this disparity is not completely understood and is an important research focus of fibroids at UChicago Medicine.
Ball had five fibroids; two were the size of grapefruits. When she revealed she also suffered from frequent urination and couldn’t sleep through the night without needing to use the bathroom, Laveaux slowed down talk of surgery until they could determine whether Ball’s fibroids or another underlying issue was causing her urinary problems. If the fibroids weren’t the cause, surgery could possibly wait.
“The timing of the surgery is important, and Taiylar is young,” Laveaux said. “There’s always a chance of fibroids recurring, and that risk is higher when we intervene with treatment at a younger age.”
Laveaux referred Ball to UChicago Medicine urogynecologist Diane Glass, MD, PhD, who presented her case to a larger group of specialists. Within a short time, it was determined that the fibroids were contributing significantly to Ball’s urinary issues and that surgery would be the best way to alleviate her symptoms.
“Fibroids are not one size fits all,” Laveaux said. “At UChicago Medicine, we have a multidisciplinary approach to treatment even within the specialty of ob-gyn, and we can work together quickly.”
On May 11, 2022, Ball underwent a robotic myomectomy — a minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove the fibroids while keeping the uterus intact for future pregnancy.
“Life is better now,” she said. “I’m singing in the morning.”
Ball is pursuing a master’s degree in public health out of state, but plans to continue care with Laveaux.
“She made sure I could get back to being young and healthy,” she said.
“This is a passion,” Laveaux said. “I feel very strongly about patients getting exactly what they need, understanding their options and then feeling empowered when deciding on treatment. The CATeR team is constantly pushing and challenging the status quo when it comes to managing uterine fibroids. When you come to UChicago Medicine, you can be guaranteed that you’re getting the absolute best care.”
After surgery to remove uterine fibroids, Taiylar Ball is swiftly getting back to pain-free periods and restful nightsSandra Laveaux, MD, MPH
Trying to lose weight can be frustrating for many people. They may want to lose weight but don’t know how.
Even though obesity is a serious, chronic, relapsing disease connected to more than 200 health conditions and 13 kinds of cancer, many people find it hard to talk about their weight with a doctor.
They often blame themselves for failing at weight loss, but they shouldn’t, said Silvana Pannain, MD, Obesity Medicine Director and the Director of Chicago Weight. The University of Chicago Medicine’s new Center for Weight and Metabolic Health can guide patients to find ways that work and fit their needs and desires. The center is a starting point for patients who struggle to lose weight or are not sure what weight-loss tools, treatment or support they need.
“We don’t expect patients to take the blame anymore if they’re not successful at losing weight. It means they haven’t yet found the right treatment,” Pannain said. “If they don’t know what’s best for them, or can’t do it on their own, we can guide them. What’s the downside of seeking care?”
The Center for Weight and Metabolic Health oversees several UChicago Medicine programs, including Chicago Weight (nonsurgical obesity management) and Surgical Weight Loss (the Midwest leader in duodenal switch surgery to treat severe obesity).
“The idea of the comprehensive center is for all of us to work together and give patients their options up front. We tell them what their insurance will cover and what are the best outcomes given their situation,” said Mustafa Hussain, MD, director of the center. “Not everything works for everybody, so that’s why we come up with an individualized plan.”
Surgeons and medical specialists are part of the center, which serves patients at UChicago Medicine’s Hyde Park, River East and Orland Park locations.
After a call to the Center for Weight and Metabolic Health, a person is given a full health exam. Then a customized weight-loss plan is made based on each person’s physical and mental health concerns, life circumstances and weight-loss goals.
The plan could include meeting with a dietitian and/or therapist, appetite-curbing prescription medications, exploring surgical options, making different lifestyle choices, and addressing sleep apnea, diabetes or other health conditions.
To talk to a coordinator at the Center for Weight and Metabolic Health, call 773-702-1618 or email BariatricIntakeCoord@ UChicagoMedicine.org.
“We don’t expect patients to take the blame anymore if they’re not successful at losing weight. It means they haven’t yet found the right treatment.”
— Silvana Pannain, MD, Obesity Medicine Director and Director of Chicago Weight
How a person’s weight impacts their health has been a hot discussion topic lately. Here is what leaders of the University of Chicago Medicine’s new Center for Weight and Metabolic Health say about some of the issues.
Silvana Pannain, MD, Obesity Medicine Director: Yes, you can be overweight and metabolically healthy (for example, normal blood pressure and healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels.) At the same time, we know that obesity is a disease that affects the body in many different ways. The relationship between obesity and other diseases is complex and there are many unknowns. How can we predict which individuals with obesity will be affected? By cancer? COVID-19? Complications from surgery? We have treatments for obesity, so why do we want to wait and see what happens?
Does the number on the scale matter?
Jessica Schultz, MS, RD, LDN, CSOWM, clinical dietitian and nutritionist: Not necessarily. At the Center for Weight and Metabolic Health, it’s about
setting goals. If a patient came in and wanted to be able to play with his grandkids without getting short of breath, then the goal wouldn’t be a certain number on the scale, but to feel OK while playing with the grandkids. It’s more about how it can improve your quality of life. It’s not about what you lose; it’s about what you gain. What you see on the scale does not always signal success.
Mustafa Hussain, MD, Director of the Center for Weight and Metabolic Health: The number on the scale is just one data point. It’s part of a bigger picture. I believe in body positivity. At the same time, I also want to be real with patients. Those numbers directly correlate to life expectancy. If you’re 50 pounds overweight, your likelihood of dying of any cause is twice as high as someone who is not overweight. We want to be supportive and give people options, but we also don’t want to shy away from something that’s as serious a problem as cancer.
Pannain: Yes. This field is exploding and it’s going to change the way we treat obesity. There’s a huge interest and a growing demand for obesity drugs that are safe. New medications are coming on the market and some have helped patients lose 20% of their body weight or more. Patients are hearing the news and more doctors are prescribing these drugs, including us.
The University of Chicago Medicine’s Center for Weight and Metabolic Health offers a full spectrum of services for weight management and obesity treatment. Learn more by calling 773-702-1618 or visit: UChicagoMedicine.org/ Center-for-Weight-and-Metabolic-Health
» Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine (DCAM) — Hyde Park
» UChicago Medicine River East
» UChicago Medicine Orland Park
» Virtual option
Is it possible to be overweight and healthy?Mustafa Hussain, MD Silvana Pannain, MD
Will more weight loss medications be available to consumers soon?
Beatrice “Bea” Lumpkin, 103, started to feel short of breath during her daily climb up 23 flights of stairs to her Hyde Park apartment.
When she told her primary care physician at the University of Chicago Medicine, Jason Alexander, MD, he didn’t chalk it up to old age. He knew Lumpkin, a well-known activist and author, was mentally sharp and remarkably fit and healthy, so he took her complaint seriously.
Suspecting she could have aortic stenosis, a common condition where the aortic valve narrows, Alexander arranged for Lumpkin to have an echocardiogram the next day. The test confirmed a severely narrowed heart valve. Left untreated, Lumpkin could have developed heart failure.
The next step was to determine what type of surgery she should have. Alexander asked his trusted colleague, cardiologist Jeanne DeCara, MD, if she would evaluate his centenarian patient for a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive procedure to replace aortic valves.
Knowing that only a few people in the U.S. over age 100 have had a TAVR, Alexander started his conversation with DeCara by saying, “Hear me out.”
Alexander shared his thoughts on why Lumpkin was a good candidate for a TAVR, despite her age. Still, DeCara wondered whether she was strong enough to handle the procedure. At their first appointment, Lumpkin described her activities: taking the stairs, walking one to two miles a day, stretching, and occasional aerobics. To prove her physical ability, Lumpkin executed a karate kick in DeCara’s office.
That was, well, the kicker.
DeCara and interventional cardiologist Sandeep Nathan, MD, MS, reviewed Lumpkin’s case and determined TAVR
was her best — and only — option. Open-heart surgery would be too risky for someone her age. The TAVR procedure was performed in May 2022.
“She’s not someone who’s done with life. She’s got things to do, people to see and places to go,” DeCara said.
TAVR — a procedure to replace the aortic valve done through two small groin punctures — would still have risks for Lumpkin. Yet UChicago Medicine’s cardiology team is known for taking on high-risk heart disease cases. For example, Nathan and his team recently performed a successful TAVR on a medically complex patient in her late 90s.
“It’s still a big procedure and lots of things can go wrong, even in the best of scenarios. With someone that age, there’s a small but quantifiable risk of major complications or even death,” Nathan said. “And if you don’t have the ability to rehab from the procedure, then it’s essentially for nothing. You do have to have some resilience and ability to rebound.”
In Lumpkin’s case, there were “some added curveballs” due to her slight frame and small, “folded” arteries due to her age.
“We proceeded very, very cautiously and slowly to minimize any complications,” Nathan said.
Lumpkin’s surgery was a success.
She turned 104 in August, feels great, and is back doing advocacy work for the environment and workers’ and teachers’ rights. She also has resumed her frequent 23-story stair climbs to her apartment.
Lumpkin and Alexander agree that good primary care is critical to a person’s health and getting proper diagnoses.
“I have 100 patients who say they have shortness of breath. There’s a lot of nuance to deciding what they need. Good primary care is someone who can help navigate that. If we can get you to the right person, we can diagnose you quicker and get you the help you need,” Alexander said.
Lumpkin said she’s grateful to Alexander for making sure she received the care she needed. She’d never had a heart problem before in her life until now.
“He didn’t say, ‘What do you expect at this age?’ He took it very seriously,” she said. “I feel very lucky. The kind of advanced medicine that made it possible for me to have this procedure should be available to anyone who needs it. And I know that’s not the case. I’m especially lucky to have such a great team working on me.”
CHICAGO
Hyde Park* 5700 S. Maryland Ave.
Comer Children’s Hospital — Hyde Park 5721 S. Maryland Ave., 4th Floor
UChicago Medicine Dearborn Station* 47 W. Polk St.
UChicago Medicine River East* 339 E. Grand Ave.
UChicago Medicine South Loop* 1101 S. Canal St.
South Shore Senior Center 7101 Exchange Ave.
UChicago Medicine Medical Group — Beverly* 11250 S. Western Ave.
UChicago Medicine at Ingalls — Calumet City* 1600 167th St.
UChicago Medicine at Ingalls — Flossmoor* 19550 Governors Hwy.
UChicago Medicine Medical Group — Homewood* 17805 S. Halsted St.
UChicago Medicine Medical Group — Lansing* 18127 William St.
UChicago Medicine Orland Park* 14290 S. La Grange Rd.
UChicago Medicine Medical Group — South Holland* 401 E. 162nd St.
UChicago Medicine at Ingalls — Tinley Park* 6703 W. 159th St.
If you’re looking for highly effective birth control that you don’t have to think about every day, you may want to consider long-lasting reversible contraceptives. These intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants are inserted — and eventually replaced or removed — by your doctor and require no maintenance. UChicago Medicine’s Neha Bhardwaj, MD, MS, and Omer Raheem, MD, answer questions about your options for contraception.
There are two types of IUDs, which are small T-shaped devices placed in the uterus to prevent pregnancy: copper IUDs and hormonal IUDs. Copper IUDs work by releasing copper ions that are toxic to sperm. Hormonal IUDs work by thickening your cervical discharge so that it’s difficult for sperm to make their way to an egg in the fallopian tubes. In some patients, a hormonal IUD can inhibit ovulation, so you don’t release an egg. Some IUDs can also be used as emergency contraception if they are inserted within five days of sexual intercourse.
First, we do a pelvic exam to see which way your uterus points and where your cervix is. We use a speculum to widen the vaginal opening, clean off your cervix with an antiseptic solution and then typically use a forceps-like instrument called a tenaculum to grasp your cervix. This helps straighten out your uterus so that we can safely place the IUD. We use an instrument called a “sound” to measure your uterus to make sure the IUD will safely fit, and then we insert the IUD and trim its strings to about an inch.
Patients typically experience cramps at specific points in the procedure, particularly when the cervix is grasped, during measurement of the uterus and when the IUD is going in. We want to make you as comfortable as possible during the insertion procedure, and we offer a local numbing anesthetic for the area between your cervix and vagina to help alleviate the pain and discomfort. Taking ibuprofen before and/or after your visit can also help alleviate the pain, as can a heating pad. We highly suggest taking it easy on the day your IUD is inserted, as strenuous activity can make pain and discomfort worse.
It’s important to know that you may experience intermittent cramping or bleeding during the first month after getting your IUD. This is completely normal, as it’s your body adjusting to this new form of contraception. If you continue to experience severe cramping and heavy bleeding, make an appointment to see your gynecologist.
Both the copper and hormonal IUDs are more than 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. Copper IUDs are effective immediately after insertion and last for 12 years (depending on the brand). Hormonal IUDs can also be effective immediately, depending on where you are in your cycle; otherwise, they reach full effectiveness after one week post-insertion. Depending on the brand of hormonal IUD used, they typically provide pregnancy prevention for three up to seven years. During your annual exam, make sure your gynecologist checks your IUD to ensure it’s still in the right spot and raise any concerns or questions you have regarding your IUD.
With the copper IUD, you will typically have your period once a month, and it may be more painful and heavier. Because hormonal IUDs cause the lining of your uterus to be thin, there is less lining to be shed, and you may experience a lighter, less painful period or even no period at all.
Like IUD placement, it’s a quick procedure that takes only a few minutes. A speculum is used to widen the vaginal opening, and the IUD is retrieved by pulling on the strings. Your fertility will return immediately, so don’t forget to talk with your doctor about getting another IUD or other form of contraception if you don’t wish to become pregnant.
Hormonal methods of contraception are very safe and effective to use and can provide relief for heavy or painful periods. They contain progestin, a safe, synthetic version of progesterone that’s been used for decades. These IUDs have some of the lowest hormone doses of any contraceptive method, much lower than birth control pills. It’s important to remember that all bodies react differently to medication, though. Just because a form of hormonal contraception doesn’t work for your friend, sister or mother, that doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.
Patients who can’t or don’t want to use hormonal IUDs due to certain medical conditions, medications or personal preference may wish to try the copper IUD, which contains no hormones.
This is a small, matchstick-like rod containing the hormone progestin that is implanted under the skin. The hormone is slowly released into your body and works by thickening your cervical discharge, as well as preventing an egg from being released.
After you select which arm you would like to use for the implant, we sterilize an area on your upper arm that is roughly two to three inches above your elbow. Then, we numb the area with a needle and use a special device to insert the implant. You will not need stitches! You’ll need to keep the area covered for three to five days. Using a compression bandage over the insertion site for about 24 hours can help decrease any bruising.
The implant does not require maintenance; you just need to make sure you can feel it under the skin. If for some reason you suddenly can’t, you need to visit your gynecologist and have it removed. On rare occasions, implants placed too deep during insertion can migrate. To remove the implant, we numb the skin and make a tiny incision to pull the implant out.
Implants are the most effective method of contraception and are over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when properly inserted. The implant works immediately if inserted during the first five days of your period, but is otherwise effective after one week. Remember to change out the implant every three to five years, depending on the brand.
Most patients report their period lightens when using the implant. However, the bleeding pattern is often highly unpredictable, from no bleeding to spotting to bleeding for a week or two over a month. It all depends on how your body adjusts to this method of contraception.
Although prices vary, many insurance plans cover IUDs and contraceptive implants. Ask your gynecologist what contraceptive methods might work best for your unique situation and whether they’re covered by your insurance.
Side effects can include irregular bleeding, mood swings, weight gain and headaches.
Neha Bhardwaj, MD, MS, is a UChicago Medicine obstetrician-gynecologist with a primary focus on family planning and contraception.
Omer Raheem, MD, is a urologist and one of the physicians leading UChicago Medicine’s new Men’s Wellness Clinic.
As options for family planning healthcare evolve in the United States, you may be searching for a more permanent form of birth control. Vasectomies and tubal ligation are the only two procedures that offer lasting, guaranteed pregnancy prevention. At the University of Chicago Medicine, your choices for contraceptive care are at the center of our reproductive health philosophy.
It’s a safe, long-lasting procedure for sterilization where the two tubes that carry sperm from the testicles to the penis are cut and sealed. After a vasectomy, semen no longer contains sperm capable of fertilizing an egg.
Both pain and risks are minimal, and include slight scrotal pain or discomfort, superficial infection and an exceedingly low chance of vas deferens reconnection. With local anesthesia, you’ll feel the initial needle we use to numb the scrotum, but after that your procedure should go smoothly without any pain. You can also opt for sedation. During your recovery at home, ice packs and acetaminophen can help relieve any pain.
No. Evidence-based studies show there’s no link between vasectomies and erectile, sexual or orgasm dysfunction. After healing is complete, penile and scrotal skin sensation will be normal.
There are different techniques used for vasectomy. Routinely, we make a tiny incision on the scrotum so that we can find the vas deferens, the two tubes that connect the testicles with the urethra to transport the sperm. Through this incision, we carefully cut and seal both tubes. One stitch is placed to close the skin, and it dissolves seven to 10 days after the procedure.
Most vasectomies can be reversed. To do this, we use delicate microsurgical techniques to reconnect the vas deferens and re-establish an unobstructed opening of the tubes that allow sperm to flow into the semen.
If you want to have a child without having to undergo a vasectomy reversal, we offer direct surgical sperm retrieval or extraction from the testes. Assisted reproductive treatments and technologies will then need to be used, such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), so that the sperm can fertilize an egg. Physicians at our Men’s Wellness Clinic can help you understand your options.
Tubal ligation, commonly known as having your tubes tied, is a surgical procedure to cut, seal and/or remove parts of the fallopian tubes where an egg can be fertilized by sperm. As with any surgery, there are some risks, such as infection. The chance of an ectopic pregnancy, where a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, is extremely low.
The fallopian tubes are cut and sealed with clips or bands, or the tubes may be removed. The ovaries remain in place even if the tubes are removed, so there is no need to worry about menopausal symptoms.
Also, if you’re pregnant and want to have your tubes tied, we can often perform the procedure directly after a cesarean delivery. Speak with your doctor to learn more about tubal ligation after delivery.
Since getting your tubes tied is typically a minimally invasive surgery, you may feel some local pain from the two to three small incisions that are made during the procedure. You may also experience shoulder discomfort from the gas used to inflate your belly, which allows us to properly visualize the internal surgical site. Some patients may also experience throat pain from the tube used to administer anesthesia.
It’s important to know that if this procedure is reversed, patients typically have a very difficult time getting pregnant. If you know you don’t want children or do not want to have another child, tubal ligation is an excellent option. If you’re unsure but are looking for a long-lasting and effective form of contraception, talk to your doctor about IUDs and implants.
If
Her husband was against it and her doctors at the University of Chicago Medicine were skeptical.
But Fabiola “Faby” Enriquez was determined to run the New York City Marathon after finishing two weeks of her 20-week chemotherapy for aggressive stage 2 breast cancer.
Enriquez, a lifelong athlete who was 40 at the time, told her UChicago Medicine oncologist, Philip C. Hoffman, MD, that she didn’t want breast cancer to stop her from participating in the marathon. She’d won a lottery to get an entry into the prestigious race.
Philip C. Hoffman, MD
now semi-retired and a clinical professor of medicine. “If she has the strength and energy, obviously this is important to her.”
“Dr. Hoffman told me, ‘Well, you can run the marathon, but you can’t run the marathon,’” she recalled, laughing at his roundabout way of saying that chemotherapy would zap her energy and her ability to run the 26.2-mile race.
The oncologists at UChicago Medicine’s Comprehensive Cancer Center encourage their patients to stay active during cancer treatment. However, chemotherapy causes extreme fatigue and lowers a person’s immunity.
Running a marathon can cause dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, adding to Enriquez’s challenges. But since she was an experienced marathoner, Hoffman decided it wouldn’t seriously jeopardize her health and gave her the OK.
“There’s no reason a person should be sitting home in a bubble, but the average person isn’t running marathons,” said Hoffman,
The first week of chemotherapy hit Enriquez hard. Her famously long hair started to fall out. Most days, she was too weak to get out of bed.
“I thought, ‘The doctors were right. There’s no way I can run the marathon,’” she said. “Then about eight days in, I started to feel a bit more normal. I went for a run and decided I could do it.”
The Hinsdale mother of three completed the 2018 New York City Marathon in under 5 hours. During the race, Enriquez soaked it all in — smiling, high-fiving spectators and even crying at times. She dressed in pink for breast cancer awareness.
When she got home, she resumed her treatment: 4½ months of chemotherapy, a lumpectomy with targeted lymph node removal and breast reconstruction, and six weeks of radiation.
Two months after her final treatment, in
September 2019, Enriquez ran the Berlin Marathon in Germany. She’s done several other athletic competitions since, including an Iron Man. She ran the New York City Marathon again in November 2022 and said she felt blessed to be there and had a blast.
Today, Enriquez, 44, is more than three years cancer-free. Looking back, she believes it all happened for a reason.
“My joke is that, God said, ‘I’m going to give you breast cancer, but you’re going to run two of the world’s major marathons.’ And that’s honestly what kept me going,” she said. “Running has always been my savior.”
Post-cancer, many people get paralyzed by fear that the cancer will return. Not Enriquez.
“One of the great things about Faby was that she went full speed ahead,” said her surgeon, Nora Jaskowiak, MD.
“You can’t escape the effects of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation, but you can still thrive.”
A patient’s life-changing spinal surgery improves his physical and mental health
University of Chicago Medicine orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation medicine specialists offer a wide range of nonsurgical, minimally invasive and traditional methods to treat back and neck problems. In the case of Noah Mirrielees, a 21-year old patient with a severely curved spine, surgical intervention restored much more than just physical function — he could also feel good about himself again.
Mirrielees, a heavy machinery mechanic, came to UChicago Medicine with deformities of the spine, along with back pain. He suffered from Scheuermann’s kyphosis, a condition of the upper spine that causes the patient to appear “hunched over.”
The onset of the disease typically begins right before puberty, with most patients — usually male — presenting with symptoms between the ages of 12 and 15.
Mirrielees’ back began curving when he was 10 years old. With his condition, his confidence took a hit.
“Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I had extremely low self-esteem due to my appearance – it was a very big struggle,” Mirrielees said.
Originally misdiagnosed with poor posture, Mirrielees sought a second opinion at UChicago Medicine at age 20, because he “could not deal with the pain any longer.” UChicago Medicine’s Spine Care team properly diagnosed him with Scheuermann’s kyphosis and recommended spinal surgery.
“Mirrielees’ disease had progressed fast,” said lead surgeon Mostafa Hassib El Dafrawy, MBBCh, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine. “He had an X-ray from two years prior that showed a much smaller curve — 70 degrees versus the 105-degree curve when we took over his care.”
“When you have a curve like that, you have a lot of pain because your muscles are working really, really hard to keep you upright,” said El Dafrawy.
The realignment surgery required surgeons to dissect the muscles and ligaments off the bone in order to release the spine, making it more flexible. Eleven levels of the spine, from T3 to L3, were fused together. A screw was inserted on each side at each level and a rod connecting all of the screws together was placed to keep the spine in the new position.
“The shape of the rod determines what the shape of the spine will be. It takes a lot of
experience to contour the rod in a correct position,” said El Dafrawy.
Pediatric orthopaedic surgeon Clarabelle DeVries, MD, was also part of Mirrielees’ care team. She emphasized the importance of imaging and careful planning to ensure a safe and successful procedure.
“We are increasingly using three-dimensional imaging in our deformity correction cases to allow us to better plan our implant choices and placement,” said DeVries. “This includes a CT scan that allows us to see the exact size and shape of the bones in which we are placing our implants with the goal of maximally correcting spine deformity in the safest fashion possible.”
A week after surgery, Mirrielees was able to walk around the house and outside. After a month, he could drive and after two months, he returned to work.
He also noticed an improvement in his self-esteem: “I can’t even explain how happy I am to have a straight back — people just look at you differently,” Mirrielees said. “It gives you a new outlook on life.”
The UChicago Medicine Spine Care team offers treatment for over a dozen spine and spinal cord conditions. For more information, visit ortho.uchicago.edu/programs/spine-care or call 773-834-3531.
X-rays show Mirrielees’ spine before and after realignment surgery at UChicago Medicine.cry, get angry or share personal things they’ve never told anyone.
Rev. Marsha Sumner, MDiv, the University of Chicago Medicine’s Director of Spiritual Care, and her team of 12 board-certified chaplains provide a unique, critically important and under-the-radar service to UChicago Medicine patients, their families and the staff: They give comfort, hope and a safe space for people to let their feelings out and receive supportive spiritual care.
Religious ceremonies like baptizing babies and administering last rites are part of the job, but most of what the spiritual care team does falls beyond the traditional role of a typical hospital chaplain.
UChicago Medicine’s chaplains double as non-denominational counselors, life coaches, friends and mediators to people of all religions and genders.
In the first half of 2021, they worked with people from more than 58 different religions, from Roman Catholics to Black Hebrews to Wiccans.
UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital also offers pastoral care and healing to its patients and staff, but with a different model. Ingalls has one staff chaplain, Rev. Sheila Grant, a registry chaplain who fills in for her and a separate chaplain for hospice care. Grant provides support in the hospital on weekdays and also functions as a community liaison.
According to Sumner, not many hospitals have the benefit of nonclinical staff who work around the clock to provide “comfort on call.” But it’s a priority of the leadership at UChicago Medicine to have this service
available to staff and patients. The chaplains carry pagers and can be summoned at any time by physicians, nurses, patients and families.
Sometimes Sumner and the chaplains make rounds on their own, popping into staff break areas or patient rooms to say hello, introduce themselves and ask if they can be of service. They might use an icebreaker like, “How do you feel about being in the hospital today?” to start a conversation.
Then they’ll listen and determine what would be most helpful. It might be just sitting with someone so they’re not lonely. Leading them in some deep breathing exercises. Brainstorming solutions to a problem or helping them reconnect with things that make them feel positive and hopeful.
The conversations are confidential. The chaplains say it’s not unusual for people to
“It’s a privilege to provide comfort to people in their lowest times,” said Sumner. “We get the opportunity to help people when they need it, and in unique and special ways.”
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated just how important the spiritual care department’s services are to both the patients and staff. Sumner and her team ramped up their comfort care efforts, often talking with people via Zoom. Sumner also launched a daily email called “A Deep Breath” that contains a one-sentence inspirational, non-denominational quote. More than 2,500 hospital employees subscribed.
In the near future, Sumner hopes to expand delivery of — and access to — spiritual services, ensuring they’re equitable and inclusive. She would like to see a meditation or prayer space added to UChicago Medicine’s new cancer center (scheduled to open in 2026) and to add comfort services at outpatient sites, like chemotherapy infusion rooms and palliative care offices.
Sumner, who earned a Master of Divinity degree at the Chicago Theological Seminary, works with several hospital departments and programs, including the Violence Recovery Program, as part of the Diversity, Inclusion and Equity program in the Urban Health Initiative. She also teaches Religious Ethics and Healthcare at Elmhurst University.
Sumner takes pride in the diversity of her staff, including clergy and chaplains of different ethnicities and religions. The hospital’s three chapels are welcoming to all religions. A Muslim imam leads Jum’ah prayer (also known as Friday prayer) each week at the hospital, sometimes drawing upwards of 50 people, mostly hospital staff.
In addition, the chaplains are trained to comfort patients of different genders and sexual orientations.
“Hope is universal,” said staff chaplain Trina Price.
As doctors heal patients’ bodies, the spiritual care team heals their spiritsRev. Sheila Grant
What we do is really not about religion; it’s about being present for someone. Telling them, ‘I’ll help you through it.’ ”
— Staff chaplain Joshua Daniel
Respiratory viruses such as RSV, the flu, COVID-19 and colds are spreading earlier than normal this year. Having multiple viruses coming early and overlapping has led to more hospitalizations and exceptionally long wait times in pediatric emergency rooms across the nation.
Here’s some advice from Allison Bartlett, MD, MS, an expert on infectious diseases at the University of Chicago Medicine, on how to avoid these viruses.
Many respiratory viruses are spread through droplets from coughing, sneezing, talking, exhaling or touching surfaces where these droplets land. It’s hard to control, but encourage children to:
» Wash their hands regularly with soap and warm water and/or use hand sanitizer, especially before eating, after using the restroom and after touching public surfaces.
» Avoid touching their face.
» Keep distance from people with symptoms and stay home when sick.
» Drink plenty of water, exercise, sleep well and eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
» Demonstrate and encourage good cough etiquette, such as coughing into your elbow or using a tissue and throwing it away immediately.
Bartlett, MD, MSBe sure your child receives recommended flu and COVID-19 vaccines. While vaccination doesn’t guarantee your child won’t catch a virus, it will make them less vulnerable to severe illness if they do get sick.
For infants, a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit is a fever. Call the child’s pediatrician immediately or go to the emergency room. For children under 6 months, a fever can be treated with acetaminophen (Tylenol). Older children can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen (Advil).
See a doctor if:
» A child age 2 or younger has a fever for more than 24 hours
» A child at any age has a fever for more than three days, or one that exceeds 104 degrees.
Do not use over-the-counter cough syrups or cold medications for children younger than
age 6. These can be harmful to your child. Call or visit your child’s pediatrician for advice on over-the-counter medications if your child is older than age 6.
You can try a teaspoon of honey if your child is older than 1 year old to soothe the throat. Do not give honey to a child under 1 year of age.
Suctioning your infant’s nose with a bulb syringe or nasal aspirator can help them breathe more comfortably. Make sure to use saline (salt water) drops and gently suction. Too much suctioning can cause swelling and irritation, so limit suctioning to three or four times per day. A humidifier may also help.
If your child is having difficulty breathing, call 911 or go to the emergency room. That includes breathing faster than normal or using muscles in their neck, chest or belly to breathe. Other warning signs include difficulty rousing your child or a seizure.
If your infant or toddler is having fewer wet diapers and refusing to drink because of their symptoms, they may be dehydrated and need a doctor’s care. Call your pediatrician, who can advise if emergency care is needed.
In children, red blood cells are vital to good health, growth and development. Anemia is a condition that occurs when there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells to carry sufficient oxygen to the body’s tissues, which can affect a child’s growth, energy and well-being.
Wendy Darlington, MD, a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at the University of Chicago Medicine, explains pediatric anemia and explores how parents can watch out for signs of anemia in their children.
Iron is an important building block in making red blood cells (RBCs) in our bodies. When we don’t have enough iron around in our bodies, one of the first things that happens is that the body starts making smaller RBCs and then starts making fewer of them. This results in a type of anemia called microcytic anemia. One possible consequence of too few RBCs or not having enough hemoglobin (a protein that transports oxygen in the blood) could be a decreased capacity for carrying oxygen to the body’s tissues and organs. Iron-deficiency anemia is one type of microcytic anemia that can develop in children.
Anemia is diagnosed with a blood test looking at the hemoglobin level.
ARE THERE SYMPTOMS OR COMPLICATIONS OF ANEMIA THAT PARENTS SHOULD BE WATCHING FOR?
Symptoms of anemia include pallor, fatigue, inability to keep up with peers during physical activity, dizziness, shortness of breath, and headaches. You may not notice right away, because the development of anemia tends to be a slow process, particularly in younger children.
ARE THERE DIFFERENT CONCERNS AROUND ANEMIA FOR DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS?
Yes. A specific population that can develop irondeficiency anemia is adolescents with heavy periods. We have a special clinic at he University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, the Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB) Clinic, currently available once a month. The HMB Clinic takes a multidisciplinary approach to care involving adolescent gynecology and pediatric hematology in a shared clinic appointment, allowing for personalized and efficient care.
One common cause of anemia in children is often excessive intake of cow’s milk or not enough iron intake. Cow’s milk is low in iron and the calcium interferes with the body’s ability to absorb iron from other sources.
ADDRESS DIET CONCERNS RELATED TO ANEMIA?
It is important to improve iron stores once they are low. This can be done through diet. To help families address these dietary concerns, we discuss foods that are rich in iron, such as beans (kidney, lima and chickpeas), seeds (pumpkin or sesame), turkey, chicken, broccoli and spinach.
For kids with anemia, we discuss limiting cow’s milk to no more than 16 to 20 ounces in a 24-hour period. This can be a challenge for many parents, because toddlers are notoriously picky eaters and may only want to drink milk.
Iron supplements are important ways to treat iron deficiency and build up those iron stores.
For best absorption, we recommend they be taken with orange juice. Not all orange juice is equal, however. It is important to note that many orange juices are fortified with calcium, which can actually block absorption of the iron.
Iron supplements do present some challenges in this young patient population. It can be difficult to take due to taste of the liquid, and frequent side effects include possible constipation or abdominal pain.
For patients who are unable to tolerate oral iron supplementation, we discuss the option of getting iron via intravenous infusion in our clinic at Comer Children’s.
Many children who experience iron-deficiency anemia will be able to receive iron supplementation, either orally or through an infusion, and can resolve their anemia, particularly if the cause of anemia is related to diet.
UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital hosted its annual Drive-Thru Baby Shower this past fall. The event is part of the Harvey-based hospital’s Healthy Baby Network, a free program that connects residents with medical, nutritional and financial assistance. Part of Ingalls’ Family Birth Center, the program provides resources through partnerships with local retailers, government agencies and other organizations.
At this year’s shower, organized in partnership with the Family Christian Health Center, 120 families received bags filled with diapers, wipes, clothing and other supplies, along with educational materials on prenatal and maternal health. Car seats and baby formula were among the raffle items.
Shanice Williams, community outreach coordinator for UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial, helped launch the event three years ago. She said that each gift bag given to a family “helps that baby start their life.”
All items were distributed in less than an hour, marking the 2022 event the most popular Drive-Thru Baby Shower yet. Carseat technicians and volunteers were on hand to help participants adjust and test car seats they already owned to ensure fit and safety.
Quandra Gosa, an expectant mother who participated in the event, won a stroller in the event’s raffle. Williams shared in Gosa’s joy in winning the item. “It was something that she wanted, but she hadn’t had the money to get it just yet. For us to provide that to her — oh, she was so excited!”
The Drive-Thru Baby Shower launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a response to increased community need and as a socially distanced pivot from Babypalooza, which began in 2014 at Ingalls.
Since then, the shower has become more than a stopgap option. Thanks to marketing, social media and word of mouth, the reimagined event has grown into a key part of UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial’s efforts to improve maternal and child health in Harvey and other towns.
“It is a beautiful event,” said Adalgisa Helena Lobo, a community health worker at the Family Christian Health Center. “We’re very happy to be here participating, helping underserved communities.”
These efforts provide crucial support in a region where many Black women still face healthcare barriers and disproportionately high rates of pregnancy-related complications and deaths.
Across Cook County, more than 14% of Black babies have low birth weights, compared to over 8% of babies in the general population. According to the Ingalls Memorial Community Health Needs Assessment, mothers in the hospital’s service area — which focuses on the 13 zip codes of Thornton Township — reported being unaware of social services such as free nutrition programs.
Part of the mission of the Healthy Baby Network is to bridge the gap between local residents and healthcare resources. Prepandemic events included tours of the Family Birth Center, which offers 23 private suites and healthcare experts dedicated to making labor and delivery more comfortable.
Williams hopes to resume tours again in the future, reopening in-person access to complement the shower, which will continue to develop in order to match growing community interest. “We’re a pillar for our community,” she said.
This past October, more than 600 UChicago Medicine staff and family members, along with community members of all ages, laced up their running and walking shoes to support the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital in the 16th annual RBC Race for the Kids. Events were held virtually and in person and included a 5K Run/Walk, the Kids’ Mile, and the Kids’ Dash. Participants exceeded expectations by raising more than $290,000 to support groundbreaking pediatric research at Comer Children’s, as well as efforts to address health disparities affecting children in South Side communities.
Barry Fields, a trial lawyer and partner with Kirkland & Ellis LLP, serves as a University of Chicago trustee and a University of Chicago Medical Center trustee. In his role as a Medical Center trustee, he learned about research into childhood diseases at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital. He and his wife, Kimberly, support research initiatives led by pediatric oncologist Susan Cohn, MD, to uncover potential new treatments for neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that occurs in the nerve cells, mainly affecting very young children.
Susan Cohn, MD
from the National Institutes of Health for a member of the research team. It truly demonstrates how support from one or two individuals can serve as a catalyst for promising research that might lead to major breakthroughs in the cure and treatment of diseases.
AS A DONOR, WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE IMPACT OF YOUR PHILANTHROPY WILL BE?
philanthropy will play at least a small role in improving the health, education and welfare of future generations.
AS A UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICAL CENTER TRUSTEE, WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT UCHICAGO MEDICINE’S IMPACT TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE?
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO DONATE TO NEUROBLASTOMA RESEARCH AT COMER CHILDREN’S?
While cancer is a troubling and sometimes tragic disease for an adult, it just seems even more tragic for children because they are just beginning the path to full potential. It is very important, to the extent we can, to discover how to cure those cancers and create therapies that will relieve any suffering children might experience. Physicianscientists can play a key role in these efforts.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE PROGRESS THAT RESEARCHERS AT COMER CHILDREN’S ARE MAKING TOWARD ACHIEVING A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENETIC AND BIOLOGICAL CAUSES OF NEUROBLASTOMA?
Thus far, the research has been very promising. The research team originally hypothesized they could identify biomarkers that would provide information on how neuroblastomas were progressing in patients. The research has largely confirmed the hypothesis. Equally important, it has led to additional research designed to help physician-scientists better understand how various prescribed therapies and treatments are affecting neuroblastomas in children.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU’VE LEARNED SO FAR THAT SURPRISED YOU?
I was surprised by the rapid pace at which research efforts led to additional funding
Philanthropy is really an investment— sometimes a seed investment. When someone invests in a company, the person is, well, thinking about what future financial return that company might generate. In philanthropy, we also should be focused on achieving positive future returns. Those returns are not necessarily financial in nature, but they are still extremely important. For example, those “positive returns” might be a cure for a disease or an increase in the ability to detect a disease earlier or an increase in positive outcomes for patients or a decrease in the level of patient suffering. I just hope my
Of course, I am excited about the quality of care the UChicago Medicine system provides to patients today — and has provided patients in the past. What’s even more exciting is the collaborative research now underway at UChicago Medicine. That research is not only focused on improving outcomes for current patients, but on identifying therapies and treatments for individuals who will be patients five or 10 years from now—whether it’s for cancer or other diseases.
Barry FieldsThe University of Chicago Medicine 5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 1110 Chicago, IL 60637