SUMMER 2016
COVER STORY
Announcing our new Family Birth Center PAGE 4
Beating AFib and other heart rhythm disorders PAGE 8
A timely decision to get a colonoscopy PAGE 10
Q&A on teen stress and anxiety
SPECIAL DELIVERY
Imagine
SUMMER 2016 IN THIS ISSUE
3
ON THE COVER
PLAYING ON Thanks to our orthopaedic experts,
sisters Claire, left, and Hayley Roesler are pain-free and playing on.
RESTORING RHYTHM Our new Arrhythmia
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Technology Suite will offer state-of-the-art treatment in a warm and soothing
READ ONLINE Find these stories and more at SCIENCELIFE.UCHOSPITALS.EDU
environment.
New parents Keewa Nurullah and Douglas Freitag with their son, Faraz. Read Keewa’s birth story:
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uchospitals.edu/Keewa-birth-story
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SYMPTOM TRACKER SOUTH SIDE CARE
How our researchers are using
A new emergency
fitness trackers to usher in an
real-time data about symptoms and physical activity from Fitbit
room, Level 1 trauma services
era of personalized medicine for
and a dedicated cancer facility
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
will dramatically increase access
FAMILY BIRTH CENTER
to health care on the South Side. uchicagogetcare.org
OUR DOC IN RIO An interview with UChicago
See more beautiful babies
Medicine sports medicine
born at UChicago Medicine and learn
specialist Sherwin Ho, MD,
about our new Family Birth Center,
orthopaedic surgeon for the
opening late August.
Chinese women’s volleyball team competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.
Imagine magazine features stories
VISIT OUR WEBSITES FOR
Editor: Anna Madrzyk
about life-changing care and
MORE INFORMATION:
Assistant Editor: Gretchen Rubin
breakthroughs in medical research at the University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences. Kenneth S. Polonsky, MD Dean of the University of Chicago
Adult care uchospitals.edu Children’s care uchicagokidshospital.org
Biological Sciences Division and the
Main number
Pritzker School of Medicine and executive
1-773-702-1000
vice president for Medical Affairs Sharon O’Keefe President of the University of Chicago Medical Center
Design: TOKY Branding + Design Contributing writers Thea Grendahl Christou, John Easton, Sarah Fell, Cynthia Greenwood, Bethany Hubbard,
Read Imagine online at uchospitals.edu/Imagine Email us at imagineeditor@uchospitals.edu Facebook.com/UChicagoMed Twitter.com/UChicagoMed
Ruth E. Kott, Kevin Jiang, Gretchen Rubin, Matt Wood and Molly Woulfe Contributing photographers
Appointments
David Christopher, Dan Dry, Robert Kozloff,
1-888-824-0200
Jean Lachat, Matt Marton, Andrew Nelles, Daryl Wilson, Joel Wintermantle 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 right away.
We’re bringing the Forefront of Medicine and an enhanced patient experience closer to you. OPENING DECEMBER 2016
OPENING JANUARY 2017
The University of Chicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care at Orland Park
The University of Chicago Medicine Center for Advanced Care at South Loop
143rd Street
Southgate Market
and La Grange Road
1101 S. Canal St.
Open early, open late
Saturday hours
Same day appointments
Short wait times
Self check-in kiosks
The sign is up, and we’re on our way to the South Loop.
World-class cancer care coming to the southwest suburbs The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers (LCMH) in Evergreen Park opens this fall. The cancer center will offer inpatient and outpatient services, including an infusion center, radiation therapy, specialty clinic services and clinical trials of emerging therapies.
“This gives us an opportunity to bring our life-changing therapies closer to the patients we serve every day.” MITCHELL POSNER, MD Physician-in-chief, University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
POP QUIZ Where can you find a University of Chicago Medicine physician? A. B. C. D. E.
Hyde Park Chicago — Streeterville New Lenox Schererville, Indiana All of the above
ANSWER: E, ALL OF THE ABOVE.
These are just a few of the many places you’ll find our physicians in and around Chicagoland. Search by location and specialty: uchospitals.edu/visitor/offsite | R I G H T | Pediatrician Mark L. Roome, MD,
talks with toddler Liam and mom Jacque Baker during a checkup at the Comer Children’s Hospital Child Life Center. The clinic is located in the Ingalls Family Care Center in south suburban Flossmoor.
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CATCH-UP SLEEP MAY COUNTER DIABETES RISK
Sleeping late on a weekend may cancel out a health risk associated with getting too little sleep during the workweek. Healthy, young male volunteers slept an average of 4.3 hours for four consecutive nights during a study at the UChicago Medicine sleep laboratory. They ate a controlled diet throughout the study. After four nights of sleep deprivation, the men had problems regulating their blood sugar, and their risk of developing diabetes increased 16 percent. After two nights of extended sleep — about 10 hours per night — their diabetes risk returned to levels seen with normal sleep. “This metabolic response to extra sleep was very interesting and encouraging,” said Esra Tasali, MD, senior author of the study published in the journal Diabetes Care. The finding could impact large numbers of people who work long hours and do not get sufficient sleep on workdays. AT THE FOREFRONT
9 A’s in a row We just earned our 9th consecutive “A” rating for hospital safety from The Leapfrog Group, an industry watchdog that tracks thousands of hospitals nationwide. The University of Chicago Medicine is one of only 98 facilities in the country to earn an “A” every time since the semiannual ratings began in 2012.
Imagine that! BRAIN SIZE, AGGRESSION LINKED
“What’s your problem?” So you’ve wondered about that driver lurching red-faced over the steering wheel — honking, yelling, gesturing. “Road rage” could be connected with low amounts of gray matter in parts of the brain regulating emotion, say UChicago Medicine scientists. They studied brains of patients with intermittent explosive disorder (IED), whose symptoms included recurrent, problematic, impulsive and angry outbursts. Scans revealed less volume in the brain’s emotion centers in people who display frequent aggressive behavior, compared with people who are not very aggressive. “IED is not simply ‘bad behavior’ that requires an attitude adjustment; it’s a brain disorder in the same way that depression, mania or schizophrenia are brain disorders,” said Emil Coccaro, MD, lead author of the study published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. More studies are needed to determine causes and treatments for IED, which affects about 3.5 percent of the population.
READ MORE AT
sciencelife.uchospitals.edu.
IMPROVING ODDS FOR LUNG TRANSPLANT PATIENTS
Patients waiting for new lungs have a better chance for lifesaving surgery, thanks to new technology at UChicago Medicine. Historically, only one in five donor lungs has been judged suitable for surgery, the most difficult kind of transplant operation. The new procedure, ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP), lets physicians better evaluate and prepare donor lungs for transplant. More than half of the lungs previously thought questionable for transplant have been deemed usable after EVLP, significantly increasing the number of available donor organs. “This heralds a new era in lung transplantation,” said Christopher Wigfield, MD, surgical director of the lung transplant program, one of a select few centers in the country using the new technology. Nearly 1,700 people nationwide are waiting for lung transplants.
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SLEEP LOSS LEADS TO THE “MUNCHIES”
Can’t stay away from the vending machine? Skimping on sleep has been associated with overeating, poor food choices and weight gain. Now a new study shows how lack of sleep boosts a chemical signal in the brain that enhances the joy of eating, especially junk food. The sleep-deprived study participants — all young, healthy volunteers — were unable to resist “highly palatable, rewarding snacks,” even though they had taken in 90 percent of their daily caloric needs in a meal immediately before. The effects of sleep loss on appetite were most powerful in the late afternoon and early evening, times when snacking has been linked to weight gain. “Sleep restriction boosts a signal that may increase the pleasure and satisfaction gained from eating,” said Erin Hanlon, PhD, research associate in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at UChicago Medicine and a co-author of the study published in the journal Sleep.
playing on | L E F T | Holly Benjamin, MD, with sisters
Hayley, left, and Claire Roesler
“I was ready to quit,” Claire said, “but my mom told me we would never give up searching for the cause of my pain.” The Roesler family eventually found Benjamin, who performed the same shoulder and neck exam on Claire as she would on a tennis or baseball player. An MRI was done to rule out other conditions.
Holly Benjamin, MD, thinks of the young musicians she treats as athletes. “A string player is just as susceptible to soft tissue and tendon damage as a tennis player,” said Benjamin, a pediatric sports medicine specialist at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital. “The hours a musician spends practicing with repetitive movements are similar to those of an elite athlete practicing his or her sport-specific techniques.” Claire Roesler, 19, of Western Springs, Ill., had a passion for the violin from an early age. By middle school, she was playing in two performance groups. But shortly after a long holiday concert during her 8th grade year, Claire felt pain in her neck and shoulder. Throughout the winter, it became increasingly difficult for her to pick up her instrument, much less play it. “Even brushing my hair and lying in bed hurt,” she said. Remarks from the first three specialists she saw ranged from “stop playing the violin” to “the pain may be in her head” to “I don’t think she has a real injury.”
Benjamin diagnosed Claire with muscle strain in her neck along with shoulder impingement — soft tissue injuries caused by compression of the rotator cuff tendons in the shoulder and posture issues. But there was more. Claire had developed a condition referred to as complex regional pain syndrome, in which pain reaches severe levels out of proportion to the injury. Benjamin prescribed pain medication and a progressive course of physical therapy to loosen and strengthen the neck and shoulder and restore normal movement. Claire slowly improved and was able to tolerate intensive physical therapy. Within three months, she had recovered enough to play her violin for five minutes. Gradually, she was able to increase her practice times. Throughout the next four years, Claire played in her high school orchestra, attended summer music camps in the U.S. and toured internationally with music groups. Now in college, she performs in the orchestra and in a quartet. Although Claire loves being a musician, she plans to pursue a career in medicine. “I want to be a doctor because I want to be like Dr. Benjamin,” she wrote in her college essay. “She believed in me, found out what was hurting me and gave me hope. Like her, I will be a doctor who doesn’t give up.”
Running without pain Hayley Roesler’s feet hurt constantly and her ankles were swollen. The young girl hadn’t been able to run in years. “Walking down the block was about all she could tolerate,” said her mother, Marie Roesler. Hayley’s rigid, flat feet were the result of tarsal coalition — an abnormal connection between two bones. While several specialists had told the family that wearing orthotics was the only option, Holly Benjamin, MD, believed surgery could correct the problem. She referred Hayley to her Comer Children’s colleague, pediatric orthopaedic surgeon Christopher Sullivan, MD, MPH. Following surgery and physical therapy, Hayley is pain-free and active again.
Pediatric sports medicine practice locations COMER CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
5721 S. Maryland Avenue Chicago, IL 60637 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE COMER CHILDREN’S AT ELMHURST
1200 S. York Street, Suite 3190 Elmhurst, IL 60126 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE COMER CHILDREN’S AT EDWARD
Medical Office Building II 120 Spalding Drive, Suite 200 Naperville, IL 60540
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When nothing worked to ease the symptoms caused by abnormal heart rhythms, Robert West and Desiree Kumar turned to the arrhythmia experts at the University of Chicago Medicine. Our highly skilled specialists are leaders in the diagnosis, management and treatment of a wide range of heart rhythm disorders. Learn how our team helped these patients get back into a regular rhythm — and back to doing what they love.
Robert West struggled with atrial fibrillation (AFib) for five years. After a pacemaker and high doses of medication failed to help, his cardiologist told him he’d have to live with the symptoms.
The heart beats irregularly, resulting in “They did what they said they would do. I lower blood flow and higher risk for clots, was in and out of the procedure in four stroke or heart failure. Symptoms may hours and home the next day,” West said. include a racing heart, skipped beats, fatigue, And just one week later, West was on the shortness of breath during physical activity dance floor at his daughter’s wedding, and chest discomfort. twirling the bride in the traditional fatherdaughter dance. In August 2015, a friend told West about UChicago Medicine’s expertise in catheter ablation therapy. At his first appointment, Desiree Kumar went from West said the medical team answered all going to the gym five days a his questions and expressed confidence his week, working as an attorney normal heart rhythm could be restored. During the procedure, a catheter is threaded through the leg into the heart to locate sources of the abnormal electrical signals, which are then eliminated by radiofrequency energy. | B E L OW | Robert West with Labradoodles Rocky, left, and Max.
“I had worked hard to finally enjoy retirement and then I couldn’t do anything,” said the 73-year-old former mayor of Lansing, Ill. “I just wanted to lie in bed all day.” In atrial fibrillation, erratic electrical impulses starting in the upper chambers of the heart affect the normal electrical pathway through the rest of the heart.
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and enjoying her love of cars to feeling debilitated by dizzy spells, shortness of breath, extreme exhaustion and chest pain.
Tests showed she was experiencing more than 28,000 premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) daily as a result of an electrical issue in her heart. Because the PVCs occurred more frequently at night, her sleep was disrupted, leaving her exhausted and barely able to get through each day. Kumar tried several different medications to regulate the PVCs and underwent three cardiac ablations. None of the treatments was successful. “I was ready to give up on the possibility of feeling ‘normal’ again,” Kumar said. The physician who performed the ablations convinced her to see an arrhythmia specialist
at UChicago Medicine. “I knew I would ultimately regret not giving it one more try with the best team in the area.” In summer 2014, a UChicago Medicine electrophysiologist performed an innovative epicardial mapping and ablation procedure. Typically, the approach to the outside of the heart requires open heart surgery, but Kumar’s chest was entered through a small needle-assisted puncture of the heart sac, which enabled her physician to reach the heart’s outer surface with a catheter and eliminate the abnormal electrical signals in a difficult-to-reach area.
Ask the Expert RO D E R I C K T U N G , M D
Roderick Tung, MD, is the director of the Center for Arrhythmia Care at the University of Chicago Medicine. He is co-principal investigator for two international trials studying outcomes of different radiofrequency ablation techniques to treat ventricular tachycardia. WHY COME TO UCHICAGO MEDICINE FOR ARRHYTHMIA TREATMENT?
One, the true collaborative spirit of our team. When you come and see any one of us, you get a whole team approach. Two, we really embrace innovation. We are looking on a daily basis to find new techniques for problems that cannot be solved with traditional methods. And three, as a major academic center, we will often get the earliest release of the latest technologies, and we serve as the national and global site for multiple randomized clinical studies. Desiree Kumar
“After the procedure, I felt better immediately,” Kumar said. “I was up and walking around the next day. While my chest was sore, I was more alert and had more energy. My medical team was amazed at how quickly I recovered.” Today, the 33-year-old leads a busy life — welcoming her first baby, acting as an assistant attorney general for the State of Illinois and hitting the gym again. Kumar credits her UChicago Medicine team with saving her life.
It’s the best care I’ve ever received. DESIREE KUMAR
Request an appointment 1-888-824-0200
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IS THE MOST COMMON HEART RHYTHM DISORDER. WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR PATIENTS?
Atrial fibrillation can increase the risk of stroke and heart failure and also be uncomfortable from a quality of life perspective. Treatment options include anticoagulation (blood thinners) and controlling the arrhythmia with medication or catheter ablation therapy. We are among the nation’s leaders in catheter ablation, a minimally invasive procedure that involves threading a catheter through the leg into the heart, positioning it at the arrhythmia source and using heat to cauterize the tissue. In addition to standard ablation therapy, we specialize in innovative combined procedures that integrate surgical and robotic approaches. HOW EFFECTIVE IS ABLATION THERAPY FOR AFIB?
We give patients the analogy that atrial fibrillation is like a pest problem in your home. We come in and we do a treatment and we can control atrial fibrillation in 60 to 70 percent of the cases, but frequently it requires multiple treatments.
We start with the initial set of treatments and then we get more aggressive as the pest problem declares itself to be more and more stubborn. WHAT WILL PATIENTS EXPERIENCE IN THE NEW ARRHYTHMIA TECHNOLOGY SUITE?
A “lab of the future” concept with stateof-the-art technology in an environment designed to be sleek yet soothing, with modular minimalist paneling and LED strip lighting alongside soft glow wall accents. A custom floor-to-ceiling glass wall will maximize continuity and flow within the suite used for robotically assisted procedures. The lab is dedicated solely to the treatment of arrhythmias, and patients will feel a sense of privacy when they enter the suite, which we believe is unparalleled from both an aesthetic and technologically forward standpoint.
Even though we want to be the center that provides you your first and best opinion, we believe it is even more important to be the center of last resort. RODERICK TUNG, MD
OPENING LATE SUMMER
ARRHYTHMIA TECHNOLOGY SUITE The new 1,500-square-foot, $2.5 million Arrhythmia Technology Suite at the University of Chicago Medicine will combine advanced treatment tools with a team of highly specialized clinicians dedicated to the care of patients with abnormal heart rhythms.
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ANNOUNCING OUR NEW
There are lots of ways to deliver a baby, AND THEN THERE’S YOUR WAY.
FAMILY BIRTH CENTER Compassion. Comfort. Expertise. That’s what you’ll find at our new Family Birth Center. We offer a spectrum of traditional and natural childbirth options to optimize your birth experience. Our team of highly skilled obstetricians, midwives, obstetric nurses, obstetric anesthesiologists and lactation specialists is dedicated to supporting you through pregnancy, childbirth and the earliest days with your newborn. If you or your baby experiences a complication, our high-risk pregnancy and neonatology experts provide the highest level of specialized care.
THE NEW FAMILY BIRTH CENTER WILL FEATURE:
» Private delivery and postpartum suites
» Comfortable accommodations for families
» Two natural birthing suites, both with built-in warm water immersion tubs
» Close proximity to specialized care for newborns at Comer Children’s
» Comprehensive highrisk pregnancy care
» Midwifery services
Request an appointment with a physician or midwife Book a tour of the Family Birth Center
» The latest initiatives to promote breastfeeding and bonding
1-773-702-6118 uchospitals.edu/ birth-center
| L E F T TO R I G H T | Sarosh Rana, MD, Director, High Risk Obstetrics; Kenneth Nunes, MD, Director, General Obstetrics; Erin Irwin, MSN, APN, CNM, Director, Midwifery Services
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A TIMELY
DECISION When a routine colonoscopy revealed several large polyps, Ron McCormick turned to the experts at the University of Chicago Medicine. McCormick is known for being punctual. So when his physician advised him to get a colonoscopy around the time he turned 50, he followed doctor’s orders. Although he had no family history of colon cancer, McCormick scheduled the procedure for two days before his milestone birthday. “It turns out that if I had put it off, the consequences could have been serious,” said McCormick, a fleet manager for the Salvation Army.
During the routine screening at a local hospital, McCormick’s gastroenterologist identified eight polyps. Though polyps are benign, it’s necessary to remove and biopsy them right away because certain types can develop into cancer. The doctor successfully took out six but recommended McCormick see a specialist for removal of the two that were difficult to reach. “Because this was really important, I felt that I should go to the best place in town,” McCormick said. A family friend recommended the University of Chicago Medicine, and McCormick, a Hyde Park resident, didn’t hesitate. He scheduled an appointment with Uzma Siddiqui, MD, associate director of the Center for Endoscopic Research and Therapeutics.
ARE YOU AT RISK? If you are age 50 or older and/or have a family history of colorectal cancer, talk to your doctor about a screening.
Ron McCormick
To make an appointment at the University of Chicago Medicine, call 1-888-824-0200.
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On the day of the procedure, Siddiqui sat with McCormick to explain the process. She noted that one of the polyps was large and, if it had already become cancerous, he would need to undergo surgery immediately. McCormick initially felt nervous, but Siddiqui impressed him by having a plan for every possible scenario. “Dr. Siddiqui and her nurses made me feel very comfortable,” McCormick said.
I thought to myself, these people have got it covered. RON MCCORMICK
Using minimally invasive techniques, Siddiqui removed the polyps in two hours. Final pathology results showed that the polyps were benign; none had developed into cancer. McCormick was in the clear. McCormick returned to work three days after having the procedure. He was at home relaxing the following Saturday when his phone rang. “Dr. Siddiqui checked in to see how I was doing,” he recalled. “I was impressed that she took the time to reach out personally.” McCormick says he’ll never take his health for granted. “I’m thankful I came to a world leader like the University of Chicago,” he said. “Going forward, I will continue to seek out the best care.”
At the Forefront
Physician-scientists and researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center are studying better ways to prevent, detect and treat colorectal cancer.
EVALUATING HEREDITARY LINKS
OFFERING ALTERNATIVE COLONOSCOPY
ADDRESSING DISPARITIES
STUDYING HERBAL REMEDIES
Advances in genetic research may lead to early detection and prevention strategies for at-risk patients. Gastroenterologist Sonia Kupfer, MD, has identified genetic mutations that increase the risk of colorectal cancer in AfricanAmerican patients.
UChicago Medicine is a leader in virtual colonoscopy, a technique that uses a special CT scan to create 3D images of the colon. “It’s a very safe test. It’s less invasive, doesn’t require sedation, and you can go back to work the same day,” said radiologist Abraham Dachman, MD.
Gastroenterologist Karen Kim, MD, leads an effort to increase colorectal cancer awareness among underserved populations in Cook County. Culturally adapted programs are encouraging those at risk in the African-American, Hispanic and Asian-American communities to get screened.
Chun-Su Yuan, MD, PhD, is exploring whether a root extract commonly used as an herbal medicine in many Asian countries has specific chemicals that can be converted in the gut to exert potent anticancer effects in colorectal tumor cells.
Kim Blecke, MT
Making a Difference Every Day A WAY WITH WORDS
As a member of the care team at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Ill., Kim Blecke both “rejoices with patients and weeps with them.” Some years ago, the medical technologist decided to send personal cards to patients who had confided their worries or relief. A patient facing the first round of chemotherapy
receives words of encouragement, an individual undergoing the last round of treatment, congratulations. An avid scrapbooker, Blecke crafted original notes at first, specializing in floral motifs. Now she mails up to a dozen cards each week and uses an online paper-card design site to keep up. “Cancer treatment is scary,” she said. “We just want our patients to know we are thinking about them.”
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HELPING YOUR TEEN
MANAGE
Ask the Expert
STRESS
SONYA DINIZULU, PHD Stress is normal in life and learning how to manage it is important for good health in the teen years and beyond. But a constant state of stress can put youth and young adults at greater risk for lifelong physical and mental health illnesses. Child and adolescent clinical psychologist Sonya Dinizulu, PhD, talks about the triggers and symptoms, healthy coping skills and when to seek professional help. ARE ADOLESCENTS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO STRESS?
Stress is particularly prevalent among youth between the ages of 11 and 18. They face many challenges during this time of their lives. They are trying to figure out who they are. And they are looking to become more independent as they make the transition into young adulthood. WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON STRESSORS AFFECTING TEENS?
As teens test their roles and identities, parent/adolescent as well as sibling-to-sibling relationships can become strained and stressful. Navigating a shifting social life — friendships, peer interactions and romantic relationships — can also be a stressor. And, of course, there are increasing academic demands. Dealing with a significant life event in the family (e.g., serious illness, death, divorce) or chronic community stressors (e.g., community violence, poverty)
can further complicate an adolescent’s situation. If not addressed, a combination of any of these stressors may lead to persistent mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression and/or defiant behaviors.
AT THE FOREFRONT
To make an appointment with Sonya Dinizulu, PhD:
WHAT STRATEGIES DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR PARENTS — AND OTHER CARING ADULTS — OF A TEEN UNDER STRESS?
Encourage healthy habits — a nutritious diet and good sleep hygiene — and use stress management strategies, such as meditation, walking and exercising to moderate reaction to stress. Be good role models by adopting these strategies in your lives. Analyze the strengths and use resources in your family, social and faith-based networks to support the adolescent.
Little Company of Mary Hospital EVERGREEN PARK
1-844-826-5264
The University of Chicago Medicine HYDE PARK
WHAT SHOULD PARENTS DO WHEN THEY BECOME CONCERNED?
Start by talking to the teen about the symptoms they are observing. Ask if the teen can identify the stress trigger. Some families are able to help the teen by taking an active role — problem solving and using their strengths to collaborate on managing and coping with stress. If there is no improvement, families should seek professional counseling. Other families prefer to get assistance from a professional early on. Counseling can help the adolescent address the stressor, assist the family with coping strategies and prevent further problems from arising.
1-888-824-0200
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS-RELATED ANXIETY IN YOUNG PEOPLE?
Parents may notice their adolescent is not functioning as well as he or she usually would at home, and academic performance may decline. Physical signs seen in teens may include constantly getting sick, losing or gaining weight, stomach pains, and over or under sleeping and/or eating. Examples of emotional and behavioral symptoms include: withdrawing from activities; irritability or anger; anxiety; sadness; and becoming defiant, for example, verbally and/ or physically aggressive.
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Sonya Dinizulu, PhD
W H E N
YO U ’ R E
B AT T L I N G
PARKINSON’S DISEASE, E V E RY OT H E R O P P O N E N T S E E M S L I K E A P U S H OV E R .
At age 54, Cheng Xiu Xu was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Despite frequent changes in her medication, her symptoms continued to worsen. Eventually, it became nearly impossible to play table tennis, her favorite sport. But a referral led her to neurologist Dr. Tao Xie, medical director of the deep brain stimulation (DBS) program at the University of Chicago Medicine. Dr. Xie, along with neurosurgeon Dr. Peter Warnke, director of functional and stereotactic neurosurgery, decided she was a good candidate for DBS, which involves placing electrodes directly into the brain. The surgery completely transformed the life of a woman who only a few years earlier said she wanted to die. Now she not only wants to live, she wants to beat you at table tennis, too. To learn more or make an appointment, call 1-888-824-0200 or visit uchospitals.edu.
AT
T H E
F O R E F R O N T
O F
M E D I C I N E®
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AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR COMMUNITY Expanding access to care Get CARE, the University of Chicago Medicine’s plan to significantly increase health care services on Chicago’s South Side, was recently approved by a state regulatory board. Get CARE (Community, Access, Reliability and Excellence) includes development of a new and expanded emergency department, new Level 1 adult trauma services, and the conversion of Mitchell Hospital into a dedicated cancer care facility. The medical center will add nearly 200 new beds as part of this multiyear expansion.
“This is a historic step forward for UChicago Medicine that will greatly expand our ability to provide a broad range of services, including emergency and trauma care as well as care for patients with serious and complex medical and surgical conditions,” said Sharon O’Keefe, president of the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Shop at Mariano’s and support Comer Children’s You can give more children brighter futures — just by shopping at your local grocery store. For the month of September 2016, if you donate $1, $5 or $10 at the register at all Mariano’s stores across Chicagoland, you will be directly contributing to the lifesaving work of the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital physicians and scientists.
Learn more at uchicagogetcare.org.
FOOD FOR
HEALTH
FEED1ST
Parents of hospitalized children often don’t want to leave their child’s bedside to buy meals. And in some cases, families don’t have adequate access to food at home. Feed1st, a food pantry program within Comer Children’s, stocks shelves of food in family lounges and in the emergency department. The pantries are available to family members of pediatric patients and are open 24 hours a day.
Feed1st partners with the Greater Chicago Food Depository for supplies and accepts donations of nonperishable, healthy food. It also accepts monetary donations to support the pantry and research on how to create a sustainable model. To find out how to donate, please call 773-834-7752. SOUTHSIDE DIABETES PROJECT
Like many of the nation’s urban areas, Chicago’s South Side is battling an epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. The University of Chicago Medicine’s
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South Side Diabetes Project partners with neighborhood grocery stores, farmers markets and food pantries to transform the food culture in the community. Nutritionist-led tours, cooking classes and shopping tips, as well as vouchers for fitness classes and healthy food items, spread the message that eating well and being active can help prevent and control Type 2 diabetes. | A B O V E , R I G H T | Pritzker School
of Medicine student Claire Dugan restocks food pantry shelves in Comer Children’s.
MAKING CHANGE
COUNT
Sonali Smith, MD, and patient Clayton Harris
Family Video rounds it up to benefit lymphoma research
When Keith Hoogland, president of Family Video, launched “Round It Up for Lymphoma” back in 2012, he predicted his stores would raise about half a million dollars. By the end of that first 17-day fundraising effort — during which every customer was asked to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar and donate the change — they had raised almost $1 million. Since then, the country’s largest video rental chain, with approximately 780 locations across North America, has raised nearly $6 million for lymphoma research. The annual Round It Up campaign, Hoogland said, “is one of my favorite times of year”— when Family Video’s customers and employees all rally around the cause. Generous support from the campaign has been instrumental in establishing the University of Chicago Medicine’s Hoogland Lymphoma Biobank under the direction of Sonali Smith, MD, director of the lymphoma program.
The need for research into this blood cancer couldn’t be more urgent. Lymphoma is a complex family of cancers in the lymphatic system. While some types of lymphoma are treated successfully, others are aggressive, hard to treat, or incurable with today’s therapies. It’s the most common blood cancer in adults: every seven minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with a form of lymphoma. The Hoogland Lymphoma Biobank, established in 2014, enables Smith’s team to collect tissue specimens from patients with lymphoma, along with information about diet, lifestyle and other factors that could play a role in the cancer’s growth.
Ultimately, the lymphoma biobank will help us make significant progress towards finding a cure. KEITH HOOGLAND
“Even though we have stores all over North America, we’re a Midwestern company, headquartered in Springfield and Glenview, Ill.,” Hoogland said. “I think when our customers see that the funds are going to the University of Chicago and that 100 percent of the proceeds go directly to funding research for lymphoma, they feel a connection to it.”
| L E F T | Keith
Hoogland, president of Family Video, and his wife, Susan.
“I feel like we’re just getting started,” Hoogland said. “Through the biobank, we’re collecting more and more information about patients, and we’ll be able to get more insight into who gets lymphoma and why.” A better understanding of how biology and environmental factors interact in lymphoma patients could lead to improved diagnosis, more targeted treatments to help people live better and longer, and ways to prevent the disease. Hoogland knew from the start that he wanted a portion of Round It Up to support Smith and her work. He met her through his work with the Lymphoma Research Foundation, and they immediately hit it off. “There are doctors and there are healers,” Hoogland said. “And Soni’s a healer.”
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