WINTER 2015
PAGE 2
Comer Children’s Hospital Celebrates 10 Years of Caring for Kids PAGE 6
BECAUSE HE’S HAPPY PAGE 8
Jake’s got his groove back after cancer treatment by our pediatric specialists
Three Women’s Stories of Hope and Healing SPECIAL REPORT
Our Commitment to Quality and Safety
The University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences has been at the forefront of medical care, research and teaching for more than 90 years. Located in historic Hyde Park on the South Side of Chicago, the University of Chicago
GREETINGS FROM THE FOREFRONT OF MEDICINE
Medicine & Biological Sciences includes: Patient Care  Center for Care and Discovery  Comer Children’s Hospital  Bernard A. Mitchell Hospital  Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine  Numerous outpatient locations throughout the Chicago area Teaching Programs  Pritzker School of Medicine  Master’s and doctoral degree programs  Postdoctoral programs Research  Medical and basic science units Among our many honors and acknowledgments: 12 Nobel laureates; ranked 11th of all U.S. medical schools; one of only 41 National Cancer Institute–designated comprehensive cancer centers; ranked fifth in nation for National Institutes of Health grant support per researcher.
We are celebrating a decade of treating remarkable kids at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital.
University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences Executive Leadership Kenneth S. Polonsky, MD, Dean of the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine, and executive vice president for Medical Affairs for the University of Chicago Sharon O’Keefe, president of the University of Chicago Medical Center Jeffrey Glassroth, MD, dean for clinical affairs, University of Chicago Medicine T. Conrad Gilliam, PhD, dean for
Many of the young
At the ribbon cutting for Comer
patients at Comer
Children’s Hospital 10 years ago this
Children’s Hospital
month, a young boy named Jimmy Mohan
have challenging
gave a child’s-eye view of his cancer
diseases that require
treatment: “Being in the hospital is not
the most advanced
all that bad,� he said. “You can watch TV
care. Although these children often
and no one will tell you to turn it off.�
face long hospitalizations and difďŹ cult
Today, Jimmy is 18 and making college
education, Pritzker School of Medicine
treatments, they continually impress the
plans. We will be celebrating a decade
IMAGINE IS PUBLISHED THREE TIMES
staff with their resiliency and courage.
of treating remarkable kids like Jake
While we treat them, they inspire us.
and Jimmy at Comer Children’s Hospital
basic science, Biological Sciences Division Holly J. Humphrey, MD, dean for medical
A YEAR BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES.
throughout the year.
Editor: Anna Madrzyk Assistant Editor: Gretchen Rubin
Jake Boddie underwent chemotherapy,
Email us at: imagineeditor@uchospitals.edu
radiation and three major surgeries for
In this issue of Imagine, we also tell
a tumor in his pelvis, all before he was 3
you about three women whose medical
years old. But whenever he got a chance,
journeys may encourage others not to
this energetic little boy danced. His favorite
give up when seeking treatment. We
song, “Happy,� describes the spirit he
thank Jennifer, Bonnie and Therese for
brought to everyone who cared for him.
sharing their heartening stories.
Design: TOKY Branding + Design Contributing writers Thea Grendahl Christou, John Easton, Sarah Fell, Cynthia Greenwood, Felicia Hudson, Kevin Jiang, Jane Kollmer, Michael McHugh, Gretchen Rubin, Tiffani Washington, Matt Wood Contributing photographers David Christopher, Robert Kozloff, Jean Lachat, Thomas Papandria, Matt Wood ADDRESS
You can read more about Jake on page 8. Thank you for your interest in the University of Chicago Medicine. We wish you a safe and healthy winter.
The University of Chicago Medicine 5841 S. Maryland Ave., Chicago, IL 60637 The University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital 5721 S. Maryland Ave., Chicago, IL 60637 Telephone Appointments Follow the University of Chicago Medicine
SHARON O’KEEFE President of the University of Chicago Medical Center
on Twitter at twitter.com/UChicagoMed or visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/ UChicagoMed. You can read more about our news and research at uchospitals.edu/news and at sciencelife.uchospitals.edu. 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. Read Imagine online at uchospitals.edu/imagine.
KENNETH S. POLONSKY, MD Dean of the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine, and executive vice president for Medical Affairs for the University of Chicago
AT THE FOREFRONT OF WOMEN’S AND CHILDREN’S CARE VASCULAR ANOMALIES
BREAST CANCER
Comprehensive Care for Vascular Birthmarks
Taking a Deep Breath for Safer Radiation Therapy
One in 10 infants is born with a vascular birthmark — a growth made up of blood vessels (arteries, veins, capillaries and/or lymphatic vessels). These vascular anomalies have unique characteristics and may appear red (like a strawberry) or blue. Most birthmarks are harmless and will never require any treatment. However, some may become troublesome and require medical attention. The University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital recently established the first comprehensive center in Illinois to address the unique needs of children who have vascular birthmarks. The Vascular Anomalies Program brings together experts in many pediatric specialties who discuss diagnoses, share viewpoints and develop individualized treatment plans. The team, led by renowned pediatric surgeon Jessica J. Kandel, MD, also places a strong emphasis on patient and family education.
“Keeping parents involved in the process helps them to understand our current treatment recommendations as well as what they can expect in the future.” Depending on the location and extent of a child’s vascular malformation, treatment may include medication, laser therapy, chemotherapy and/or surgical intervention. Marks that only affect the skin, such as certain types of hemangiomas, may only require monitoring as a child grows and develops.
After initial evaluation and treatment, physicians continue to examine and manage any lesions or symptoms over time.
“The vascular anomalies care team is here for our patients and their families for the long term,” Kandel said. “We work with patients and their families throughout childhood so that we can assist them to anticipate times of transition, such as entry into school or an “Parents appreciate learning how adolescent growth spurt. Our we’ve arrived at a diagnosis for goal is to help children lead full a patient,” Kandel said. and active lives by providing the right care at the right time.”
Radiation therapy targeting cancer in the left breast may expose the heart and lungs to damaging rays, increasing the risk of future respiratory and cardiac diseases. But a technique now offered at the University of Chicago Medicine makes it possible to deliver powerful doses of radiation precisely to the tumor while keeping surrounding tissue and organs as far out of the way as possible. Deep-inspiration breath hold (DIBH) requires the patient to take a deep breath — which moves the heart and lungs away from the breast tissue — and hold it briefly during treatment. This allows physicians to maximize radiation to the tumor and minimize the dose to the heart and lungs. “This method gives patients the best chance of curing their cancer, because the full clinical target is treated while reducing the side effects of radiation to their heart and lungs,” said medical physicist Hania Al-Hallaq, PhD. To make DIBH easier for the patient, our experts use 3D imaging to position the breast for accurate treatment.
The highly sensitive technology delivers radiation only during optimal positioning and shuts off automatically when the patient coughs or exhales. Our hospital was the first in the Chicago area to offer DIBH using this innovative technology. With the addition of this treatment option, our radiation oncologists have the latest technologies available to treat each patient’s cancer as effectively as possible without damaging nearby organs. “I am proud of the work our team has done to ensure that women treated at the University of Chicago Medicine can have the most sophisticated radiotherapy to combat the disease and prevent potential side effects,” said radiation oncologist Steven J. Chmura, MD, PhD.
The DIBH technique moves the heart and lungs as far out of the radiation field as possible during treatment.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COMER!
Our children’s hospital is named for the Comer family, including Gary Comer, founder of Lands’ End, and his wife Frances. The Comer family’s generous donation was used to build the state-of-the-art hospital, a pediatric emergency department and a center for outpatient specialty care.
CELEBRATING
170 CLOSE TO
highly trained PEDIATRICIANS provide care in
Comer nurse Krista Firnbach, RN, BSN, and 2-year-old A’amari Scott
22 PEDIATRIC
SPECIALTIES SINCE 2005, MORE THAN 8,000 CRITICALLY ILL AND PREMATURE NEWBORNS WERE TREATED IN THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.
Child life specialists support children and families through play, art, education and other activities.
In 2013, the Stephen family, founders of Weber-Stephen Products, donated $10 million to support neonatal care and research.
Our many fun-filled play spaces include a 3,000-square-foot playroom/teen room and outdoor playground on the first floor.
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21 pedIaTrICIaNS NaMed aMONg ChiCago MagazINe’S TOp dOCTOrS IN 2014
Where does reMOC, the friendly monster who greets kids and families in the lobby of the hospital, get his name?
pediatric hematologist/oncologist Charles rubin, Md, and atia Lutarewych, 7
IT’S COmER SPELLED BACKWARDS!
YEARS! AT THE FOREFROnT
In THE PAST DECADE, OUR SCIEnTISTS RECEIvED ALmOST
MOre THaN
$90 MILLION IN federaL fuNdINg fOr reSearCH
8,500 CHILdreN were brought to Comer by air or ambulance for emergency care in the past decade.
aimed at finding better treatments and cures for childhood diseases.
Nathan Woessner gets a tour of the university of Chicago aeromedical Network (uCaN) helicopter on the hospital’s rooftop landing pad. The little boy was treated in our pediatric intensive care unit in 2013 after he was rescued from under 11 feet of sand at the Indiana dunes.
Our researchers continue to conduct groundbreaking studies in childhood cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, sleep medicine, food allergies and digestive diseases.
TO FInD A PHySICIAn FOR yOUR CHILD, PLEASE vISIT UCHICAGOKIDSHOSPITAL.ORG/ PHySICIAnS/ OR CALL 1-888-824-0200.
CELEBRATING
YEARS
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BREATHING EASIER
Children suffering from asthma and sleep apnea get significant relief from both conditions after surgery to remove their tonsils and adenoids, according to a study by University of Chicago Medicine researchers published in PLOS Medicine. Researchers found that children who underwent surgery had 30 percent fewer serious asthma attacks and a 38 percent decrease in asthmarelated medical emergencies during the following year. Asthma is the third most prevalent chronic pediatric disease in the United States, and severe sleep apnea due to inflamed tonsils and adenoids is often associated with poorly controlled asthma. “Our findings will help physicians advocate for surgical intervention to reduce asthma severity and decrease reliance on medications,” said Rakesh Bhattacharjee, MD, an authority on pediatric sleep medicine and lead author of the study.
GLUTEN-FREE ON THE MENU
The gluten-free station at the outpatient DCAM food court is adding more options.
Imagine that! PIONEERING STUDY
The 15 most significant physiotherapy studies worldwide include pioneering University of Chicago Medicine research that changed the treatment of patients with critical illnesses. Historically, patients with respiratory failure were placed on a ventilator and given medications to keep them calm, sedated and immobile. In the UChicago Medicine study, however, half of the patients were awakened and helped to move — in some cases, even to walk with assistance. This aggressive approach not only helped patients recover medically from a serious illness, it also shortened their hospital stays and enabled their return to activities that allowed them to be independent and enjoy life. The study, published in The Lancet in 2009, and the 14 other top groundbreaking trials were selected by a panel of international experts on behalf of the Centre for Evidence-Based Physiotherapy. AT THE FOREFRONT CUSTOMIZED CARE
READ MORE IN SCIENCE LIFE: a blog of news and ideas in biomedicine sciencelife. uchospitals.edu
Patients’ race and ethnicity should be taken into account when treating them for diabetes, according to a new study by University of Chicago Medicine researchers. Their work suggests that using one-size-fits-all standards for diabetes care could mean management of the disease in the United States will actually worsen. Researchers found that when using an individualized set of measures for diabetes care — including blood sugar targets, blood pressure levels, cholesterol levels and smoking status — the standards were met by only 5 percent of African-Americans and 10 percent of Hispanics. Neda Laiteerapong, MD, lead author of the study published in the journal Medical Care, urges physicians to establish individual goals appropriate to a patient’s medical history and personal background, instead of relying on those universal standards.
The University of Chicago Medicine recently was awarded gluten-free certification from the Gluten Intolerance Group’s Gluten-Free Food Service (GFFS) Accreditation program. We’re one of only three medical centers in the U.S. to carry this accreditation. The GFFS designation certifies that our dining services staff is equipped to safely prepare and serve gluten-free food items to hospital patients and in the food court of the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine, our outpatient clinic. Gluten-free meals for our adult and children’s hospitals are prepared in a dedicated kitchen with separate equipment and food storage areas. Ingredients are carefully screened and verified with vendors, and staff members are trained to avoid potential cross-contamination. Inpatient floors and the outpatient procedure areas are also stocked with gluten-free items for patients who need to take medications with food or who need something to eat after a medical procedure. The certification process was spearheaded by the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center and Aramark. The University of Chicago is the only academic institution in the country to carry the GFFS certification for both its hospital and campus facilities.
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John M. Cunningham, MD Professor and Chief, Section of Hematology/Oncology Department of Pediatrics, with Daniela Lakosilova, acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivor
His gift for innovation gave her the gift of health. When Daniela’s leukemia returned five years after her first round of treatment, a technique pioneered by John M. Cunningham, MD, restored the high school junior to health. The University of Chicago Medicine was the first medical center in the country to offer a haplo-cord stem cell transplant, using cells from a half-matched related donor plus well-matched, unrelated umbilical cord blood. Today, inspired by the art therapist who helped her cope with her illness, Daniela is a college sophomore studying art therapy—and her long-term prognosis is excellent. When you make a gift to the University of Chicago Campaign: Inquiry and Impact, you support groundbreaking research like Cunningham’s that leads to innovative new treatments and improved patient outcomes.
Everybody has a gift. Imagine the impact yours could make. Learn more at givetomedicine.uchicago.edu or call (773) 702-6565.
The women’s health care team at the University of Chicago Medicine provides compassionate and innovative care for the full spectrum of conditions that affect women. We are attuned to the unique needs of women of all ages and offer leading-edge treatments and procedures. When they were not sure where to turn, Jennifer Zinga, Bonnie Fulgham and Therese Byrne found hope, care and healing from our specialists in gynecologic oncology, urogynecology and sexual health. Here are their stories.
RESTORED
From the time she was a young girl, Jennifer Mason Zinga knew she wanted three children. A mother of two at age 30, Zinga was well on the way to achieving her dream family. But then, just six months after her second son was born, she was diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer. Her doctor recommended a radical hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), which would end her hopes of conceiving a third child. “Needless to say, my husband, Tim, and I were devastated by the news,” said Zinga, a resident of Northlake, Ill. “In my heart of hearts, I knew three was our magic number.”
Zinga met with University of Chicago Medicine gynecologic oncologist Ernst Lengyel, MD, PhD, one of a few physicians in the U.S. who performs the technically challenging procedure. “A trachelectomy allows us to balance treating the cancer with a patient’s desire to maintain her fertility,” Lengyel said. “Fortunately, Jennifer met all of the criteria for this surgery.”
Jennifer Mason Zinga and Rocco
Searching online for an alternative that might allow her to get pregnant again, she learned about radical vaginal trachelectomy. The procedure involves removal of the cervix and the upper two centimeters of the vagina. The uterus is left intact and connected to the remaining portion of the upper vagina. A permanent circular suture is placed around the uterus where the cervix used to be, to help maintain a pregnancy.
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One year after the surgery, Zinga discovered she was pregnant. She delivered a healthy baby boy by cesarean section on April 7, 2014. “We know Dr. Lengyel is the only reason we have Rocco, our miracle baby,” she said. “Along with our 14-year-old, Giovani, and our three-year-old, Dominic, our family is now complete.”
Watch the video at uchospitals.edu/jennifer-story.
RECOVERED
When Bonnie Fulgham had surgery to remove painful uterine fibroids, she didn’t expect to experience complications that would lead to several hospitalizations and more surgical procedures. Two years ago, Fulgham, then 53, underwent a laparoscopic partial hysterectomy at another hospital. A postsurgical infection caused a bowel obstruction. Emergency surgery to address the problem left her with a hole in her bladder and two vaginal fistulas. (A fistula is an abnormal connection between one organ and another organ or structure in the body.) “A one-day surgery turned out to be a nightmare,” Fulgham said. When problems persisted even after several more hospitalizations, her husband, Chris, insisted, “We have to get you some place where they can put you back together.”
Therese Byrne accepted her breast cancer diagnosis, treatment plan and the side effects related to her therapy because she wanted to get well. “During that phase, there were many resources to help ease the discomfort that comes with the disease,” said Byrne, a property manager who lives in the western suburbs with her husband, Tom, and four children. Therese Byrne
A longtime friend recommended University of Chicago Medicine urogynecologist Sandra Valaitis, MD. “From the moment we met Dr. Valaitis, her spirit and energy created an instant connection between us,” Fulgham recalled. “After reviewing my records, she said, ‘It’s very complicated, but we’ve seen it before. We can fix it.’”
“Bonnie did remarkably well,” Valaitis said after Fulgham’s successful surgery and recovery. “What was so wonderful about her was her attitude the entire time. She was so optimistic. She put a lot of trust in our entire team.”
Bonnie and Chris Fulgham
Imaging tests confirmed Fulgham had one fistula between the bladder and the vagina and another connecting the upper part of the rectum to the vagina. In addition, her colon had adhered to the bladder and vaginal walls. Valaitis assembled a multidisciplinary surgical team that included a urologist and a colorectal surgeon. Their goal: repair the fistulas by closing the holes in the bladder and colon and return the affected area to its proper alignment.
REKINDLED
But when her treatment at the University of Chicago Medicine was completed, Byrne, 50, did not expect to find intimacy with her husband of 25 years challenging. “My body, as well as my spirit, had been through a lot; I was shocked, in many ways, about what life looked like post-cancer,” said Byrne, who experienced sudden menopause as a result of the chemotherapy. “But I know that I am not the only cancer survivor who has had this experience. Every woman I have talked to who has been through breast cancer treatment had some change in sexual function.” Byrne found hope and help at UChicago Medicine’s Program in Integrative Sexual Medicine (PRISM). Directed by obstetrician/gynecologist Stacy Tessler Lindau, MD, MA, and gynecologic oncologist S. Diane Yamada, MD, PRISM helps female cancer patients and survivors regain their sexuality. The PRISM care team also includes psychologists and physical
therapists and collaborates with specialists in radiology, sleep medicine, physical therapy, psychiatry, urogynecology, neurology and/or surgery as needed. This collaboration has served as a model for the development of similar multidisciplinary programs across the country. “PRISM offers an expanded approach to cancer care,” said Lindau, a nationally known expert in the field of women’s sexual health. “Patients need to know that they are not alone if they experience these symptoms. We support them during all stages of treatment and recovery.” Byrne praised Lindau for welcoming the dialogue and making the topic comfortable to discuss. “She made me feel hopeful,” Byrne said. “What she did was simple, but profound.”
For more about PRISM, visit uchospitals.edu/prism.
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G O T TA D A N C E
Moments after Jacob “Jake” Boddie woke from surgery to remove a tumor in his pelvis, his father, Kyle Boddie, said to his 2-year-old son, “Hey, Jake, bust a move!” Although he was still groggy, the toddler smiled. One tiny shoulder, then the other, wiggled in time to a beat. Kyle and Jake’s mother, Ashley McIntyre, say Jake started dancing long before he could walk. “And now that’s all he does,” Kyle said. “He loves it. You can’t stop him.” During his yearlong treatment for a rare cancer, Jake danced with his nurses, child life specialists and doctors at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital. He boogied in his hospital room, in the hallways and even on the way to the operating room. His parents say dance helped Jake recover from his treatments and surgery. It helped them cope with their son’s illness.
“Even though Jake went through so much, he uplifted us,” Ashley said. “We thought, ‘If he can have fun through all of this, why can’t we?’” Kyle and Ashley knew something was wrong when Jake wasn’t acting like himself at a July Fourth picnic in 2013. Agitated and restless, the toddler wasn’t his “silly self ” and refused to dance or play with the other children. A few days later, he began limping. An ultrasound performed in the emergency department at Comer Children’s Hospital showed a large mass resting in the lower part of his abdomen and reaching into his pelvis.
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A biopsy revealed the mass to be a sarcoma, a fast-growing cancer. “The tumor was 4 inches in diameter, about the size of a small grapefruit,” said pediatric oncologist Navin Pinto, MD, a pediatric sarcoma expert. In addition to his clinical work, Pinto leads a personalized medicine initiative at Comer Children’s Hospital that is sequencing the genetic makeup of pediatric tumors from every patient to help guide treatment. For Jake, several rounds of chemotherapy were needed to shrink the tumor to half its original size. It was then small enough to be removed, but Jake’s surgery would be complicated. The tumor was wrapped around critical blood vessels as well as the right ureter, a tube that brings urine from the kidney to the bladder. On the morning of the surgery in January 2014, Ashley and Kyle danced with Jake to the song “Happy” as they headed toward the operating room doors; there, they turned him over to the surgical team. “Jake knew something was going on,” Ashley recalled, “but I think it made him feel better to see us laughing and dancing.” Pediatric urologist Mohan S. Gundeti, MD, and pediatric surgeon Grace Mak, MD, worked together in the surgical suite.
He feels comfortable at the hospital. He’s always laughing and having a good time. KyLE BODDIE, JAKE’S FATHER
First, Gundeti used an endoscopic approach, placing a stent in the ureter to mark its location and keep the fragile tube open. Mak then surgically removed as much of the tumor as possible, meticulously separating it from the vessels and ureter while avoiding nearby nerves. “Jacob recovered beautifully and bounced back quickly after the operation,” Mak said, adding, “He was eating — and doing his moves — a few days later.” Completing Jake’s treatment required both chemotherapy and radiation to eliminate any lingering cancer cells. In addition, the lower section of the right ureter had narrowed, leading to pressure on the right kidney, and needed attention before it became completely obstructed. Gundeti performed reconstructive surgery, moving the right kidney down a few centimeters and making a new tube for the ureter using a flap from the bladder. Again, Jake recovered quickly from an extensive operation.
| A B O v E | Jake Boddie with pediatric specialists Mohan Gundeti, MD, left, Navin Pinto, MD, and Grace Mak, MD.
Today, the 3-year-old visits the hospital regularly for follow-up care with the nurses and doctors who cared for him. “He feels comfortable at the hospital. He’s always laughing and having a good time,” Kyle said. “Everyone knows him now. And everyone dances with him.”
UChicago Medicine Committed to Expanding Pediatric Trauma Care The University of Chicago Medicine is taking formal steps to raise the age limit of its pediatric trauma program by two years to include 16and 17-year-old children. Medical center leaders are working with state, county and city officials to increase the age limit of its Level 1 pediatric trauma center at Comer Children’s Hospital, which has been treating seriously injured children since it opened in 2005.
age 15 and younger under the Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Center Code, adopted by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Correspondingly, pediatric trauma centers in Illinois are certified to treat pediatric patients 15 years and younger. This past summer, we extended the age of nontrauma patients treated at Comer Children’s Hospital’s emergency department to include 16- and 17-year-olds.
“Raising the age of trauma care for children is yet another step in our ongoing efforts to address health disparities in our community.” BREnDA BATTLE, vICE PRESIDEnT FOR CARE DELIvERy InnOvATIOn
“We decided that expanding trauma care to all minor children would help provide an important service to a particularly vulnerable part of our community,” said Sharon O’Keefe, president of the University of Chicago Medical Center. “This underscores our commitment to continually meet the needs of children in our South Side community.” O’Keefe said the search for additional physicians and staff who specialize in pediatric trauma care will begin as soon as possible. She expects the pediatric trauma unit will be ready to treat this broader group of patients within a year. The state historically has defined pediatric patients as
The age expansion we are seeking for the pediatric trauma program is seen as one more way UChicago Medicine is responding to the evolving health care landscape and the community’s needs. “Raising the age of trauma care for children is yet another step in our ongoing efforts to address health disparities in our community,” said Brenda Battle, RN, BSN, MBA, vice president for care delivery innovation and chief diversity and inclusion officer. “We are partnering with many community organizations on our South Side to help prevent and treat childhood illness and injury, including those caused by violence.”
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2 0 1 4 QUA L IT Y & SAF ET Y SPECI AL RE P ORT
Our Patients: Our Top Priority
AN
IN SAFETY
The University of Chicago Medicine received another top grade in hospital safety from the prestigious Leapfrog Group.
Quality and safety is an ongoing mission at the University of Chicago Medicine. Our superior rating is a measure of the care and professionalism of our entire multidisciplinary clinical staff, from physicians to nurses to pharmacists. KENNETH S. POLONSKY, MD DEAN OF THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES DIVISION AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR MEDICAL AFFAIRS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SHARON O’KEEFE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICAL CENTER
We are one of about 250 U.S. hospitals to get an “A” in all six ratings surveys since the Hospital Safety Score began in 2012.
Leapfrog rates hospitals across the country using 28 publicly available safety metrics, measuring a hospital’s success in keeping patients safe from infections, injuries and medical errors. The Leapfrog score is calculated under the review of a nine-member blue-ribbon panel of hospital safety experts from top institutions across the country.
Scan the QR code to download the Hospital Safety Score App and see the scores of other nearby hospitals. You can also see UChicago Medicine’s complete dataset at hospitalsafetyscore.org.
Listening to Our Patients At the University of Chicago Medicine, we are improving quality and safety by listening to our patients. New, innovative initiatives are giving patients and their families more say in their own health care. LE ADE RS H I P I PAD ROU N DING SE SSIONS
Our nursing leadership visits regularly with patients to ask them key questions about their comfort, pain and need for help with anything. Information is analyzed electronically in real time, helping us instantly see how we are doing and where we can improve care for all our patients.
ON LI N E PATI E NT PAN E L
We recently established an online community of more than 1,500 current and former patients. We rely on this virtual patient advisory board for feedback about care at UChicago Medicine. We are committed to sharing back with our community how we’re using their valuable insights to improve patient experiences. FE E DBACK KIOSKS
In the year ahead, we will be installing electronic kiosks in strategic places around the UChicago Medicine campus to gain instant feedback on the quality of care as well as the patient and family experience.
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PREDICTING AND PREVENTING CARDIAC ARREST More than 200,000 inpatients in the U.S. suffer a cardiac arrest every year, and roughly 80 percent of these events prove fatal. Resuscitation — applying a combination of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and electric shocks to revive patients — is the standard treatment for patients whose hearts have stopped. In the multidisciplinary tradition of all our work at the University of Chicago Medicine, physicians, nurses and researchers teamed up to investigate the many factors that can cause a patient to deteriorate and to identify, ahead of time, when this might occur. In a trial, the group used technology to collect and analyze data to see if they could predict these serious medical events. The data analysis showed accurate predictions, in some cases 24 hours in advance.
A dedicated critical care outreach team, staffed by a group of nurse experts equipped with up-to-the-minute data and the most sophisticated tools, monitors patients to identify factors that might trigger an arrest. When the specially trained staff members identify potential problems, they call in a rapid response team to intervene before the patient worsens. This has resulted in better outcomes for hospitalized patients experiencing lifethreatening complications of infection, faster treatment times for inpatients having an acute stroke and more multidisciplinary care for patients who are rapidly deteriorating. Most significantly, in a 12-month period, we prevented about 26 cardiac arrests in UChicago Medicine patients who otherwise would have been expected to suffer this devastating complication.
Dana Edelson, MD, MS, a leader in improving CPR effectiveness, with a crash cart that includes paddles for jump-starting the heart during CPR.
We are proud of the quality of care and safety we provide our patients and their families. We are honored that this commitment continues to place us among the country’s best health care providers. STEPHEN WEBER, MD CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS
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NatioNal recogNitioN for
quality & safety (in fiscal year 2014)
aetna institutes of quality Bariatric surgery facility
2014 John M. eisenberg excellence in Mentorship award from the agency for Healthcare Research and quality (aHRq)
advanced Comprehensive stroke Center
Awarded to David Meltzer, MD, PhD, section chief of hospital medicine
First hospital in Chicago to earn this distinction from the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
american Heart association’s Mission: lifeline Bronze Recognition For meeting treatment criteria for heart attacks
the university of Chicago Medicine is honored to be recognized as among the best in the country for quality and safety.
The University of Chicago Medicine is in the TOp 10 pERCENT IN THE COUNTRY in Medicare’s patient safety ranking — a combination of a number of individual patient safety measures.
fostering innovation At the University of Chicago Medicine, we are always working on innovative ways to deliver improved health care to our patients. That’s why we started the Innovations Grant Program. After a rigorous review process, the first recipients were chosen.
2014 quality Respiratory Care Recognition from the american association for Respiratory Care Awarded to University of Chicago Medicine Respiratory Care Services
Our ongoing focus on quality, safety and patient experience resulted in our hospital ranking AbOVE STATE AND NATIONAl AVERAGES for overall patient satisfaction and how willing patients are to recommend UChicago Medicine.
alexander langerman, MD,
assistant professor of surgery, for an initiative to improve LANGERMAN operating room efficiency and enhance surgical team coordination that promises to have impact far beyond UChicago Medicine. tina shah, MD, MPH, a pulmonary
SHAH
and critical care fellow, for a proposal on how to better identify and treat patients
with exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) so they don’t return to the hospital for the same condition. The winners were announced at the ninth annual Quality and Safety Symposium in May. The symposium featured presentations from more than 60 multidisciplinary groups, highlighting work ranging from novel approaches to lowering infections to the launch of the “Ask Me to Explain” campaign to foster better communications with our patients and their families.
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE IMAGINE MAGAZINE | QUA L I T Y & S A F E T Y S P E C I A L R E P O RT