Volume 23
HUPdate
Number 4
February 24, 2012
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Penn Patient Returns to Basketball Court After Being Sidelined It has been a long journey back to the basketball court for Penn Medicine patient Sesoo Ikpah. In 2009, paramedics had to revive the heart of his older brother, Tav, after it stopped beating. Soon after, heart failure specialist Susan Brozena, MD, of Medicine, diagnosed Sesoo with the same careerthreatening condition — cardiomyopathy.
Care Unit, learned about a new trial that was about to begin at Penn involving a new device used to treat arrhythmias. Ses jumped at the opportunity to receive the new device, a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD). He had to wait more than a year, but he was determined to take part in the trial.
Ses had spent his whole life playing basketball, but he was told he couldn’t play because of the small but dangerous chance that his heart could fail and he could die. A traditional implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a small device implanted in the chest that administers a life-saving electric shock if it detects an fast ventricular rhythm, would offer him protection, but he wouldn’t be cleared to play with this device. For the entire 2009-10 season he sat on the bench.
Conventional ICD’s require placing at least one lead in or directly on the heart. Most frequently they are threaded through a `` Photo credit: Richard Orr, courtesy of American International College vein and then placed inside the heart. The device then monitors the heart’s rhythm and delivers a life saving electric shock when a returned to the court last year in time to lead harmful arrhythmia is detected. The new his team at American International College S-ICD device works much like a traditional to a win for the first time since 2009. defibrillator, but the entire system is implanted just under the skin on the chest. A “It’s great that this new device has had such small power unit is placed under the skin on an impact on his life and basketball career,” the side of the chest and is attached to a thin Garcia said. “We’re hopeful that this new sensor and shocking electrode implanted technology will allow many more patients to under the skin near the breast bone. The continue to lead active and healthy lives.” S-ICD may be a better option for athletes like Ses because the leads in a traditional ICD can Ses graduated last year with a degree in become tangled or fractured during vigorous biochemistry. He decided to enroll in graduate school to earn his master’s in physical activity. clinical psychology and then plans to attend In August 2010, Ses had the S-ICD implanted medical school after he’s done with his by Fermin Garcia, MD, of Clinical Medicine master’s degree. and the principal investigator for the And he plans to keep playing basketball. clinical trial at Penn. Now, over a year later, he is doing so well with the device that he
Ses’s mother, Judith Ikpah, CRNP, MSN, a nurse practitioner in the Cardiac Critical
INSIDE When It Comes to Heart Health: Don’t Assume...............2 HUP Opens Additional Employee Lactation Lounge....3 Penn Medicine CAREs Foundation Grant Winners.......3 Gospelrama 2012......................4 Patient Safey Awareness Fair....4
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When It Comes to Heart
Health: Don’t Assume at least every five years through age 40. Then check them more frequently.” Young people who have a parent or sibling with high cholesterol or who suffered a stroke or heart attack before the age of 50 should start tracking numbers earlier and more frequently. “Relatives of persons with a history of heart attack or stroke have a twoto-three fold increased risk themselves.”
Jim Fixx championed running. In fact, the author of The Complete Book of Running is credited with helping to start this country’s fitness revolution, and, in the process, demonstrating the health benefits of regular jogging. He was slim, in shape, and ran 60 miles a week. He also had a family history of heart disease. Jim Fixx died of a heart attack when he was 52. “Being physically fit is not enough to protect you from heart problems,” said Emil deGoma, MD, medical director of Penn’s Preventive Cardiovascular Program. “You have to know your risk factors.”
Know Your Numbers It’s not that being fit isn’t important, deGoma stressed. It is, as are maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking, but your family history and your numbers – blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar – must be part of the total health picture. “You can’t change your family history but modifying your lifestyle can help prevent heart attacks and strokes.” deGoma advised everyone to establish baseline cholesterol and blood pressure levels by age 20. “In low-risk individuals, if these results remain normal, have them checked
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He also noted that, although many believe that cardiovascular disease is just a “man’s disease,” that’s not the case. Over the past 10 years, cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of more women than men in the United States. In fact, a woman in this country is eight times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than breast cancer.
`` Emil deGoma, MD, medical director of Penn’s Preventive Cardiovascular Program
stroke. We’re talking about aerobic exercise to benefit the heart, not weight training,” deGoma said. “Strolling with your dog does not count. Running with the dog does.” People with a family history of heart disease or one or two risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, might consider additional testing, such as a coronary artery calcium scanning, carotid ultrasonography or genetic testing. “In selected individuals, refining the risk of heart attack and stroke with advanced testing helps us better determine and tailor lifestyle modifications and medications.” And it might save your life.
Take Preventive Measures Keeping your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar within normal range is crucial, deGoma said. “High blood pressure is the #1 risk factor for mortality worldwide, more than being overweight or even smoking.” Lifestyle changes can often help reduce blood pressure. Maintain a healthy weight, with a body mass index of less than 25. Keep your salt intake under 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day. Cut back on canned, processed and restaurant foods, which can contain a full day’s supply of sodium in a single dish! McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese contains almost 1,200 mg of sodium. Burger King large fries: more than 800. And the Admiral Feast delivers a whopping 7,100 mg to Red Lobster patrons. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. They are chock full of nutrients and, along with oatmeal and whole wheat, are major sources of fiber which lowers cholesterol. Exercise. “Regular exercise 30 minutes a day, most days a week, has been associated with a reduction in the risk of heart attack and
To start your heart health assessment, go to the American Heart Association website at http://mylifecheck.heart.org.
`` (L. to r.) Diane Lawson, Jean Romano, Joshua Jones, Laura Carpenter, and Christine Jaslar all played a role in creating a second lactation lounge for employees.
HUP Opens Additional Employee Lactation Lounge Many nursing moms who work at HUP take advantage of the employee lactation lounge on Silverstein 8, which provides a comfortable and private environment. Indeed, according to the sign-in book, it is used nearly 200 times a month. Still, according to a recent survey among HUP residents, fellows, and staff, many do not have the time to get to this location and are relegated to finding any available private location, “including bathrooms and closets,” said HUP lactation consultant Laura Carpenter, BSN, RN, IBCLC. This is especially true for those who work in the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine or Penn Tower. Now employees will have an additional, more convenient — and more private — destination, at the new lactation lounge on
Penn Medicine offers a breast pump discount program for all UPHS employees. For more information, contact Jen Brady, Employee Health Advocacy manager, at 215-615-2609 or jennifer.brady@uphs.upenn.edu.
the Penn Tower Bridge. The new lounge offers three chairs, a refrigerator for labeled pumped milk (for storage up to 72 hours) as well as a microwave to steam clean the pump equipment in a special plastic bag. A woman must bring her own nursing kit or her own pump (see box for special breast pump discount program). The lounge is available any time. It will be kept locked but is easily accessed by checking in at the Center for Nursing Renewal (open Monday to Friday, from 7 am to 9 pm) or by calling Security (662-7215). Any woman who has lactation questions or issues can call the lactation line at 662-2361. Joshua Jones, MD, of Radiation Oncology, who is former president of the House Staff Committee, worked with Kiera Von Besser, MD, the former chair of FOCUS section for Women Residents and Fellows, on this collaborative effort that also included Nursing, shared governance, and HUP’s lactation team. “We want to help make the next generation of babies — our future generations — healthier,” said Christine Jaslar, RN, IBCLC, of the Neonatal ICU.
HUP’s Lactation Team recently received the IBCLC Care Award, which recognizes a lactation program that is staffed by IBCLCs (International Board Certified Lactation Consultants), and has a dedicated lactation program that protects, promotes, and supports breastfeeding, and provides breastfeeding training for staff. The award is given by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners and the International Lactation Consultant Association.
Penn Medicine CAREs Foundation Grant Winners Thanks to a $1,500 grant from the Penn Medicine CAREs Foundation Grant program — and efforts by Margie Delaney, HR staffing MAKE IT COUNT specialist — the Veterans Group of Powelton PennMedicine.org/Community Village will be able to provide a better environment to the many veterans who depend on the organization to get back on their feet. Delaney, shown at left with Matthew Dunphy, the Veterans Group director, had previously toured the facility, where up to 48 homeless veterans live and receive support services. “I saw that they needed so much, so when I heard Patrick Norton [director of Public Affairs] talk about the foundation grants, I went back to my office and submitted an application that very day!” she said. When she heard that the organization had been awarded a grant, “I was so excited! It’s wonderful to give back to the community this way.”
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Other grant award winners for this quarter – and outreach activities they support – are: •N ora Brennan, of the Heart and Vascular Center (HUP) – Weighing in! • J ulie Stutzbach, Neurology (PAH) – Dance for PD in Philadelphia • John Flamma, MD, Emergency Medicine (PPMC) – Medication Assistance for ED Patients •A ndrea Blount, Trauma (HUP) – Falls Prevention: Watch Your Step •S haron Civa, Penn Home Care – Hospice Volunteer Reiki Program •C amille Evans, HR (Corporate) – New Choices Career Development • J ames Bobyak, Pharmacy (PAH) – Pharmacy Brown Bag Program •M onica Yun Liu, Perelman School of Medicine student – Service Link at Sayre
The Penn Medicine CAREs Foundation Grants Program will be accepting applications for the next round of grants until Thursday, March 1. Go to http://pennmedicine.org/community/ to apply and for more information.
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GOSPELRAMA 2012 Friday, February 24 (TONIGHT!) Medical Alumni Hall, 1 Maloney • 5 pm to 7 pm
COME TO THE PATIENT SAFETY AWARENESS FAIR HUP will hold its 17th annual Patient Safety Awareness Fair on March 6-8. This year’s theme, “Be Aware for Safe Care,” highlights the need for health-care participants – from patient to provider – to be informed, involved and invested in making health care safe by working together to strengthen collaboration between patients, families and healthcare providers.
A PATIENT’S SPECIAL KIND OF THANKS
THE
2012 PENN MEDICINE /2012 Penn Medicine Strategy blurb – see in last week’s issue/ STRATEGY ««
(Above) Patient Joe Tobin performed at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine to show his thanks for family, friends, and health. Just three years ago, he suffered a major heart attack. He underwent procedures for a heart rhythm disorder and had stents placed to open blocked arteries … but he was barely able to walk or breathe. He almost needed a heart transplant but thanks to the care of a dedicated team of cardiologists, nurses, and social workers at the Penn Medicine Heart & Vascular Center, Tobin is now healthier and active, able to play his bagpipes in regular performances with fellow members of the Philadelphia Emerald Society Pipe Band.
Be sure to visit the information tables, located on the Ravdin Mezzanine and Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, available each day from 11 am to 2 pm. And don’t miss this year’s ever-popular Patient ‘Safety’ Unit! For more information, go to http://uphsxnet.uphs.upenn. edu/ceqi/ and click on Patient Safety Awareness Fair.
HUPdate
Helping People ALL THE TIME
Congratulations to October’s winners of the Helping People All the Time raffle. Antoinette Carey. . . . . . . . . Radiology
Beatric Lynch. . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 11
Anne Crivaro. . . . . . . . . . . . . Pathology & Lab Medicine
Clarence Mendenhall. . . . Physical Plant
Marlene Emenimadu. . . . . Materials Management
Lori Nichols. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Surgical Nursing
Baboo George . . . . . . . . . . . Transport
Kristen Nobles. . . . . . . . . . . Neurosurgery
Alicia Gould. . . . . . . . . . . . . Dulles 6
Kacie O’Brien. . . . . . . . . . . . Cardiology
Christine Grady. . . . . . . . . . Founders 9
Wendy Puryear . . . . . . . . . . Nursing Administration
Khadijiah Gresham. . . . . . . Silverstein 12
Shannon Reynolds. . . . . . . Ravdin 6
Sarah Grotzinger. . . . . . . . . Rhoads 2
Michele Rivera . . . . . . . . . . Respiratory Care
Erica Gutierrez. . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 11
Andrew Ross. . . . . . . . . . . . Respiratory Care
Horace Hubbard . . . . . . . . . Patient Transport
Tracie Small. . . . . . . . . . . . . Silverstein 11
Sharelle Johnson. . . . . . . . Silverstein 11
Alexis Weaver. . . . . . . . . . . Telemetry Transporter
Sean Keyser. . . . . . . . . . . . . Admissions
Linda Wood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Liver Transplant
Deshanta Lee. . . . . . . . . . . . Admissions
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The 2012 Penn Medicine strategic planning process is underway! To learn how you can help Shape our Future, please visit www.med.upenn.edu/strategy
EDITORIAL STAFF Sally Sapega Editor and Photographer Julia Fiorello Designer
ADMINISTRATION
Marc Kaplan Director of Communications Susan E. Phillips Senior Vice President, Public Affairs CONTACT HUPDATE AT: 3535 Market Street, Mezzanine Philadelphia, PA 19104 phone: 215.662.4488 fax: 215.349.8312 email: sally.sapega@uphs.upenn.edu HUPdate is published biweekly for HUP employees. Access HUPdate online at http://news.pennmedicine.org/inside/hupdate.