Hospital News

St. David’s South Austin Medical Center Offers New Robotic Technology for Biopsies In Hard-To-Reach Areas of Lung

St. David’s South Austin Medical Center recently became the first in Central Texas to use a new robotic system, along with advanced imaging technology, to enable physicians to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung—an area that can be challenging to access with existing technology. Physicians often recommend a biopsy to confirm a diagnosis after a mass or nodule is discovered on the lung. Biopsies involve obtaining a tissue sample from the suspicious area, then examining the cells under a microscope to determine if cancer or another disease is present. There are a number of ways to obtain tissue for biopsy. The approach taken usually depends on the size of the nodule, the location within the lung and a person’s overall health. “Because the lung is often a difficult place to get biopsies, this new, robotic-assisted approach represents an advancement in the existing approaches to lung biopsies,” William Bartek, M.D., medical director of pulmonology at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, said. “This system, along with advanced imaging technology, provides us with better access and increased precision, which can produce quicker results and may help avoid additional biopsies.” The Ion Endoluminal System features an ultra-thin, ultra-maneuverable catheter that allows navigation far into the peripheral lung. During a bronchoscopy procedure, physicians use the controller to navigate to the target area. The catheter can move 180 degrees in any direction to pass through small, difficult-to-navigate airways and around tight bends to reach all portions of the lung. The peripheral vision probe also provides direct vision during navigation. Once the catheter reaches the pulmonary nodule, it locks into place, and the flexible biopsy needle passes through the catheter. The needle is then deployed into the target location to get a sample of the lung tissue for further analysis.

Intuitive Ion Staff in room at Work. Image courtesy: ©2021 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Dell Children’s, UT Health Austin Celebrate 6-Month-Old’s Heart Transplant

After 74 Days on Berlin Heart Ventricular Assist Device, Zaria Heads Home with Donor Heart

Join Dell Children’s Medical Center and UT Health Austin, the clinical practice of Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, as six-month-old Zaria Grace Jackson heads home after a donor heart transplant at Dell Children’s. Zaria received her heart transplant on March 25.

Zaria first arrived at Dell Children’s emergency department on January 8, presenting symptoms and signs of heart failure, and was quickly admitted to the pediatric cardiac care unit. Her condition rapidly deteriorated, and the cardiac team determined Zaria’s best chance for survival was a heart transplant. The cause of her heart failure is uncertain.

On January 11, a Berlin Heart Ventricular Assist Device was implanted in Zaria while waiting for a donor heart. The device functioned in place of her own heart when it became too weak to pump sufficient amounts of blood to the lungs or the rest of her body. The Berlin Heart supports patients in heart failure and offers a bridge to life for a child awaiting a heart transplant. The Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease at Dell Children’s Medical Center began the heart transplant program in July 2020. This is the fourth heart transplant to have taken place at Dell Children’s.

Looking to avoid risk? WE CAN SHOW YOU THE WAY.

We’re taking the mal out of malpractice insurance.

Thanks to our national scope, regional experts, and data-driven insights, we’re uniquely positioned to spot trends early. We shine a light on risks that others can’t see, letting you focus on caring for patients instead of defending your practice. It’s a stronger vision that creates malpractice insurance without the mal. Join us at thedoctors.com

VA Research Reveals Link Between Financial Strains and Risk of Homelessness

Research findings from a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) study reveal that issues related to financial strain are significant risk factors for becoming homeless and highlight the need to focus on financial well-being to help prevent homelessness among Veterans. The study, led by VA’s National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans (the Center), was published in the March edition of Medical Care. “The study revealed that four types of financial strain — debt, unemployment, lower income and financial crises — increased the risk of future homelessness,” said the Center’s Lead Researcher Eric Elbogen, Ph.D. “Focusing on financial well-being as a whole as part of homeless prevention efforts at the individual and community level could be promising in reducing homelessness among Veterans.” The study recommends integrating financial education and management into VA services for Veterans facing housing crises. Research evidence shows that continuing to supplement housing assistance with job retraining, vocational rehabilitation, financial support services, financial education and debt management services are vital to diminishing the risk of future homelessness among Veterans. VA’s Homeless Programs Office (HPO) follows a continuous improvement model which involves regularly assessing lessons learned and research findings to achieve better results for Veterans. Staff from HPO and the Center will use this data on financial strain during the routine process of refining specialized programs for homeless Veterans to improve outcomes. The Center is the leading national resource for research and solutions to address homelessness among Veterans, ranging from early prevention, reintegration and relapse prevention. Additionally, the Center assesses the effectiveness of programs, identifies and disseminates best practices and integrates them into polices, programs and services to enhance the lives of Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The Center also serves as a resource center for all research and training activities pertaining to Veteran homelessness carried out by VA and other federal and nonfederal entities.

Subscribe to Our Digital Issue

Now you can get the Austin Medical Times delivered straight to your inbox. Never miss an Issue of Austin’s Leading Local Healthcare News Online.

austinmedtimes.com

Ascension Seton Williamson Announces New Certification as Primary Plus Stroke Center

Ascension Seton Williamson has received certification from DNV GL Healthcare as a Primary Plus Stroke Center, affirming the hospital’s readiness to take care of a broad range of stroke-related medical conditions. The most advanced stroke center from Temple to Austin, the hospital now offers acute stroke care, including thrombectomies and endovascular services, close to home for patients in Williamson County and the surrounding communities 24/7, 365 days a year. The clinical care expansion at Ascension Seton Williamson is supported by stroke specialists across Ascension Seton’s network of care. The DNV GL Healthcare certification is based on standards set forth by the Brain Attack Coalition, American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, and World Stroke Association, and declares that Ascension Seton Williamson addresses the full spectrum of stroke care – diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and education – and establishes clear metrics to evaluate outcomes. “This certification provides our community with additional reassurance of the resources and commitment to provide the best possible stroke care close to home,” said Dr. Steven Warach, director of the stroke program at Ascension Seton. “It’s a combination of the right equipment, personnel and training to quickly assess and treat strokes. This includes the ability to efficiently transfer patients in the rare instances they require treatment beyond our capabilities.” The advanced certification includes all the requirements of the Primary Stroke Center Certification with the addition of the thrombectomy, medical staff and metric requirements. In a growing number of states, stroke center certification determines to which facility a patient should be taken for the most appropriate care. As the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States, it is important to have local access to treatment at the first sign of a stroke. Rapid and effective treatment can save lives and provide the best chance of limiting the extent of long-term damage. “Timing is critical in treating a stroke. With this advanced certification, we are prepared to respond quickly, helping to reduce the damage caused by a stroke,” explained Dr. Michael Koltz, neurosurgeon at Ascension Seton Williamson. “Delaying care, even by a few minutes, can be the difference between recovery and permanent disability. Ascension Seton Williamson stroke specialists are trained in the latest technology and best practices, which helps us diagnose a stroke within seconds to quickly deliver treatment and improve patient outcomes.” The hospital continues to make ongoing investments in technology and clinical program expansions. This includes the addition of an orthopedic robot program, featuring the MAKO robot which offers minimally invasive hip and knee replacement. Ascension Seton Williamson will celebrate the grand opening of a hybrid catheterization lab with advanced equipment and capabilities later this year, and expansion of its 6th floor, complete with the addition of 30 beds for a flexible care space, later this year. Additionally, Ascension Texas has made a significant investment in North Austin plans to build a new children’s hospital and medical office building. The new hospital in North Austin, along with planned expansions at Dell Children’s Medical Center and the recently announced Dell Children’s Specialty Pavilion, are part of a comprehensive, ongoing plan to continue expanding pediatric care in Central Texas over the next five years and beyond.

HELP US BUILD A HEALTHIER AUSTIN

Access to nutritious food is essential for a healthy, thriving community. Learn about how we’re leading the fight against hunger at centraltexasfoodbank.org.

Physician Shortage

Continued from page 1

before in our history.” “Most medical specialties also have roughly 50 percent or more of their physicians at the age of 55 or older,” Olson noted. “We are on the verge of a perfect storm.” He pointed out that older patients have more chronic conditions and issues that affect physician demand in a variety of specialties, including a greater number of neurologic conditions, endocrinology issues, gastrointestinal issues and even cancer diagnoses. Physician shortages are also expected to get worse as physician supply will be negatively impacted by a wave of retirements and older physicians who tend to cut back their hours. ”Without a plan to increase supply, it will get worse before it gets better,” Olson said. According to the 2020 American Medical Association Physician Specialty Report, (using data up through December 2019), 44.9 percent of all active physicians were 55 or older. The specialties with the largest number of physicians in the near-retirement group included: • Pulmonary disease physicians – 90.1 percent are age 55+ • Preventive medicine physicians – 69.6 percent are 55+ • Anatomic/clinical pathologists – 67.7 percent are 55+ • Cardiologists – 62.8 percent are 55+ • Psychiatrists – 61.3 percent are 55+ • Thoracic surgeons– 60.1 percent are 55+ • Orthopedic surgeons – 57.7 percent are 55+ “Although many of the physicians in these specialties extend their careers to help cover the need, they reduce their total hours worked, and many hospitals have bylaws that no longer require them to take call,” said Mike Jowdry, vice president of recruiting for Merritt Hawkins, who has worked in various divisions of the company for the last 20 years. “We have yet to properly address increasing our residency and fellowship programs to make up for the perfect storm of physicians retiring or slowing down and the increase in overall demand for their services,” Jowdry added. The top physician specialties in “absolute demand” A June 2020 white paper by Merritt Hawkins outlined a number of factors that are affecting physician supply, demand and staffing during and post COVID-19. In the months leading up to the pandemic, the following specialties were found to be the top 10 in “absolute demand” – i.e., number of job openings vs. number of physicians in a given specialty: 1. Neurology 2. Psychiatry 3. Gastroenterology 4. Hematology/Oncology 5. Dermatology 6. Urology 7. Otolaryngology 8. Geriatrics 9. Rheumatology 10. Family Medicine While it’s hard for anyone to predict how these specialties experiencing shortages may change in the new COVID environment, the paper’s authors note several emerging trends, including an increase in overall demand for physicians: “Most of the factors driving physician supply and demand, including an aging population, widespread chronic illness, and a static supply of physicians, will remain in place. It can be expected that general health, both physical and mental, will be negatively affected by the pandemic, accelerating demand for doctors. Added to these factors will be increased volatility in the physician workforce, as doctors react to what for many has been an extremely challenging time that has compromised their finances and their health.” “The ‘new normal’ therefore is likely to resemble the old normal in at least one regard -- shortages of both primary care and specialist physicians will prevail,” they concluded. Pressing on toward future solutions “What to do about physician shortages is long-term question; a lot of conversations still need to take place to overcome that expected shortage of more than 130,000 physicians by 2033,” said Jowdry. “There is a lot of work that needs to be done. Telehealth will certainly allow for some physicians to have greater reach in their coverage, which will help, but that’s just one piece of the puzzle.”

Legal Matters

Continued from page 3

the bylaws or virtual meeting policy should state that recordings of the meetings are not kept and minutes of the meeting are kept in the usual course of business. • Security of documents disseminated to medical staff members before or during virtual meetings is paramount. The medical staff should distribute documents via secure or encrypted means whenever possible.

In circumstances where participants need to share their screen to share documents, the individual should be mindful to close all other applications and documents before activating the screen sharing function to avoid unwanted sharing of information.

If the nature of the meeting is particularly sensitive, video conferencing may not be appropriate. There are some circumstances in medicine where there is no getting around face-to face contact. The same rings true for medical staff meetings. There will be situations of a nature so sensitive, that face-to-face meetings are required. In those cases, consider small limited attendance or a hybrid between virtual and in-person. Full virtual and hybrid meetings are likely here to stay and will set the standard for meetings in the future. Conclusion

Although adversity pushed us into the virtual world, our natural resilience and creativity has led to a “now-normal” that includes remote meetings thru digital technology with the direct benefit of increased participation in meetings, renewed interest in peer review, and substantial cost savings compared to in-person meetings. With the resulting increased efficiency and economy in time and expenses, virtual meetings will likely remain for the foreseeable future.

Published by Texas Healthcare Media Group Inc.

Director of Media Sales Richard W DeLaRosa

Senior Designer

Jamie Farquhar-Rizzo

Web Development Lorenzo Morales

Distribution Brad Jander

Accounting Liz Thachar

Office: 512-203-3987

For Advertising

advertising@ medicaltimesnews.com

Editor

editor@medicaltimesnews.com

Austin Medical Times is Published by Texas Healthcare Media Group, Inc. All content in this publication is copyrighted by Texas Healthcare Media Group, and should not be reproduced in part or at whole without written consent from the Editor. Austin Medical Times reserves the right to edit all submissions and assumes no responsibility for solicited or unsolicited manuscripts. All submissions sent to Austin Medical Times are considered property and are to distribute for publication and copyright purposes. Austin Medical Times is published every month P.O. Box 57430

Webster, TX 77598-7430

Made In

T E X A S