NEWS FROM THE REGION’S PREMIER ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER ADVANCES APRIL 10, 2014 Biorepository Spotlight 2 Organ transplants: Honoring the gift of life Generous donors, expert team are vital to success Organ and tissue transplants at The University of Kansas Hospital touched more than 2,000 lives last year. They represent not only lives saved but those of donors – people who gave their organs, corneas and tissue as the ultimate act of selfless- ness to continue life. Such humanity is one reason the hospital’s Center for Transplantation – working closely with the Midwest Transplant Network – has emerged as a national leader in organ transplants. The hospital in 2013 performed more than 200 organ transplants, its most ever. “We have built a very successful program in part because of the generous nature of people in the Midwest; we have one of the coun- try’s highest organ donation rates,” said Timothy Schmitt, MD, medical director of the hospital’s Center for Transplantation. “People here want to help their neighbor.” So do our employees. They celebrate the life-giving nature of organ and tissue donations, particularly during April’s Donate Life Month. On April 5 they hosted a Rose Ceremony, honor- ing the lives of 94 organ and tissue donors from the previous year (see Exposure, pages 2-3). The hospital this month also will hold a drive for employees to register as organ donors. And at a Donate Life Symposium, more than 100 nurses, respiratory therapists and other caregivers will discuss topics essential to the organ donation process. Schmitt points to another impor- tant factor behind the growth of the hospital’s organ transplant program: the team itself. The approximately 90 employees who work in the Center for Transplantation, which opened last summer on the hospi- tal’s first floor, are driven as one of the nation’s top-tier programs. “We focus on doing what is best for the patient,” he said. “Our model is high-quality, patient-centric care.” Likewise, the team never forgets who made an organ or tissue transplant surgery possible, said Jameson Forster, MD. He conducted the hospital’s first liver transplant, in 1990, and assisted with the 1,000th liver transplant just over a year ago. “The people we often don’t see when we do a transplant surgery are the donors and their families,” he said. “We want to make sure their loss is a gift to another life.” By the Numbers: Organ, cornea and tissue transplants To suggest a By the Numbers, email [email protected]. The University of Kansas Hospital’s solid organ transplant program has expanded significantly in recent years, providing more lifesaving procedures than ever for patients. As of December 2013. 3,092 Total solid organ transplants since the programs started (kidney in 1969, liver in 1990) 233 Solid organ transplants in 2013, the most in the region and the hospital’s history 1,100 Tissue transplants at the hospital, also the most in the region 10 With 114 liver transplants in 2013, our hospital is No. 10 nationally – out of 141 liver transplant programs (UCLA was No. 1 with 175) 89 Recipients received the gift of sight from donors at our hospital in 2013 94 Roses from our hospital placed on the Donate Life float at January’s Rose Bowl Parade – the most roses from any hospital in the nation. Each rose represents an organ, tissue or cornea donor who gave the gift of life or sight to others. Surgeons at our hospital performed more than 200 organ transplants last year, the most in the region. 1,821 kidney only 1,120 liver only n 18 pancreas only n 133 simultaneous pancreas-kidney
Transcript
N E W S F R O M T H E R E G I O N ’ S P R E M I E R A C A D E M I C M E D I C A L C E N T E R
ADVANCES APRIL 10, 2014
Biorepository Spotlight
2
Organ transplants: Honoring the gift of lifeGenerous donors, expert team are vital to success
Organ and tissue transplants at The University of Kansas Hospital touched more than 2,000 lives last year.
They represent not only lives saved but those of donors – people who gave their organs, corneas and tissue as the ultimate act of selfless-ness to continue life.
Such humanity is one reason the hospital’s Center for Transplantation – working closely with the Midwest Transplant Network – has emerged as a national leader in organ transplants. The hospital in 2013 performed more than 200 organ transplants, its most ever.
“We have built a very successful program in part because of the generous nature of people in the Midwest; we have one of the coun-try’s highest organ donation rates,” said Timothy Schmitt, MD, medical director of the hospital’s
Center for Transplantation. “People here want to help their neighbor.”
So do our employees. They celebrate the life-giving nature of organ and tissue donations, particularly during April’s Donate Life Month. On April 5 they hosted a Rose Ceremony, honor-ing the lives of 94 organ and tissue donors from the previous year (see Exposure, pages 2-3).
The hospital this month also will hold a drive for employees to register as organ donors. And at a Donate Life Symposium, more than 100 nurses, respiratory therapists and other caregivers will discuss topics essential to the organ donation process.
Schmitt points to another impor-tant factor behind the growth of the hospital’s organ transplant program: the team itself. The approximately 90 employees who work in the
Center for Transplantation, which opened last summer on the hospi-tal’s first floor, are driven as one of the nation’s top-tier programs.
“We focus on doing what is best for the patient,” he said. “Our model is high-quality, patient-centric care.”
Likewise, the team never forgets who made an organ or tissue transplant surgery possible,
said Jameson Forster, MD. He conducted the hospital’s first liver transplant, in 1990, and assisted with the 1,000th liver transplant just over a year ago.
“The people we often don’t see when we do a transplant surgery are the donors and their families,” he said. “We want to make sure their loss is a gift to another life.”
By the Numbers: Organ, cornea and tissue transplants
The University of Kansas Hospital’s solid organ transplant program has expanded significantly in recent years, providing more lifesaving procedures than ever for patients. As of December 2013.
3,092Total solid organ transplants since the programs started (kidney in 1969, liver in 1990)
233 Solid organ transplants in 2013, the most in the
region and the hospital’s history
1,100 Tissue transplants at the hospital, also
the most in the region
10 With 114 liver transplants in 2013, our hospital is
No. 10 nationally – out of 141 liver transplant programs (UCLA was No. 1 with 175)
89 Recipients received the gift of sight from donors at our
hospital in 2013
94 Roses from our hospital placed on the Donate Life
float at January’s Rose Bowl Parade – the most roses from any hospital in the nation. Each rose represents an organ, tissue or cornea donor who gave the gift of life or sight to others.
Surgeons at our hospital performed more than 200 organ transplants last year, the most in the region.
1,821 kidney only
1,120 liver only
n 18 pancreas only n 133 simultaneous pancreas-kidney
Events Spring shopping – Browse
artwork, jewelry, clothes, baked goods and more during the Spring Bazaar, a fundraiser from the University of Kansas Medical Center Auxiliary. Proceeds sup-port the medical center and The University of Kansas Hospital. The bazaar is 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, April 16-17, in the main campus lobby.
Head and neck cancer sup-port – Sample food and bever-ages from 12 area restaurants, and listen to a patient discuss his journey with head and neck cancer, at the Fifth Annual Tasting Event: Culinary Creations from Soup to Dessert. The event is 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, at The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Westwood Atrium. Tickets are $15; beneficiaries include the cancer center’s Head and Neck Cancer Research Program. Information and tickets: Mary Whetstone, LMSW, at 913-588-3630.
Blood drive – Give the gift of life at the monthly blood drive at our main campus. The drive is 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, April 24, at the Student Center. To reserve a time, go to esavealifenow.org, click “Find a Drive” and use uofkansas as the code. Walk-ins also are welcome. The Community Blood Center is the primary blood supplier to patients at our hospital.
Melanoma outreach – The Outpacing Melanoma 5K run/walk is May 4 in Overland Park. The third annual event supports the Richard A. Klover Melanoma Fund, which benefits The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Melanoma program. It has raised approxi-mately $100,000 so far toward melanoma awareness and screening; this year’s proceeds will support a Melanoma Survivorship Clinic, scheduled to open this spring. Details are at outpacingmelanoma.org.
PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
‘Biobank’ is a key to unlocking curesBiospecimens may be small, but
they are hugely important in the fight against cancer. Biospecimens are biological material such as urine, blood, saliva and tissue stored in a biorepository for future research.
“Translational research can’t happen without properly collected and highly annotated biospecimens,” said Andrew Godwin, PhD, director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Biospecimen Repository and cancer center deputy director.
“Translational research moves basic discoveries from the lab to clinic practice, and biospecimens are the key to unlock the causes of cancer and other diseases, with the goal of improving early detec-tion, treatments and prevention.”
Researchers here and around the nation can access blood and tissue samples donated to our cancer center’s biospeci-men repository, located at the main campus. The bank stores specimens from nearly 12,000 individuals to support cancer, heart and neuroscience research, making it the largest in the region. This number represents a 50-fold increase in donations since 2010.
Biorepository staff identify and consent eligible participants, then process and bank their specimens. Staff also gather essential patient information, such as risk factors and family history, all in an effort to advance science and improve patient care.
“Identifying disease-specific targets will help accelerate new treatments,” said Rashna Madan, MD, assistant director of the biospecimen repository.
While many patients donate blood and tissue samples during their treatment, it is equally
important to test samples from healthy donors. Testing samples with and without disease helps our researchers develop methods for early detection with the goal to improve cure rates.
Becoming a donor is simple. Call 855-211-1475 toll free or email [email protected] to arrange to donate a blood sample.
“The more people who donate to the repository, the greater the chance we have of finding clues to the causes of disease, and ultimately how to best care for the patient,” Godwin said.
EXPOSURE
Roses honor organ donorsThe University of Kansas Hospital, Midwest Transplant Network (MTN) and Saving Sight on April 5 hosted a Rose Ceremony, honoring the lives of 94 donors from the past year. Approximately 100 family members attended, receiving roses in honor of their loved ones whose gift – organ, tissue and cornea donations – saved the lives of others. Near right, Tracie Baker received a rose from 3-year-old Gentry Howard, a cornea transplant recipient. The rose is in memory of Tracie’s son, Logan. Far right, Courtney Root, MTN’s liaison to our hospital, discussed an organ donor memorial quilt with Donald Stroup and his daughter, Lori Sigler. Donald received a rose in honor of his wife, Karon.
Andrew Godwin, PhD, is director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Biospecimen Repository. Staff include lab technician Zhanna Frolov.
Extended Urgent Care weekend hours To better meet patient needs, Urgent Care at KU MedWest in
Shawnee is expanding its weekend hours. Starting this month, Urgent Care opened 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. It previously opened at 9 a.m. on those days. Urgent Care services continue to operate 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday.
More options for aorta valve replacement Results from a groundbreaking study performed at The
University of Kansas Hospital and other facilities give a big boost to fixing a bad aortic valve without open-heart surgery.
The results were revealed at the American College of Cardiology’s 2014 Scientific Sessions in Washington, D.C., and are being published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Our hospital was one of only 45 national sites, and the only one locally, participating in the study. It showed more patients were alive at one year if they received a new minimally invasive heart device called the CoreValve, compared to patients who had traditional open-heart surgery.
Several hundred thousand Americans have faulty aortic valves, which can stiffen and narrow with age. Until now the only solution was open-heart surgery, in which the valve was replaced. The CoreValve system is inserted through an artery in the leg and then guided through the arter-ies into the heart at the site of the original aortic valve.
“It’s absolutely a game-changer,” said Trip Zorn, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at our hospital. “This technology offers us an option for those who had no surgical option, in which medicine was their only therapy.”
Zorn said older patients, or patients at high or extreme risk for surgery, can receive this treatment, which also leads to significant improvements in their quality of life, according to the study. See an interview with Zorn and examples of the valve at youtube.com/kuhospital.
Certification reflects ‘outstanding care’ The University of Kansas Cancer Center has received recer-
tification as a QOPI Certified Practice for meeting the highest standards for cancer care. The center is the only QOPI-certified program in Kansas and one of just 200 in the country.
“Achieving certification is a testament to the outstanding care our staff provide every day and their ongoing quest for quality improvement in hematology-oncology care,” said Terry Tsue, MD, cancer center physician-in-chief.
The certification, which lasts three years, is from the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative. QOPI-certified cancer centers must meet quality and safety standards in all areas of treatment, including staff training and education, chemotherapy orders and drug preparation, patient consent and education, safe chemotherapy administration, monitoring and assessment of patient well-being.
In the NewsA recap of recent articles, TV segments and other media coverage of the region’s leading academic medical center
Lowering cancer risk in patients with acid reflux – Fox 4 News, March 25. Internal Medicine’s Daniel Buckles, MD, discusses an ablation procedure that removes precancerous cells in the esophagus of patients with frequent acid reflux. Their condition is called Barrett’s Esophagus, and it can lead to esophageal cancer. A new study in The Journal of the American Medical Association finds patients who receive the procedure were 25 percent less likely to develop high grade cells, which can lead to cancer.
Vasectomies and TV time – The Kansas City Star, March 20. Do more men schedule their vasectomies to coincide with March Madness? Urology’s Ajay Nangia, MD, who performs 120 of the procedures a year at The University of Kansas Hospital, said he doesn’t see an increase during the tournament. However, men often schedule vasectomies on Thursday and Friday to heal over the weekend, and one patient timed his procedure so he could watch the Masters golf tournament.
Tablets donated to cancer center – KMBC-TV 9, March 31. The Andrew J. Somora Foundation, a locally based organization raising awareness of colon cancer, donated 33 iPads to The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Westwood Campus. Patients use the tablets to pass time while undergoing chemotherapy and to access healthcare information.
Man leaves hospital after lengthy stay – KSHB-41, March 27. Rodney Batesel returned to his home in Kearney, Mo., after spending 11 months in The University of Kansas Hospital and two different reha-bilitation centers. He lost both legs and was burned over 65 percent of his body during a fiery crash a year ago at I-35 and Chouteau Trafficway. Batesel said his recovery was motivated by support from friends, family and the love of his life, Sandy. The two were married in the hospital’s burn unit after the crash. “I’m the luckiest man alive,” he said.
New
s Br
iefs
Trip Zorn, MD, calls the new CoreValve heart device “a game-changer.”
ADVANCES
is a bi-weekly publication produced by:
The University of Kansas Hospital Corporate Communications
2330 Shawnee Mission Pkwy., Suite 303 Westwood, KS 66205
of hospital – As part of National Healthcare Volunteer Week April 6-12, we celebrate the approximate-ly 250 volunteers at The University of Kansas Hospital and The University of Kansas Cancer Center for their dedication to patients.
Consider Michael Coleman, who helps people find their destination from the Information Desk at the hospital. He also cheerfully delivers patient mail and floral deliveries. He volunteers three days a week and is always positive and upbeat. He also has overcome a major traumatic event in his life: In 2005 a gunshot wound left him paralyzed from the chest down, and he relies on a wheelchair to get around.
Where some people would be full of resentment or self-pity, Coleman is grateful for the treatment he received at our hospital.
“Thanks to the wonderful doctors who worked so hard to save my life, and took great care of me the three months I was a patient, I was motivated to give back as a volunteer,” he said. “I wanted to give back to help visitors and patients
feel as comfortable, happy and welcome as I did.”
Coleman does just that. At the Information Desk, he assists the staff in directing patients and validating parking tickets, and he also escorts those who want a personal guide to get them to their destination. He always has a ready smile and is a fun and good-natured presence at the front desk.
Coleman attended Westport High and Kansas City Kansas Community College, and is an avid sports fan, both as a participant and spectator. With a little adaptation he can participate in almost any sport, including basket-ball, waterskiing and hand-cycling – like bicycling but using your
hands instead of your feet.He’s also a fan of the University
of Kansas and University of Missouri basketball and, of course, is passion-ate about giving back through his volunteer efforts at the hospital.
New faculty excellence – Sandra Billinger, PhD, PT, assistant
professor in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, has received the 2014 Margaret L. Moore Award for Outstanding New Faculty
Member by the American Physical Therapy Association.
The award recognizes a new
faculty member who is pursuing a career as an academician while demonstrating excellence in teach-ing and research.
“The award highlights the great support I’ve received from the University of Kansas Medical Center – specifically the Physical Therapy Department – for my teaching, research and service,” Billinger said. “To have colleagues and students write such great letters in support of the work I do is very humbling.”
Employee spotlight – When he thinks about the work he does for
the University of Kansas Medical Center, Ron Knight understands the big picture.
As testing services coordi-nator in Teaching and Learning
Technology, he helps manage operations of the computerized
testing center, overseeing testing systems and working with faculty on exams. He’s behind the scenes, ensuring the testing process runs smoothly.
“It’s rewarding to know I’m part of a process that supports the success of our future healthcare providers,” said Knight. “This is never a one-person affair. I’m fortunate to have good colleagues and managers who inspire and support me – who give me the tools, education and resources to do my job right.”
Knight, who has been part of the testing landscape for almost 29 years, enjoys the changes in his field, including staying on the lead-ing edge of new technologies.
“Ron has been a part of this campus for many years,” said col-league Tim Doughty, testing center coordinator. “He always puts the interest of the students and faculty first, and his history and dedication to the medical center is unmatched by many.”
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