NEWS FROM THE REGION’S PREMIER ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER ADVANCES JUNE 15, 2017 Program Spotlight: BMT Survivorship Clinic New partnership with Dana-Farber opens ‘collaboration pathway’ The University of Kansas Cancer Center is joining a national network to bring clinical trial testing of innovative blood cancer therapies to Kansas City. The groundbreaking Blood Cancer Research Partnership is led by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in collaboration with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). The network, which includes nine medical facilities around the country, brings clinical trials closer to where patients live and helps address one of the primary bottlenecks in the development of new cancer therapies: the need for more patients to take part in trials. “This partnership provides an innovative approach to deliver cutting-edge clinical trials to patients closer to their homes,” said Joseph McGuirk, DO, direc- tor of our cancer center’s Blood and Marrow Transplant program. “It also creates a new pathway of collaboration between com- munity oncologists, academic centers and foundations to improve cancer therapy for patients throughout the United States,” he added. Three of the main types of blood cancers – leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma – ac- counted for approximately 10 percent of our nation’s 595,690 cancer deaths last year. More than 170,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed this year. Even so, clinical trials and other research have paved the way for dramatic improvements in treating blood cancers. In 1964, for instance, the five-year survival rate for children with the most commonly diagnosed pediatric leukemia was 3 percent. Now it’s approximately 90 percent. Joining Dana-Farber, LLS and other organizations in the consortium “will provide our patients with access to novel, innovative clinical trials designed to address the significant unmet needs of blood malignancies in our region,” said Roy Jensen, MD, director of our cancer center. Three consortium trials are approved to enroll patients at our cancer center. Based in Boston, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a national leader for cancer care, ranked No. 4 for adults and No. 1 for children by U.S. News & World Report. Expanding trials to more blood cancer patients By the Numbers: Match Day To suggest a By the Numbers, email [email protected]. Every year in mid-March, graduating students at the University of Kansas School of Medicine get “matched,” learning where they will spend their next few years in medical residencies. 202 Number of graduates this year, the most since 1985 Residencies selected More KU medical graduates 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Includes Kansas City, Wichita and Salina campuses Match Day does not include all 202 graduates 201 202 185 164 Family Medicine 38 157 Internal Medicine 31 Emergency Medicine 14 Radiology 12 Anesthesiology 7 Medicine-Pediatrics 5 Other 38 Obstetrics/Gynecology 15 Pediatrics 17 General Surgery 18 167 168 164 190 169 Joseph McGuirk, DO, and others believe the new partnership increases clinical trial enrollment and, ultimately, helps to advance more innovative and promising blood cancer therapies.
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 JUNE 15, 2017
Program Spotlight:BMT Survivorship Clinic
New partnership with Dana-Farber opens ‘collaboration pathway’
The University of Kansas Cancer Center is joining a national network to bring clinical trial testing of innovative blood cancer therapies to Kansas City.
The groundbreaking Blood Cancer Research Partnership is led by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in collaboration with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).
The network, which includes nine medical facilities around the country, brings clinical trials closer to where patients live and helps address one of the primary bottlenecks in the development of new cancer therapies: the need for more patients to take part in trials. “This partnership provides
an innovative approach to deliver cutting-edge clinical trials to patients closer to their homes,”
said Joseph McGuirk, DO, direc-tor of our cancer center’s Blood and Marrow Transplant program. “It also creates a new pathway
of collaboration between com-munity oncologists, academic centers and foundations to improve cancer therapy for patients throughout the United States,” he added.
Three of the main types of blood cancers – leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma – ac-counted for approximately 10 percent of our nation’s 595,690
cancer deaths last year. More than 170,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed this year.
Even so, clinical trials and other research have paved the way for dramatic improvements in treating blood cancers. In 1964, for instance, the five-year survival rate for children with the most commonly diagnosed pediatric leukemia was 3 percent. Now it’s approximately 90 percent.
Joining Dana-Farber, LLS and other organizations in the
consortium “will provide our patients with access to novel, innovative clinical trials designed to address the significant unmet needs of blood malignancies in our region,” said Roy Jensen, MD, director of our cancer center. Three consortium trials are approved to enroll patients at our cancer center. Based in Boston, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a national leader for cancer care, ranked No. 4 for adults and No. 1 for children by U.S. News & World Report.
Expanding trials to more blood cancer patients
By the Numbers: Match Day To suggest a By the Numbers, email [email protected].
Every year in mid-March, graduating students at the University of Kansas School of Medicine get “matched,” learning where they will spend their next few years in medical residencies.
202 Number of graduates this year, the most since 1985
Residencies selectedMore KU medical graduates
2008200920102011201220132014201520162017
Includes Kansas City, Wichita and Salina campuses Match Day does not include all 202 graduates
201202
185
164 Family Medicine 38157 Internal Medicine 31
Emergency Medicine 14Radiology 12
Anesthesiology 7Medicine-Pediatrics 5
Other 38
Obstetrics/Gynecology 15Pediatrics 17General Surgery 18
167168
164190
169
Joseph McGuirk, DO, and others believe the new partnership increases clinical trial enrollment and, ultimately, helps to advance more innovative and promising blood cancer therapies.
Events GUIDED MEDITATION IN
NATURE – Is your time in the
garden “therapy” time? Do you
turn to nature in times of stress
and anxiety? If so, learn how
you can connect to the healing
energy of nature to release grief
and limiting beliefs through your
relationship with wildlife. The
class is 10-11 a.m. Tuesday,
June 20, at The University of
Kansas Cancer Center-Overland
Park. Call 913-574-0900 to
register.
METASTATIC CANCER SUPPORT – Discuss, process,
give and receive support in
managing issues and feelings
of living with metastatic cancer.
The class is only for people living
with metastatic or advanced
cancer; you must speak with the
adult program manager before
attending the group. The class
is ongoing: 10:30 a.m.-noon
Wednesdays at Turning Point:
The Center for Hope and Healing
in Leawood. Call 913-574-0900
to register.
BLOOD DRIVE – The
Community Blood Center will
host a blood drive 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Wednesday, June 21, and
Thursday, June 22, at the main
campus Hixson Atrium. To regis-
ter, go to esavealifenow.org and
use uofkansas in the sponsor code
field. Walk-ins are welcome. The
center is the primary supplier of
blood to patients at The University
of Kansas Health System.
YOUR BRAIN ON PAIN – Research shows many factors
affect pain, including mood,
emotional condition and coping
experiences. The “gate control
theory” of pain explains how
this works and why some
people are better at mediating
their pain. Learn about the
factors that play a role in the
experience of pain. The class is
10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 11,
at Turning Point: The Center for
Hope and Healing in Leawood.
Call 913-574-0900 to register.
PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
A specialized new clinic for BMT survivorsFor many patients who have
blood cancer or other blood disorders, a blood and marrow transplant (BMT) is key to sur-vival. The procedure uses healthy blood-forming cells from bone marrow or the bloodstream to rebuild the patient’s blood supply.
But what about five or 10 years after the transplant? While they’re living longer, patients still must pay close attention to a variety of health issues.
It’s why The University of Kansas Cancer Center last November formed a BMT Survivorship Clinic. Survivors who join the program return to the BMT outpatient clinic yearly – more frequently if needed – to meet with a five-person team of clinical team members, led by Ajoy Dias, MD.
The yearly exam enables the survivorship team to monitor for cancer recurrence, screen for secondary cancers and evaluate heart and bone health.
The team also reviews healthy lifestyle recommendations to help protect against late-term effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Survivors have access to other specialists as needed,
such as dietitians, dermatolo-gists, dentists and psycholo-gists, as well as social workers and financial counselors.
The survivorship clinic team, which is located at the Westwood Campus, celebrated a milestone last month – Jeanne Spelhaug, a leukemia survivor who received her transplant four years ago, was honored as the clinic’s 100th survivorship member. (The number climbed to 108 by June 9.)
For Mona Urbina, RN, the survivorship clinic is a natural extension of the cancer center’s BMT program, which performs about 300 transplants a year,
a three-fold increase from 10 years ago. The program is mark-ing its 40th anniversary, with some patients celebrating more than 30 years of survivorship.
“Post-transplant patients who are transitioning to life after treat-ment need specialized care,” said Urbina, the clinic’s coordinator.
“While the increased suc-cess of transplants for blood disorder treatment is impres-sive and encouraging, life after transplant can bring a number of other health challenges,” she added. “We are here to address patients’ long-term physical, psychological, spiritual and financial needs.”
EXPOSURE
Beyond the bedside: Nurse researchEvery spring, new nurses at The University of Kansas Health System wrap up their first year of nurse residen-cy with poster presentations displaying their research into a range of evidence-based practices, from coloring therapy to reduce patient stress to intraoperative hypothermia practices. For their research project, RNs Jessi Drennan (from right) and Julie Malicdem explored infection-prevention strategies after certain surgeries. This year, approximately 275 new nurses created 90 posters.
Jeanne Spelhaug is justifiably proud of surviving leukemia. The Bethany, Missouri, woman, who is the 100th patient in the cancer center’s BMT Survivorship Clinic, cel-ebrated with friends and BMT staff last month.
New
s Brie
fsIn the NewsA recap of recent articles, TV segments and other media coverage of the region’s leading academic medical center
HEALTH SYSTEM’S GROWTH POINTS WESTWARD – Kansas City Business Journal, June 13. The University of Kansas Health System is preparing to open the Cambridge North Tower and expand its Indian Creek Campus, “but signs of the system’s growth are also stirring westward,” the article notes. Healthcare leaders point to expansion into Hays and Topeka healthcare markets. The health system “does have a lot of brand recognition. Not just recognizable, but in a positive light,” said the Kansas Hospital Association’s Cindy Samuelson. “That’s not just a good thing for Topeka, but for our state.”
HOW MEDICAL CENTER CAME TO KCK – The Kansas City Star, June 9. The article dives into the earliest days of the University of Kansas Medical Center, back to the 1860s when Simeon Bell, MD, lob-bied for the creation of Southwest Boulevard and developed the medical school and hospital on nearby property. The first facility was “a 24-bed, three-story, homey affair with wide verandas” called the Eleanor Taylor Bell Memorial Hospital.
DELIVERING TEDDY BEARS TO HOSPITALIZED KIDS – KQTV (St. Joseph), June 4. Judy Newell and grandson Bradyn visited The University of Kansas Hospital’s Pediatric unit to give teddy bears to young patients. Newell buys the teddy bears using proceeds from a book she wrote, called “Twinkle, Twinkle Mommy Star,” to help children grieve the loss of a loved one. Newell also manages Missys’ Boutique at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.
A SPECIAL BOND BETWEEN SORORITY SISTERS – KCTV-5, June 2. Kansas State University graduate Bailey Elliott, whose kidneys were failing, was on a waiting list for a transplant. Turns out her own K-State sorority sister Emily Ewert was a to donate. Ewert surprised her sorority sister with the good news on a sign: “No I’m not kidney-ing you, we’re a match!” Sean Kumer, MD, PhD, one of the surgeons involved in the transplant at The University of Kansas Health System, called it “quite an amazing story … Emily has given Bailey a new chance at life.”
Leaving their mark As part of a “topping out” ceremony this week at The University of Kansas Health System’s Indian Creek Campus in Overland Park, staff such as
Vicki Davis, RN, signed a construc-tion beam just moments before workers hoisted it into place atop a facility under con-struction. When it opens next year, the new facility will triple the hospital’s size and offer more surgery services for sports medi-cine, orthopedics, plastic surgery, urology, ENT and cancer care.
Celebrating our newest addition: ‘P5’It’s big and beautiful, and it’s open (partially) for business.Parking Garage 5, or P5, formally debuted last week on the
main campus, just north of the Cambridge North Tower.
The six-level, 2,069-space garage – heralded as the state’s largest – initially accommodates more than 1,200 employees, students and residents of The University of Kansas Health System and University of Kansas Medical Center.
Patient and visitor parking will begin in the fall. “The garage will greatly alleviate some of the parking issues we’ve been experiencing for quite some time,” said John McDonough, the health system’s vice president of facilities services and real estate development.
An enclosed pedestrian bridge will connect the garage to the new Cambridge North Tower, creating an enclosed walkway all the way to the Medical Office Building on the south side of the campus.
Taking to Twitter with smoking issuesThe University of Kansas Cancer Center and Children’s Mercy
Hospital last month hosted a Twitter chat focused on changing the way healthcare providers treat tobacco dependence.
During the hour-long chat, experts answered questions related to patient protocols for tobacco treatment. They specifically discussed the “opt out” approach used success-fully at The University of Kansas Hospital.
The method allows caregivers to treat patients for tobacco use as they would for anything else negatively impacting their health. The approach allows providers to give medica-tions and counseling resources to all tobacco users, regard-less if patients say they are ready to quit.
Joint Commission: Patient care, safetyThe University of Kansas Health System once again has
earned accreditation from The Joint Commission. Known as the gold seal of approval, Joint Commission accreditation reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.
A team of Joint Commission surveyors in February evalu-ated the health system’s compliance with hospital standards, including emergency management, environment of care, medication management, and infection prevention and control.
“Our No. 1 goal is to always provide the best possible care to our patients,” said Amber Styles, our health system’s director of regulatory and clinical risk management. “This accreditation is a testament of our commitment to excellence and continued growth in quality outcomes.”
The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and larg-est standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare. Accreditation lasts three years.
The new garage’s opening featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony of ex-ecutives and local dignitaries, including Doug Girod, MD, our medical center’s executive vice chancellor.
Our People A RESPECTED CMO HEADS
TO COMBAT ZONE – When he leaves at the end of this month, Lee Norman, MD, The University of Kansas Health System’s senior vice president and chief medical officer, will be remembered as one of the organization’s most transformative leaders.
Colleagues point to his down-to-earth communications style, suc-cess integrating the health system and ability to connect with patients, physicians and staff.
He has been a CMO 26 years – 10 here and 16 at a medical center in Seattle.
“A chief medical officer is a hard position, but Dr. Norman is respected at all levels,” said Liz Carlton, RN, senior director for Quality, Safety & Regulatory Compliance. “He speaks the physicians’ language because he knows what speaks to them.”
He isn’t retiring, at least not yet. “I still have too much energy to back down,” said Norman, who is 64. An Air Force veteran and lieutenant colonel in the Kansas Army National Guard, he is headed fully back into the military.
He’ll spend at least six months as a command surgeon in combat zones in Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan, where he will command medical units, includ-ing a combat Army surgical hospital.
Norman said the remarkable career change is a response to something burning inside him since
his earliest military days, starting in the mid-1970s when he served in the Air Force as a family physician, flight surgeon and combat medicine instructor.
While Norman’s deployment “is a loss for all of us,” said Bob Page, our health system’s president and CEO, “it is a huge win for our soldiers and Army medics overseas, who will benefit from his leadership, skill, compassion and care, just as we have for more than a decade.”
DRUG DISCOVERY ENDOW-MENT – Scott Weir, PharmD, PhD, was formally invested last month as the Kelly Family Foundation IAMI Professorship in Cancer Drug Discovery and Development.
Weir is the first recipient of the new endowed professorship. He is professor of pharmacology, toxicol-ogy and therapeutics, director of the Institute for Advancing Medical Innovation and associate director for translational research at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.
An endowed chair or professor-ship is considered by many to be the highest academic award a university can bestow on a faculty member.
Weir has three decades of profes-sional experience in the field of drug discovery and development, and he plays a national role in advancing translational science. He joined our cancer center in 2006.
ADVANCES
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