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Tag: Healthcare

  • Roche Lung Cancer Drug Shows Promise in Phase 3 Trial

    Roche Lung Cancer Drug Shows Promise in Phase 3 Trial

    By David Sachs

    Roche said Friday that its Alecensa drug demonstrated the ability to reduce recurrence of lung cancer for patients in the early stage of the disease.
    

    The Swiss pharmaceutical company said the results, from a Phase 3 study of 257 people which compared the treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy, met its primary goal of disease-free survival in people with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. About half of people with this type of lung cancer experience a recurrence of the disease after surgery, Roche said.
    

    

    Roche said that it found no unexpected safety issues and will submit the data to global health authorities.
    

    Write to David Sachs at david.sachs@wsj.com
    

    

    


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    Johnson & Johnson Maintains Dividend After Kenvue Spinout
    
			
    Johnson & Johnson Maintains Dividend After Kenvue Spinout
    
			
    

    

    
        
    
          
    
            Johnson & Johnson
    
          
    
        
    
       on Wednesday issued new financial guidance after spinning out the consumer-health company
    
        
    
          
    
            Kenvue
    
          
    
        
    
       While its earnings and sales projections were lowered on an absolute basis, the company is maintaining its dividend and expects to increase its revenue at a faster pace. 
    

    


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    AI can predict certain forms of esophageal and stomach cancer
    
			
    AI can predict certain forms of esophageal and stomach cancer
    
			
    

    

    
BYLINE: Jina Sawani, Michigan Medicine 
    

    Newswise — In the United States and other western countries, a form of esophageal and stomach cancer has risen dramatically over the last five decades. Rates of esophageal adenocarcinoma, or EAC, and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma, or GCA, are both highly fatal.
    

    However, Joel Rubenstein, M.D., M.S., a research scientist at the Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Kettles Veterans Affairs Center for Clinical Management Research and professor of internal medicine at Michigan Medicine, says that preventative measures can be a saving grace.
    

    “Screening can identify pre-cancerous changes in patients, Barrett’s esophagus, which is sometimes diagnosed in individuals who have long-term gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD,” he said.
    

    “When early detection occurs, patients can take additional steps to help prevent cancer.”
    

    While current guidelines already consider screening in high-risk patients, Rubenstein notes that many providers are still unfamiliar with this recommendation.
    

    “Many individuals who develop these types of cancer never had screening to begin with,” he said.
    

    “But a new automated tool embedded in the electronic health record holds the potential to bridge the gap between provider awareness and patients who are at an increased risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma.”
    

    Rubenstein and a team of researchers used a type of artificial intelligence to examine data regarding EAC and GCA rates in over 10 million U.S. veterans.
    

    Their findings were published in Gastroenterology. 
    

    Rubenstein and his team developed and tested the Kettles Esophageal and Cardia Adenocarcinoma predictioN tool, called K-ECAN for short.
    

    “K-ECAN uses basic information already readily available in the EHR, like patient demographics, weight, previous diagnoses and routine laboratory results, to determine an individual’s risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma,” said Rubenstein.
    

    “We developed a prior tool, M-BERET, over a decade ago for identifying patients with Barrett’s esophagus. However, that tool requires measuring patients’ hip and waist circumferences, which is not something that routinely occurs. In addition, providers must remember to use the corresponding website to calculate their patient’s risk when using this tool.”
    

    To alleviate this burden, Rubenstein said that they “envisioned harnessing the large amount of data already present in the EHR, as well as presenting their patients’ risk to their providers at opportune times,” such as when an individual is due for a colorectal screening or refilling an acid reducing prescription medication.
    

    According to Rubenstein, K-ECAN is more accurate than published guidelines or previously validated prediction tools and can “accurately predict cancer at least three years prior to a diagnosis.”
    

    “Symptoms of GERD, like heartburn, are an important risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma,” he said.
    

    “But most people with GERD symptoms will never develop esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma. In addition, roughly half of the patients with this form of cancer never experienced prior GERD symptoms at all. This makes K-ECAN particularly useful because it can identify people who are at elevated risk, regardless of whether they have GERD symptoms or not.”
    

    Akbar Waljee, M.D., M.Sc., professor in the Departments of Learning Health Sciences and Internal Medicine and senior author on the study, adds that this research wouldn’t be possible without a collaborative effort.
    

    “This publication, which leveraged invaluable data from millions of U.S. veterans, was made possible through the dedicated efforts of numerous staff members at our VA Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation, as well as through collaborative partnerships between the VA Center for Clinical Management Research, Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan Department of Statistics, and members of U-M’s Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation and E-Health & Artificial Intelligence, or e-HAIL. This exemplifies the power of team science, data and machine learning to improve cancer prevention.”
    

    Incorporating this artificial intelligence tool into the EHR could alert providers with an automated notification regarding which patients are at an increased risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma.
    

    And Rubenstein says that this can significantly decrease the burden of these cancers
    

    “Our devoted team was able to use sophisticated machine learning tools to develop this unique tool, and we are very excited that this could potentially lead to increased screening and a decrease in preventable deaths. We look forward to conducting additional work validating K-ECAN for use outside of the VA.”
    

    

    


     Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan
    

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    Susan McMullan Receives AANA’s 44th Annual Helen Lamb Outstanding Educator Award
    
			
    Susan McMullan Receives AANA’s 44th Annual Helen Lamb Outstanding Educator Award
    
			
    

    

    Newswise — Rosemont, Ill. (AANA) – The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) presented Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Susan McMullan, PhD, CRNA, CHSE, FAANA, FAAN with the 44th Annual Helen Lamb Outstanding Educator Award during its 2023 Annual Congress, August 18-22, in Seattle.
    

    The Helen Lamb Outstanding Educator Award, established in 1980, is presented to a CRNA who has made a significant contribution to the education of nurse anesthetists. The award recognizes the individual’s commitment to the profession of nurse anesthesiology and to the advancement of educational standards that further the art and science of anesthesiology and result in high-quality patient care.
    

    Throughout her 35 years as a CRNA, including 12 years in nurse anesthesia education, McMullan has made a tremendous contribution to the education of CRNAs and a meaningful impact on the profession of  nurse anesthesiology.
    

    McMullan is an associate professor and director of the BSN-DNP Pathway in Nurse Anesthesia at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Since joining the UAB Nurse Anesthesia Program (NAP), McMullan has made significant improvements in making a positive impact on the nurse anesthesia workforce in the southeast. Under her leadership, the UAB NAP successfully transitioned from a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) to the Bachelor of Science (BSN)-Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program of study, graduating the first doctorally prepared class of nurse anesthetists in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. McMullan was also key in increasing the number of CRNAs in Alabama during a critical workforce shortage by doubling class cohort size and securing additional clinical training sites.
    

    In addition to improving the CRNA workforce numbers, McMullan is passionate about increasing the diversity of the CRNA workforce. Due to her leadership and dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, she participated in the inaugural Leadership Excel and Achievement Program, working with Case Western University to increase and sustain diversity in the nurse anesthesiology profession.
    

    McMullan is a key contributor to advancing nurse anesthesiology education standards at the national level through her work on the Executive Committee of the National Board for Certification Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA). She is serving her second three-year term in the current role of vice-president and will become president in fall 2023. Her work with the NBCRNA has been instrumental in developing policies to include research-based, innovative methods for improved certification/recertification processes and lifelong learning for CRNAs, ensuring patients continue to receive the high quality, safe, and cutting-edge care they deserve. Among her other honors, McMullan was recently inducted as a Fellow of the AANA and American Academy of Nursing.
    

    “Like the leader that came before her, Helen Lamb, Dr. Susan McMullan unambiguously represents everything a nurse anesthetist should aspire to be,” her nomination said. “She is passionate about and devoted to uplifting the nurse anesthesia profession through educating and cultivating nurse anesthesia leaders.”
    

    “I am so honored to follow in Helen Lamb’s footsteps and continue her tradition of training nurse anesthetists at our medical center.  It has truly been an honor and one of the greatest achievements and highlights of my life, “said McMullan of the award.
    

    McMullan is a graduate of Rutgers College of Nursing, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, with a PhD in nursing science and a Master of Nursing in nurse anesthesia from Rush University in Chicago. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
    

    

    


     American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology
    

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    J&J Investors Can Convert Only a Fraction of Shares Into Kenvue Stock
    
			
    J&J Investors Can Convert Only a Fraction of Shares Into Kenvue Stock
    
			
    

    

    
        
    
          
    
            Johnson & Johnson
    
          
    
        
    
       $35 billion exchange offer for
    
        
    
          
    
            Kenvue
    
          
    
        
    
       that expired last Friday was substantially oversubscribed. The result is that participating J&J holders will be able to convert only a fraction of their shares for Kenvue stock.
    

    


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    AANA Launches MOTION Career Exploration Platform to Empower CRNAs with Better Career Choices
    
			
    AANA Launches MOTION Career Exploration Platform to Empower CRNAs with Better Career Choices
    
			
    

    

    Newswise — ROSEMONT, Ill. – The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) has launched its new interactive career exploration platform, MOTION, to assist each of AANA’s nearly 61,000 members in making informed career choices.
    

    MOTION is a cutting-edge, map-based career-exploration platform that is purpose-built to assist CRNAs in making well-informed career decisions and locate the best opportunities for personal and professional growth. The platform empowers members to take control of their job search by providing them with the most comprehensive database of virtually every CRNA employer location in the United States.
    

    “At AANA, our mission is to be tireless advocates for all Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), supporting their careers and enriching their lives and those of their families,” said Chief Executive Officer Bill Bruce. “As the healthcare landscape evolves, we recognize the need to equip our members with better tools to navigate their career paths. MOTION will provide our members with the resources they need to thrive in their profession.”
    

    Created by MedGeo Ventures, MOTION was born from the belief that the right career move can be transformative, not just for pay scale and hours, but for every aspect of life. CRNAs, upon login, will be presented with a map that features CRNA employer locations. Each location on the map will be flagged and searchable as one of three designations:
    

      

    • INACTIVE SITES: Employers have the option to add branding and update the information for their practice sites and providers at any time, free of charge.
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    • NETWORKING SITES: Employers can upgrade their sites to “networking” status to build a talent pipeline or hire opportunistically. The Networking Sites offer detailed employer information, including contact information.
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    • HIRING SITES: Employers can upgrade to hiring sites, allowing them to identify locations with active job openings. Hiring Sites provide all the features of Networking Sites, plus unlimited job postings for that location.
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    Additional features unique to AANA’s MOTION platform include map layers of community information such as housing costs and commute times; employer messaging to directly engage with employers before submitting an application; the ability to follow a site or entire market to get notifications of material changes; and AANA career liaisons to assist members with career option research and facilitate member referrals to employers.
    

    MedGeo, a partially held subsidiary of AANA, strives to equip members of the healthcare profession with better tools to navigate their career paths.
    

    “We are living through a unique time in the history of our field, and we are committed to supporting CRNAs with a platform that delivers more data and better ways to connect with employers,” said MedGeo Co-Founder, Jarod Collins.
    

     
    

    About MedGeo
    

    MedGeo is a map-based career exploration platform that’s purpose-built for medical association members. Our white-labeled, interactive experience gives associations more ways to improve the member experience with advanced search filters, robust comparative data, and an enjoyable search experience for job seekers.
    

     
    

    About AANA
    

    Founded in 1931 and located in Rosemont, Ill., and Washington, D.C., the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) is the professional organization representing nearly 61,000 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and student registered nurse anesthetists across the United States. As advanced practice registered nurses, CRNAs are anesthesia experts who administer more than 50 million anesthetics to patients in the United States each year and are the primary providers of anesthesia care in rural America. CRNAs represent more than 80% of the anesthesia providers in rural counties. For more information, visit www.aana.com.
    

     
    

     
    

    

    


     American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology
    

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    Remote learning during pandemic aids medical students with disabilities
    
			
    Remote learning during pandemic aids medical students with disabilities
    
			
    

    

    
BYLINE: Patricia DeLacey 
    

    Newswise — Medical students who reported a disability to their school increased by more than 25% during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study shows.
    

    The proportion of students reporting attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or chronic health and/or psychological disabilities has increased between 2015 and 2021.
    

    Despite the increase in medical students reporting these conditions, the requests for more inclusive preclinical testing accommodations, like extra time for test completion or a less distracting environment, decreased during the pandemic between 2019 and 2021.
    

    According to authors of the new research letter in JAMA Network Open, the remote curriculum delivery during the pandemic may have allowed students to create an optimal learning and testing environment, decreasing the need for accommodation.
    

    “Medical education was at its most flexible during COVID,” said Lisa Meeks, Ph.D., clinical associate professor of learning health sciences and family medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School.
    

    She adds that this could have reduced the need for testing accommodations, but it is unclear whether the need for accommodations will rise again after the recent return to in-person lectures and testing.
    

    Documenting the rise
    

    The study results are part of a long-term research project led by Meeks that follows the prevalence of medical students in the United States who disclose disabilities to their respective schools.
    

    This study on disability disclosure in medicine was the first large scale study of its kind, encompassing all types of disability, including psychological, learning, sensory, physical and chronic health conditions.
    

    Since 2015, researchers have seen an increase of medical students reporting a disability to their institution from 2.8% in 2015 to 4.7% in 2019, and to 5.9% in 2021.
    

    When asked to describe why we see such large increases in the population of medical students with disabilities, Meeks posited that “growth in this population could mean that we are reducing bias and stigma, and therefore people who were already in medicine are more willing to disclose.”
    

    “It could also mean that our research sparked a conversation to change policies, which then led to individuals with disabilities who didn’t think they could make it in medical school choosing to apply to these schools.”
    

    Doctors with disabilities improve patient care
    

    According to Meeks, there is still significant work to be done to increase the representation of doctors with disabilities in medicine.
    

    Only 5.9% of medical school students report a disability, but 27% of adults in the U.S. currently live with some type of disability.
    

    As the population ages, this number is expected to increase.
    

    “Physicians in the U.S. and many other countries report that they do not feel confident in their ability to provide equal quality of care to patients with disabilities as they provide to patients without disabilities,” said Karina Pereira-Lima, Ph.D., a research fellow in the Michigan Medicine neurology department.
    

    “The inclusion of professionals with disabilities in medicine can greatly improve the care for patients with disabilities and the health of the population overall.”
    

    Retaining medical trainees with disabilities
    

    Increasing the number of physicians with disabilities requires both the recruitment and retention of medical trainees.
    

    “Anonymous research with medical trainees with disability shows that about one in every five medical students and more than half of resident physicians do not request accommodations when they need them,” said Pereira-Lima.
    

    The two main reasons for not requesting needed accommodation were fear of stigma or bias and lack of a clear institutional process.
    

    “Program access, or simply having the ability to access accommodations should they need them, improves medical trainees with disabilities performance in relation to testing and patient care. It also reduces the likelihood of reporting depressive symptoms or burnout,” added Pereira-Lima.
    

    Meeks advocated for “standardization in support for students with disabilities in medical education.”
    

    “Medical education strives for parity and continuity between medical schools, but when it comes to disability services and reasonable accommodations, there’s no standardization whatsoever,” said Meeks.
    

    “One school could have an incredible specialized disability support services with a qualified disability resource professional running the office, while another school does not have a specialized disability support service at all.”
    

    ‘A wave of change’
    

    The team notes that addressing the second common barrier to attaining needed disability accommodations and fear of stigma or bias requires a continued culture shift in medicine.
    

    “Disability is still incredibly stigmatized, and ableism is rampant in medicine and medical education. At the same time, I think the work from our lab, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and others in medicine started a wave of change that is extraordinarily strong,” said Meeks.
    

    This work is bolstered by the matriculation of individuals that Meeks calls the post Americans with Disabilities Act generation into medical school.
    

    “This generation has a lot of disability pride. They’ve had accommodations their entire lives, they know the law, they know their rights and they’re not ashamed of being disabled,” said Meeks.
    

    Next steps
    

    As this long term study continues, the research team plans to assess how other identities interact with the disability identity.
    

    “People with disabilities have different racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations and socio-economic statuses. We want to learn more about how the interaction between these different identities impacts the performance and mental health of medical students with disabilities,” said Pereira-Lima. 
    

    Meeks adds that thanks to new funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation the DocsWithDisabilities team is doing just that.
    

    “We’re also developing methods to measure the efficacy of accommodations. We need to do more research on the quality of received accommodations and how easy the process was for them to receive the accommodations they needed” added Pereira-Lima.
    

    “Investing in a culture that acknowledges disability as a valuable form of diversity will improve patient care.”
    

    

    


     Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan
    

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    Novartis Sets Sandoz Spinoff Date for Oct. 4
    
			
    Novartis Sets Sandoz Spinoff Date for Oct. 4
    
			
    

    

    By Adria Calatayud
    

    Novartis said the planned spinoff of its Sandoz generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars business is expected to occur on or around Oct. 4.
    

    The Swiss pharmaceutical giant said Friday that the separation will take place through a proposed distribution of Sandoz shares to its existing shareholders. Novartis shareholders will get one Sandoz shares for every five Novartis shares held and one Sandoz American depositary receipts–or ADRs–for every five Novartis ADRs, the company said.
    

    

    Novartis had previously said it expected the spinoff to happen early in the fourth quarter.
    

    The Sandoz spinoff remains subject to approval by Novartis’s shareholders. Novartis has scheduled an extraordinary general meeting for Sept. 15 to vote on the proposed distribution of Sandoz shares and a reduction in its own share capital in connection with the spinoff, it said.
    

    Following the separation, Sandoz would be listed in SIX Swiss Exchange, with an ADR program in the U.S., Novartis said.
    

    Write to Adria Calatayud at adria.calatayud@dowjones.com
    

    

    


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    J&J’s Kenvue Deal Could Be Too Popular. What Happens if It Is.
    
			
    J&J’s Kenvue Deal Could Be Too Popular. What Happens if It Is.
    
			
    

    

    
        
    
          
    
            Johnson and Johnson
    
          
    
        
    
       $40 billion exchange offer for shares in
    
        
    
          
    
            Kenvue
    
          
    
        
    
       is likely to generate strong interest from the healthcare company’s shareholders, resulting in participants being able to swap only a portion of their J&J stock. 
    

    


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    J&J Investors Must Decide If They Want Kenvue Stock
    
			
    J&J Investors Must Decide If They Want Kenvue Stock
    
			
    

    

    

    This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit http://www.djreprints.com.
    

    https://www.barrons.com/articles/kenvue-jnj-stock-price-exchange-offer-e85c3c90
    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

      

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    Exor Buys 15% Stake in Philips
    
			
    Exor Buys 15% Stake in Philips
    
			
    

    

    By Joe Hoppe
    

    Exor and Royal Philips jointly said that they have entered a relationship agreement, with Exor picking up a 15% stake in Philips for an undisclosed sum, but worth around 2.58 billion euros ($2.82 billion).
    

    

    Investment company Exor, which holds stakes in a number of companies such as car makers Ferrari and Stellantis, said Monday that its investment is fully supportive of Dutch health-technology company Philips’ leadership, strategy and value creation potential, and gives it the ability to nominate one member to Philips’ supervisory board.
    

    As of Friday’s closing, Philips had a market cap of around EUR17.18 billion.
    

    Exor said it was committed to being a long-term minority investor, and while it doesn’t plan to buy more shares in Philips in the short-term, over time the agreement allows for Exor to increase its participation to a maximum limit of 20% of Philips’ outstanding share capital.
    

    “Exor’s investment in Philips, their long-term outlook and increased focus on healthcare and technology, fit well with our strategy and substantial value creation potential,” Philips Chief Executive Roy Jakobs said.
    

    Write to Joe Hoppe at joseph.hoppe@wsj.com
    

    

    


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    Home Depot, Target, and More to Watch This Week
    
			
    Home Depot, Target, and More to Watch This Week
    
			
    

    Home Depot, Target, Cisco, Deere, Walmart, and More Stocks to Watch This Week
    


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    Andrew Chang joins UChicago Medicine as Chief Marketing Officer
    
			
    Andrew Chang joins UChicago Medicine as Chief Marketing Officer
    
			
    

    

    Newswise — Andrew “Andy” Chang has been selected as UChicago Medicine’s new Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer. He joins the health system August 28.
    

    Chang’s robust marketing career has spanned numerous industries during the past two decades. He comes to UChicago Medicine from VillageMD, which provides primary, multispecialty and urgent care services across the U.S. As vice president of marketing at VillageMD, Chang spent the past three years overseeing the company’s marketing strategy, brand, physician outreach, analytics and marketing technology platforms. Before joining VillageMD, Chang served as executive director of marketing and physician outreach at Piedmont Healthcare, a 22-hospital system based in Atlanta. Prior to his work in healthcare, he led marketing efforts at the real estate firm Stan Johnson Company, various divisions of shipping company UPS and AirTran Airways.
    

    At UChicago Medicine, Chang will lead the health system’s Marketing Department and will develop and maintain strategic, cohesive, and successful brand and digital marketing strategies. He brings an innovative, analytical and data-focused approach to marketing and will move UChicago Medicine to the forefront of healthcare marketing. He will align marketing messaging for UChicago Medicine’s evolving clinical enterprise. He also will work to grow the business by promoting the system’s world-class network, medical care and research enterprise.
    

    Chang has a master’s degree in business administration from Wake Forest University and a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cell biology from the University of California, Berkeley.
    

    

    


     University of Chicago Medical Center
    

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    Krista Curell named UChicago Health System COO
    
			
    Krista Curell named UChicago Health System COO
    
			
    

    

    Newswise — Krista Curell has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the University of Chicago Health System, where she will work to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive approach that supports the organization’s future growth.
    

    Working collaboratively with the leaders at the various sites, Curell will guide day-to-day operations across the UChicago Medicine health system and focus on optimizing and fully integrating operations at the care sites, including Ingalls Memorial Hospital.
    

    A nurse and an attorney, Curell has dedicated her professional career to the University of Chicago Medical Center since 2001.
    

    Her new role builds on her work as Chief Transformation and Integration Officer, a position she has had since March 2021, and her more recent additional responsibilities as Chief Administration Officer. In these capacities she has created integrated structures for the departments of Risk Management, Patient Safety & Quality Performance Improvement, Patient Experience, Compliance, Human Resources and other shared services.
    

    Curell’s credentials also include her experience and demonstrated strategic leadership over the enterprise’s Emergency Operations Division, serving as Incident Commander of the Hospital Incident Command Structure over the past decade.
    

    

    


     University of Chicago Medical Center
    

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    T. Boone Pickens Foundation Donates $20 Million to Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine
    
			
    T. Boone Pickens Foundation Donates $20 Million to Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine
    
			
    

    

    Newswise — The T. Boone Pickens Foundation, established by the late, Texan innovative energy leader and philanthropist, is donating $20 million to the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine. The gift, announced in 2013, is one of the largest research donations in Wilmer’s history. It will fund vision-saving research and a professorship.
    

    Pickens’ interest in the treatment and research of eye conditions developed in the 1980s after his father’s diagnosis of macular degeneration, a progressive condition that disrupts the central field of vision and causes vision loss. At the time, no treatments existed to prevent decline of his father’s healthy vision.
    

    Pickens later publicly disclosed his own battle with macular degeneration and sought treatment from Wilmer for both this condition and cataracts. His care team, which included Walter Stark, M.D., and Neil Bressler, M.D., and which used the latest and most advanced treatments, was able to help Pickens retain most of his eyesight until his death in 2019 at the age of 91.
    

    “Walter Stark, like my dad, had deep Oklahoma roots,” says Pickens’ daughter, Liz Cordia. “They became fast friends. This friendship ultimately evolved into Walter treating my grandad’s glaucoma and my dad’s cataracts and later diagnosing his macular degeneration.”
    

    In 2005 and 2009, Pickens made gifts totaling $8 million — first to establish the Boone Pickens Professorship of Ophthalmology, currently held by Amir Kashani, M.D., Ph.D., and then to help with construction of the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Building to house Wilmer’s research laboratories and state of the art operating rooms.
    

    “Mr. Pickens’ generous contributions to Wilmer will serve as the foundation on which teams of clinicians, scientists and engineers will develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic interventions to prevent blindness and improve the health of people around the world,” says Kashani.
    

    Along with cutting-edge research and the Boone Pickens Professorship, the $20 million gift from the Pickens Foundation will endow additional Boone Pickens Professorships, specifically for young investigators, called Rising Professorships. The funds will be allocated to researchers who conduct novel, vision-saving research that may be overlooked by other potential funding opportunities.
    

    ”The Pickens Rising Professors will be our best and brightest physician-scientists who are early in their careers and exploring their new ideas for improving the care of patients and ending blinding eye diseases” says Peter McDonnell, M.D., Wilmer’s director. “This transformative gift from our friend, Mr. Pickens, will accelerate our work in artificial intelligence, stem cells, nanotechnology and other exciting new frontiers.”
    

    The gift comes after Cordia and Jay Rosser, a foundation representative, visited Wilmer leaders and researchers early this summer to discuss how the donation would be used at the institute and new research spaces under construction at Johns Hopkins.
    

    “Advancing health and medical initiatives that would have impacts spanning generations was a core objective in Boone’s giving,” says Rosser. “When all is said and done, his philanthropic impact exceeded $1 billion and was directed at some of the world’s most cutting-edge research institutions, and the Wilmer Eye Institute stands high on that list.”
    

    

    


     Johns Hopkins Medicine
    

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    ISPOR’s Value in Health Regional Issues Receives Its First Impact Factor Score
    
			
    ISPOR’s Value in Health Regional Issues Receives Its First Impact Factor Score
    
			
    

    

    Newswise — Lawrenceville, NJ, USA—August 7, 2023—Value in Health Regional Issues, the regionally focused journal of ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), received its first-ever impact factor score this year. Value in Health, one of the top-ranked journals in the HEOR field, maintained its high ranking on the prestigious list of scholarly journals.
    

    The 2022 impact factor scores were released last month in the Journal Citation Reports, an annual report published by Clarivate Analytics. Value in Health Regional Issues received an impact factor score of 2.0. The journal is indexed in the Health Policy & Services and the Health Care Sciences & Services categories in Clarivate’s Emerging Sources Citation Index. Launched in 2012, Value in Health Regional Issues focuses on the application of HEOR methods in specific regional populations. The journal publishes a diverse mix of original research, systematic literature and scoping reviews, and brief reports that examine the impact of interventions at the individual, healthcare system, community, and policy levels.
    

    “This is a major milestone in the continued growth and expansion of Value in Health Regional Issues,” said Editor-in-Chief Manuel A. Espinoza, MD, MSc, PhD, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. “The journal was first indexed in PubMed in 2016 and included in the Web of Science in 2021. Obtaining an impact factor score is another indication of the growing importance of health economics and outcomes research and reinforces the role Value in Health Regional Issues can play in facilitating evidence-based decisions for patients and healthcare systems around the world.”
    

    In addition, ISPOR is proud to announce that its other journal, Value in Health, recognized for scientific and research excellence in the field, received an impact factor score of 4.5 and has a 5-year impact factor score of 6.2. Value in Health ranks 69th of 380 journals in the Economics category; 21st of 105 journals in the Health Care Sciences & Services category; and 8th of 87 journals in the Health Policy & Services category.
    

    “It is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the Editors-in-Chief, Michael F. Drummond, MCom, DPhil, C. Daniel Mullins, PhD, and Manuel A. Espinoza, MD, MSc, PhD, and the entire team of editors to have both ISPOR journals receive this level of recognition in scholarly publishing,” said Robert Abbott, CEO and Executive Director of ISPOR. “Together, Value in Health and Value in Health Regional Issues not only offer competitive, impactful outlets for authors who are doing research in the HEOR field but also provide rigorous, evidence-based science to a multistakeholder audience that relies on this research to inform healthcare policies and decisions around the world.”
    

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    ABOUT ISPOR
    ISPOR, the professional society for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), is an international, multistakeholder, nonprofit dedicated to advancing HEOR excellence to improve decision making for health globally. The Society is the leading source for scientific conferences, peer-reviewed and MEDLINE®-indexed publications, good practices guidance, education, collaboration, and tools/resources in the field.
    Website  | LinkedIn  | Twitter (@ispororg)  |  YouTube  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  
    

    ABOUT VALUE IN HEALTH REGIONAL ISSUES
    Value in Health Regional Issues (ISSN 2212-1099) is ISPOR’s online, MEDLINE®-indexed journal that publishes articles on health-related topics that impact the health policies and populations in the following regions: (1) Asia; (2) Central and Eastern Europe, Western Asia, and Africa; and (3) Latin America. The journal’s 2022 impact factor score is 2.0.
    Website  |  Twitter (@isporjournals)
    

    ABOUT VALUE IN HEALTH
    Value in Health (ISSN 1098-3015) is an international, indexed journal that publishes original research and health policy articles that advance the field of health economics and outcomes research to help healthcare leaders make evidence-based decisions. The journal’s 2022 impact factor score is 4.5 and its 5-year impact factor score is 6.2. Value in Health is ranked 8th of 87 journals in health policy and services, 21st of 105 journals in healthcare sciences and services, and 69th of 380 journals in economics. Value in Health is a monthly publication that circulates to more than 10,000 readers around the world.
    Website  | Twitter (@isporjournals)
    

    

    


     ISPOR–The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research
    

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    AI Transformation of Medicine: Why Doctors Are Not Prepared
    
			
    AI Transformation of Medicine: Why Doctors Are Not Prepared
    
			
    

    

    Newswise — BALTIMORE, August 5, 2023–As artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT find their way into everyday use, physicians will start to see these tools incorporated into their clinical practice to help them make important decisions on diagnosis and treatment of common medical conditions. These tools, called clinical decision support (CDS) algorithms, can be enormously helpful in helping guide health care providers in determining, for example, which antibiotics to prescribe or whether to recommend a risky heart surgery. 
    

    The success of these new technologies, however, depends largely on how physicians interpret and act upon a tool’s risk predictions – and that requires a unique set of skills that many are currently lacking, according to a new perspective article published today in the New England Journal of Medicine that was written by faculty in the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). 
    

    CDS algorithms, which make predictions under conditions of clinical uncertainty, can include everything from regression-derived risk calculators to sophisticated machine learning and artificial intelligence-based systems. They can be used to predict which patients are most likely to go into life-threatening sepsis from an uncontrolled infection or which therapy has the highest probability of preventing sudden death in an individual heart disease patient. 
    

    “These new technologies have the potential to significantly impact patient care, but doctors need to first learn how machines think and work before they can incorporate algorithms into their medical practice,” said Daniel Morgan, MD, MS Professor of Epidemiology & Public Health at UMSOM and co-author of the perspective. 
    

    While some clinical decision support tools are already incorporated into electronic medical record systems, health care providers often find the current software to be cumbersome and difficult to use. “Doctors don’t need to be math or computer experts, but they do need to have a baseline understanding of what an algorithm does in terms of probability and risk adjustment, but most have never been trained in those skills,” said Katherine Goodman, JD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Public Health at UMSOM and co-author of the perspective.
    

    To address this gap, medical education and clinical training need to incorporate explicit coverage of probabilistic reasoning tailored specifically to CDS algorithms. Drs. Morgan, Goodman, and their co-author Adam Rodman, MD, MPH, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, proposed the following:
    

      

    1. Improve Probabilistic Skills: Early in medical school, students should learn the fundamental aspects of probability and uncertainty and use visualization techniques to make thinking in terms of probability more intuitive. This training should include interpreting performance measures like sensitivity and specificity to better understand test and algorithm performance.
      2. 

    2. Incorporate Algorithmic Output into Decision Making: Physicians should be taught to critically evaluate and use CDS predictions in their clinical decision-making. This training involves understanding the context in which algorithms operate, recognizing limitations, and considering relevant patient factors that algorithms may have missed.
      3. 

    3. Practice Interpreting CDS Predictions in Applied Learning: Medical students and physicians can engage in practice-based learning by applying algorithms to individual patients and examining how different inputs affect predictions. They should also learn to communicate with patients about CDS-guided decision making.  
      4. 

    

    The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) and University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) recently launched plans for a new Institute for Health Computing  (IHC). The UM-IHC will leverage recent advances in artificial intelligence, network medicine, and other computing methods to create a premier learning health care system that evaluates both de-identified and secure digitized medical health data to enhance disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Dr. Goodman is beginning a position at IHC, which will be a site that is dedicated to educating and training health care providers on the latest technologies. The Institute plans to eventually offer a certification in health data science among other formal educational opportunities in data sciences. 
    

    “Probability and risk analysis is foundational to the practice of evidence-based medicine, so improving physicians’ probabilistic skills can provide advantages that extend beyond the use of CDS algorithms,” said UMSOM Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor. “We’re entering a transformative era of medicine where new initiatives like our Institute for Health Computing will integrate vast troves of data into machine learning systems to personalize care for the individual patient.”
    

    

    


     University of Maryland School of Medicine
    

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    Advances in Physical Therapy Offer Unexpected Paths to Recovery
    
			
    Advances in Physical Therapy Offer Unexpected Paths to Recovery
    
			
    

    

    Newswise — At LifeBridge Health Physical Therapy in collaboration with NovaCare Rehabilitation, individuals are discovering new and unexpected ways that physical therapy can transform their quality of life.
    

    “The majority of our patients are orthopedic patients, injured athletes, and people living with general aches and pains,” says Market Manager Todd Shrager, P.T., A.T.C. “But our collaboration with a national leader like NovaCare keeps us at the forefront of physical therapy research and enables the therapy team to bring an entire roster of unique services and specialists to the community.”
    The roster is indeed diverse, with services ranging from concussion management and aquatics therapy to hand therapy and vestibular rehabilitation (for patients living with inner ear disorders). But perhaps the most unique service is ReVital, the industry’s first cancer rehabilitation program, which is specially designed to help patients manage and recuperate from the often-harsh side effects of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
    

    “Our ReVital therapists are trained and certified to understand not only what cancer can do to the body, but also what cancer treatment can do,” explains Shrager. “It’s a holistic, full-body approach that’s focused on survivorship and wellness even after the patient’s treatment ends.”
    

    As part of the ReVital program, physical therapists work closely with the cancer care teams at Carroll, Northwest and Sinai hospitals to create a seamless, comprehensive
    care plan for each patient. It’s a level of collaboration that Shrager says is true of all LifeBridge Health Physical Therapy services.
    

    “There’s a wonderful continuity of care between us and our patients’ physicians at all of our locations because we are part of the LifeBridge Health family,” he says.
    

    Collaborative Care for Athletes
    NovaCare and LifeBridge Health have expanded their collaboration to bring medical resources to local athletes throughout the region. In addition to LifeBridge Health’s ongoing partnerships with Loyola University and Carroll County High School Athletics, the LifeBridge Health Sports Medicine team has recently become the official medical provider for The Baseball Warehouse, Pipeline Soccer Club and Baltimore Celtic Soccer Club. Together, NovaCare and LifeBridge Health will help athletes with injury prevention and treatment through physician access, athletic training, physical therapy and education.
    

    Heal Without the Hassle
    LifeBridge Health Physical Therapy makes recovery easier with 18 full-service locations throughout the community. Click here to find the location nearest you.
    

    

    


     LifeBridge Health
    

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    Pandemic Spurs Rise in Welsh Breastfeeding Rates, Reveals New Study
    
			
    Pandemic Spurs Rise in Welsh Breastfeeding Rates, Reveals New Study
    
			
    

    

    Newswise — A Swansea University-led study revealed breastfeeding rates in Wales increased during the pandemic.
    

    The research, which included all women in Wales who gave birth between 2018 and 2021, found that breastfeeding rates at six months were higher during Covid compared to the pre-pandemic period – with rates increasing from 16.6 per cent before the pandemic to 20.5 per cent in 2020.
    

    The study also found a strong correlation between a mother’s intention to breastfeed and the likelihood of exclusively breastfeeding for six months.
    

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life.  However, the UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. 
    

    To better understand this issue, Born in Wales researchers based in Swansea’s National Centre for Population Health & Wellbeing
    

    Research aimed to examine the impact of the pandemic on breastfeeding uptake and duration. The team also investigated whether a mother’s intention to breastfeed influenced the length of time she exclusively breastfed her baby.u
    

    Their findings have just been published online by the BMJ. The study analysed anonymised data from the SAIL Databank, linking information from the Maternal Indicators (MIDS) dataset and the National Community Child Health (NCCH) Births and Breastfeeding dataset.
    

    The team examined two sets of responses to explore the connection between breastfeeding intentions and duration. The first set came from the Born in Wales Survey, which asked expectant mothers about how they planned to feed their baby.
    

    The second set, from the MIDS data, documented mothers’ intentions after giving birth. By comparing responses from the two sources, the researchers could explore how a mother’s intentions during pregnancy and postpartum influenced breastfeeding.
    

    Key findings from the study include:
    

      

    • Intention to breastfeed was strongly associated with a higher likelihood of exclusively breastfeeding for six months. Women who intended to breastfeed were 27.6 times more likely to continue exclusive breastfeeding to the recommended six months compared to those who did not intend to breastfeed;
      • 

    • Breastfeeding rates at six months were higher during Covid compared to the pre-pandemic period. The rates increased from 16.6 per cent before the pandemic to 20.5 per cent in 2020; and
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    • Black mothers were significantly more likely to exclusively breastfeed for six months than mothers of other ethnicities.
      • 

    

     
    

    Based on its findings, the study proposes targeted interventions during pregnancy to encourage motivation and intention to breastfeed and the development of policies and support systems to enable families to spend more time with their babies. Measures such as maternal and paternal leave can contribute to improved breastfeeding duration.
    

    Lead author Hope Jones said: “Our research recommends that interventions promoting motivation to breastfeed during or even before pregnancy could enhance breastfeeding duration.
    

    “Additionally, aspects of the pandemic, such as working from home or increased time with partners, may have positively influenced breastfeeding duration. Therefore, policies and practices facilitating family time can potentially improve breastfeeding duration.”
    

    Prof Sinead Brophy, Director of the Centre for Population Health, added: “Breastfeeding has significant health benefits for mothers and babies and plays a vital role in public health as it is a cost-effective way to prevent illness, reduce healthcare costs and promote population health.
    

    “Our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence on breastfeeding. By understanding what influences how long mothers breastfeed their babies, we can create effective ways to encourage and support breastfeeding – improving uptake, duration of breastfeeding and maternal and child health outcomes.”
    

    

    


     Swansea University
    

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    Jim and Jane Miller Establish Patient Navigation Program at Loyola Medicine’s Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center
    
			
    Jim and Jane Miller Establish Patient Navigation Program at Loyola Medicine’s Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center
    
			
    

    

    Newswise — MAYWOOD, IL – Thanks to a generous gift from Jim and Jane Miller, Loyola Medicine is launching the Jim and Jane Miller Patient Navigation Program in the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center. This gift will support the hiring of dedicated healthcare professionals to help patients take advantage of Loyola Medicine’s unique multidisciplinary care and overcome any obstacles they may face on their cancer journey.
    

    “Jane and I are pleased to be able to seed the launch of the patient navigation program at the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center at Loyola Medicine,” said Jim Miller, an Oak Brook native and Loyola patient. “We know this program will enhance the coordination of complex care for patients who are experiencing what can be an overwhelming time in their lives and make an important difference to patients, their families and the dedicated physicians, nurses and technicians at Loyola.”
    

    During year one, the Miller’s gift will support the cost of three patient navigators focused on areas with large patient populations including breast, gastrointestinal and thoracic oncology. The following year, two additional navigators will join the team to concentrate on neuro-oncology, gynecology, prostate cancer and cancers of head and neck. These navigators will free up frontline caregivers to focus on the clinical aspect of patient care and work to the highest level of their licensure.
    

    “The diagnosis of cancer can be overwhelming and lead to a complex interplay of tests, provider appointments and procedures,” said William Small, Jr., MD, FACRO, FACR, FASTRO, director of the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center. “Navigating these appointments is critical to prompt access and eliminating barriers to care. The generous gift by Jim and Jane Miller will go a long way to improve the lives of our cancer patients.”
    

    Jim and Jane Miller have been patients at Loyola Medicine for over 40 years. The Millers are committed to ensuring everyone has access to high-quality health care. Loyola Medicine is fortunate to partner with them to advance health equity in the communities we serve.
    

    The U.S. population is experiencing increasing instances of cancer diagnoses and survivorship. To meet this growing need, the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center brings together all aspects of cancer care to one site. Beautifully designed for the comfort and convenience of our patients, the center provides access to clinical trials and promotes optimal collaboration between healthcare providers. 
    

    Loyola Medicine is nationally recognized for its expert team of specially trained cancer doctors who come from a wide variety of clinical specialties. These multidisciplinary specialists provide the expertise, translational research experience and compassionate care needed to diagnose and treat cancer. They work together, taking a collaborative approach to cancer care. 
    

    Named in honor of the late Archbishop of Chicago Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, the center contains clinic areas, a day hospital and the Coleman Foundation Image Renewal Center, as well as extensive research laboratories, offices and educational space. 
    

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    About Loyola Medicine
    

    Loyola Medicine, a member of Trinity Health, is a nationally ranked academic, quaternary care system based in Chicago’s western suburbs. The three-hospital system includes Loyola University Medical Center, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, MacNeal Hospital, as well as convenient locations offering primary care, specialty care and immediate care services from more than 1,500 physicians throughout Cook, Will and DuPage counties. Loyola is a 547-licensed-bed hospital in Maywood that includes the William G. and Mary A. Ryan Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine, the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, a Level 1 trauma center, Illinois’s largest burn center, a certified comprehensive stroke center and a children’s hospital. Having delivered compassionate care for over 50 years, Loyola also trains the next generation of caregivers through its academic affiliation with Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. Established in 1961, Gottlieb is a 247-licensed-bed community hospital in Melrose Park with the Judd A. Weinberg Emergency Department, the Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Care and the Loyola Cancer Care & Research Facility at the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Center. MacNeal is a 374-licensed-bed teaching hospital in Berwyn with advanced medical, surgical and psychiatric services, acute rehabilitation, an inpatient skilled nursing facility and a 68-bed behavioral health program and community clinics.
    

     
    

    For more information, visit loyolamedicine.org. You can also follow Loyola Medicine on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
    

     
    

    About Trinity Health
    

    Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, Catholic health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 123,000 colleagues and nearly 27,000 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 26 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 88 hospitals, 135 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 136 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. Based in Livonia, Michigan, its annual operating revenue is $21.5 billion with $1.4 billion returned to its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs.
    

     
    

    For the latest updates and stories from Trinity Health, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
    

    

    


     Loyola Medicine
    

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