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.”
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)
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ISPOR–The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research
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:
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.
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.
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.
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,” saidUMSOM 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 atransformative 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.”
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.
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
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.”
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.
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.
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Newswise — ATLANTA, August 1, 2023 – A new study from researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) found monthly adult cancer diagnoses decreased by half in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The largest decrease was for stage I cancers, resulting in a higher proportion of late-stage diagnoses. The study is the most comprehensive research to date about the effects of the first year of the pandemic on cancer diagnoses and stage in the nation. The paper was published today in the journal Lancet Oncology.
“During the emergence of the pandemic, we know health care was disrupted in the U.S. and steep declines were reported for cancer screening services,” said Dr. Xuesong Han, lead author of the study and scientific director of health services research at the American Cancer Society. “These updated results for all major cancer types nationwide represent a more comprehensive view and continue to be concerning as decreased screening, as well as delayed and forgone routine check-ups or doctor visits, can lead to underdiagnosis of cancer, especially in early stages, where treatment is most effective.”
For this study, using the latest national registry data, researchers identified a total of 2,404,050 adults newly diagnosed with cancer, including 830,528 in 2018, 849,290 in 2019, and 724,232 in 2020. The number of diagnoses for all stages decreased substantially following the COVID-19 emergence in the U.S. in March 2020, though monthly counts returned to near pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2020. The decrease was largest for stage I diagnoses, leading to higher odds of late-stage diagnoses in 2020 vs. 2019. The pattern was seen in most cancer types and sociodemographic groups, though it was most prominent among individuals who have historically experienced barriers in accessing health care, including individuals who are Hispanic, Asian American and Pacific Islander, uninsured, and living in the most socioeconomically deprived areas.
“The estimates we present represent larger declines in the numbers of individuals diagnosed with early-stage cancers than in the numbers of individuals diagnosed with late-stage cancers,” added Han. “These findings likely reflect the time when individuals sought care or screening during the pandemic rather than a stage shift in cancer progression. More ongoing cancer surveillance with longer-term data is warranted to better understand the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The American Cancer Society’s advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), continues to work at all levels of government to remove barriers to affordable screening through Medicaid and the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), a federal and state partnership in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 13 tribal organizations, two U.S. territories, and five U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands providing breast and cervical cancer screenings, diagnostic tests, and treatment referral services to communities that are limited-income, underserved, underinsured, and uninsured.
“ACS CAN will continue to advocate for adequate funding for the NBCCEDP as well as work to obtain additional state appropriations which will preserve a critical safety net for those who continue to lack access to lifesaving screening, diagnostic, and treatment services. The program is critically important to helping to get screening rates back on track after a decline due to COVID,” said Lisa Lacasse, president of the ACS CAN. “With nearly four million individuals having lost coverage following the end of pandemic era continuous enrollment, we are also urging states to undertake a careful process to evaluate Medicaid eligibility to ensure coverage isn’t erroneously disrupted for those who have no other affordable coverage option. For many cancer patients, disenrollment from Medicaid means disruptions to treatment that could have life-threatening consequences.”
About the American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Newswise — MONTCLAIR, NJ – [August 1, 2023] – Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center is proud to announce the introduction of Cerianna, an advanced breast imaging technology, further solidifying its commitment to providing cutting-edge healthcare services to the community. Cerianna represents a significant step forward in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, offering unprecedented precision and accuracy in detecting and localizing breast lesions.
Breast cancer is a prevalent and potentially life-threatening disease that affects countless women worldwide. Recognizing the urgent need for improved diagnostic tools, Mountainside Medical Center has made a substantial investment in acquiring Cerianna. This state-of-the-art technology allows for the identification and localization of cancerous lesions through molecular breast imaging, enabling physicians to provide personalized and targeted treatment plans.
Cerianna utilizes a novel imaging agent, which binds to the cancer cells and emits gamma-ray signals, allowing for precise localization and characterization of estrogen receptor (ER) positive lesions in patients with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. This advanced method offers superior sensitivity, making it an indispensable tool for accurate tumor detection, staging, and monitoring treatment response.
CEO Tim O’Brien emphasizes the significance of bringing such advanced technology to a community hospital. “At Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center, we are dedicated to ensuring that our patients have access to innovative and effective healthcare solutions close to home,” he states. “By introducing Cerianna, we are taking a significant stride forward in the fight against breast cancer, providing our community with a crucial resource that eliminates the need for patients to travel for specialized care.”
The availability of Cerianna at Mountainside Medical Center marks a turning point for women in the community who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Previously, patients had to travel considerable distances to access similar technology. Now, they can benefit from this cutting-edge tool within their own community, receiving expert care and personalized treatment plans from a team of dedicated professionals. “With the introduction of Cerianna, we eliminate the need for our community members to travel for specialized care, bringing cutting-edge breast imaging right to their doorstep,” says Ann Chuang, M.D., breast surgeon and medical director of Mountainside’s Breast Program.
The Cancer Program at Mountainside Medical Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer with commendation, a designation awarded to only about one quarter of all cancer care hospitals nationwide. A multidisciplinary team collaborates from screening and early detection through treatment and post-rehabilitation to provide an individualized care plan for each patient. The program offers a collaborative case review, sophisticated diagnostic resources, access to clinical trials, counseling and psychosocial services, infusion services, radiation oncology, genetic counseling, palliative support, nutrition education and counseling, among other services.
About Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center
Mountainside Medical Center has been serving Montclair and its surrounding New Jersey communities since 1891. The hospital provides patients immediate access to innovative and effective treatment alternatives at specialized centers within the hospital that focus on imaging, women’s health, cancer care, surgery, obesity, stroke and chronic kidney disease. Mountainside Medical Center is a designated Primary Stroke Center by the NJ State Department of Health and Senior Services and is one of only a few community hospitals licensed by the State to perform emergency and elective cardiac angioplasty. To learn more about Mountainside Medical Center visit www.mountainsidehosp.com.
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Newswise — EL PASO, Texas — When it comes to Hispanic health care, cancer is not just a disease; it’s an epidemic.
Coming to the aid of this underserved population, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso has received a landmark $6 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). The grant will fund the Impacting Cancer Outcomes in Hispanics (ICOHN) project, which examines cancer and cancer-related health disparities in Hispanic populations along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“The award for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso is transformational for cancer research in this region,” said CPRIT CEO Wayne Roberts. “This grant, along with other cancer research grants for the university, are not only a recognition of the significant development of cancer research here at TTUHSC El Paso, but an endorsement of the long-lasting impact this research will have in Texas. It is only the beginning, and CPRIT is proud to help support this vital effort here in El Paso.”
Rajkumar Lakshmanaswamy, Ph.D., dean of the Francis Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at TTUHSC El Paso, is principal investigator for the ICOHN project. Dr. Lakshmanaswamy said the CPRIT grant provides an opportunity to build on the university’s research strengths and investments in cancer research.
“We’re situated in a unique position to address the growing cancer burden among the Hispanic community,” said Dr. Lakshmanaswamy, a biomedical science professor who directs the university’s Center of Emphasis in Cancer. “Our goal is to improve access to health care for our Hispanic community members by developing novel biomarkers and therapeutics, grounded in an improved understanding of the biological, cultural and behavioral determinants of cancer.”
The Centers for Disease Control reports cancer as the leading cause of death in U.S. Hispanics, accounting for 20.3% of all deaths among this group. One in three Hispanic men and women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and distinct disparities are evident, such as high rates of leukemia and liver cancer compared to other populations. Breast cancer, a common occurrence in all communities, is a notable concern among Hispanics, who make up 83% of the population of our Borderplex.
Benefitting the university’s Center of Emphasis in Cancer, the grant is part of CPRIT’s Texas Regional Excellence in Cancer (TREC) initiative, of which TTUHSC El Paso is one of the first 5 grant recipients. The TREC initiative aims to decrease the impact of cancer in communities by developing new diagnostic markers and treatments. In addition to the biological aspect of cancer, the TREC initiative will also consider cultural and behavioral aspects of the disease, which are often overlooked but crucial in understanding the overall cancer burden.
The Hispanic population carries a heavy cancer burden, but according to a 2020 study, Hispanics made up less than 4% of patients participating in cancer clinical trials nationwide.
“Hispanic communities are largely underrepresented in cancer research and clinical trials,” said Dr. Lakshmanaswamy. “This grant allows us to bridge this gap and ensures the benefits of our research reach those who need it most. As researchers, we aim to bring hope to our community, and to continue building the path toward improving cancer outcomes and eliminating health disparities.”
The ICOHN project will establish three comprehensive research areas, with an initial focus on leukemia, breast and liver cancer. The researchers will be supported by a mentoring and professional development program in collaboration with seasoned researchers from six other medical schools and specialists from five National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated comprehensive cancer centers. This collective effort aims to form a concentration of successful researchers devoted to improving cancer outcomes in the Hispanic population.
Since 2011, CPRIT has invested over $34 million in our Borderplex region through TTUHSC El Paso, funding a range of cancer-related initiatives. From facilitating essential diagnostic testing, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, to promoting early cancer detection, CPRIT’s investment has proven instrumental in the community’s fight against cancer. Moreover, through their support of education and free vaccination programs targeting human papillomavirus (HPV), CPRIT has significantly contributed to reducing HPV-related cancers in West Texas, leaving a lasting impact on the community.
The announcement of the grant follows the recent awarding of $65 million by the Texas Legislature to build a comprehensive cancer center at TTUHSC El Paso. Together, both projects will ensure TTUHSC El Paso and our Borderplex region become a leading cancer education, research, and patient care hub for the Southwest, and further solidifies the university’s standing as a health care change agent.
About Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT)
As the second-largest public funder of cancer research in the nation, CPRIT provides funding for projects that deliver invaluable breakthroughs in cancer research, create high-quality jobs, and reduce cancer mortality rates across the state.
To learn more about CPRIT, visit www.cprit.texas.gov.
About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.
Established as an independent university in the Texas Tech University System in 2013, TTUHSC El Paso is celebrating 10 years as a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research. According to a 2022 analysis, TTUHSC El Paso contributes $634.4 million annually to our Borderplex region’s economy.
With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, TTUHSC El Paso has graduated over 2,000 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit www.ttuhscepimpact.org.
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Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
Newswise — Rochester, Minn. (July 26, 2023)- Five American Association of Neuromuscular Medicine (AANEM) members will race for a cure with American Neuromuscular Foundation (ANF)’s charity team in the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 5 to help raise awareness and funds for NM research and education.
Rebecca Dutton, MD: Physiatrist, team physician for the University of New Mexico Lobos, program director for the physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) residency program, and acting division chief of PM&R at the University of New Mexico
Holli Horak, MD: NM specialist and director of the neurophysiology fellowship at the University of Arizona and former ANF president
Ileana Howard, MD: Medical co-director of the ALS Center of Excellence at the VA Puget Sound and associate professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine
Nadia Khalil, MD: Chief neurology resident at the University of South Florida and member of AANEM’s Young Leadership Council
Adeel Zubair, MD: Assistant professor of clinical neurology at Yale School of Medicine
Each runner aims to raise $5,000, and all proceeds will directly fund critical research and education, ultimately improving the lives of those living with NM diseases. Don’t let them run alone – show your support by cheering them on from the sidelines and contributing to their fundraising campaigns. Visit ANF’s website at www.neuromuscularfoundation.org/marathon to donate, and follow along on social media @AmNmFoundation to learn more about the foundation and the five participating runners.
About American Neuromuscular Foundation (ANF) Based in Rochester, MN, ANF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the global effort to cure neuromuscular disease. As part of its mission to promote the advancement of scientific research and education, the ANF offers annual development grants and abstract and fellowship awards to launch research into muscle and nerve disorders by experts in the field. For more information about ANF, visit neurmuscularfoundation.org.
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American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM)
Newswise — During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments changed rules and procedures related to Medicaid enrollment. These changes decreased many of the burdens eligible people face when signing up for programs and contributed to a 30 percent increase in Medicaid enrollment. However, the end of public health emergency declarations brings an end to these pandemic policies, which many fear could lead to eligible people losing public health insurance simply because they are unable to fulfill administrative requirements such as accurately filling out and submitting forms, renewing their enrollment and communicating with Medicaid agencies.
A new study investigates public perceptions of administrative barriers affecting health insurance access. Publishing soon in the journal Health Affairs Scholar, it was conducted by Simon Haeder, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Health Policy & Management at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, with his co-author Don Moynihan, PhD, from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. The study uses a nationally representative survey of American adults to measure attitudes about policies meant to reduce administrative burdens and explore how these attitudes vary among different populations.
The survey, conducted in late 2022 and early 2023, asked respondents about nine policies aimed at reducing administrative burdens for individuals currently enrolled in the Medicaid program related to the nation’s transition out of the public health emergency. These include automatic renewals, the use of prefilled forms, plain language and alternate communications like text messaging, ensuring states have enough resources to handle enrollment, and increased outreach and enrollment efforts. Haeder measured levels of general support for such administrative changes and how experience with Medicaid, political ideology and ability to handle administrative tasks affect support of these policies.
Administrative burdens are something people face when dealing with public services. These can include learning about procedures, keeping track of enrollment and renewal dates and filling out and submitting forms. Administrative procedures are a necessary part of providing services and some play a key role in reducing waste and fraud. However, in some cases these procedures can be difficult to understand, especially for people without experience managing administrative tasks. In some cases, procedures can even be used to limit access to programs in a way that is less visible to the public. Additionally, such burdens can have a disproportionate impact on groups that are already facing inequalities.
Haeder’s analysis found notable support for policies that reduce administrative burdens across the whole survey sample. However, some groups showed greater support than others. For example, politically liberal respondents, people with experience with Medicaid and those who have difficulty with administrative tasks were more supportive of reducing burdens. In contrast, politically conservative people and those without experience with Medicaid were still supportive but to a lesser degree.
Haeder noted a few limitations with the study, such as the use of an internet-based survey and the fact that the one-time sample cannot measure changes in public perception. Additionally, the survey’s nine policy changes have a minimal chance of increasing enrollment fraud. People may be less likely to support changes to policies aimed at preventing fraud. Future research into other policies and attitudes toward other public assistance programs will be valuable.
Despite these limitations, the findings of this study point to substantial public support of efforts to shift administrative burdens away from individuals and improve communication and outreach about Medicaid enrollment procedures. Pandemic policies showed the potential success of reducing administrative burdens, and public support of such changes could lead to changes in how governments handle assistance programs in the future.
Newswise — A new Cochrane review finds that the use of physical restraints on care home residents can be reduced without increasing the risk of falls, when frontline care staff are empowered by supportive managers.
Physical restraints are devices that restrict freedom of movement and are frequently used in residential care homes, such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Examples are bed rails or belts that prevent residents from getting out of bed unassisted. These restraints are ethically problematic as they are mostly used in people with dementia who are often unable to consent to their use.
Physical restraints are often intended to prevent falls and fall-related injuries. However, the benefits are often small and come with important negative consequences. For example, the restriction of movement can have negative implications on physical functioning and mobility, actually increasing the risk of falls and care dependency. The measures can also trigger or increase fear or aggressive behaviour. For this reason, guidelines and experts recommend avoiding physical restraints in residential care settings.
But how can this be implemented in practice? A Cochrane Review, first published in 2011 and recently updated to reflect the latest research, analyses the scientific evidence on interventions and strategies to reduce the use of restraints. The team of authors, led by Ralph Möhler of the University Hospital Düsseldorf, identified 11 studies with a total of 19,003 participants, evaluating different intervention approaches.
In their evaluation, the authors found the best evidence for organizational interventions, which were investigated in 4 studies with a total of 17,954 participants. Organizational interventions to reduce the use of restraints consist of different components to function as a package. They aim to improve knowledge, skills, and strategies to prevent restraint use among both frontline care staff and managers. In three studies, employees designated as ‘champions’, were trained to develop and implement individual strategies to prevent the use of restraints within their facilities. Managers supported this, including by relieving them of other activities and provide them with sufficient time for their tasks.
Such interventions probably reduce the number of residents with physical restraints in nursing homes by 14%. There was no overall change in the number of residents with falls or fall-related injuries and there was no increase in the prescription of psychotropic medication. In addition, there was no evidence of adverse effects of the interventions. Based on the study data, the authors calculated that the number of residents with physical restraints could be reduced from 274 to 236 per 1000 individuals, if such interventions were implemented. Focusing on changes on the organisational level seems to be important for achieving long-term effects.
Six studies examined educational interventions addressing staff knowledge and attitudes regarding the use of restraints. The results of these studies were inconsistent and some of the studies had methodological limitations. Therefore, no clear conclusion on the effects of educational interventions can be drawn.
“The results of this review show that physical restraints in nursing homes can be reduced without increasing falls or fall-related injuries,” says Ralph Möhler, lead author of the review. “There is no evidence in the reviewed studies that psychotropic medications were prescribed more often. However, education for frontline staff alone doesn’t seem to be enough; the support of care home managers plays a decisive role.”
Newswise — ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate celebrated the graduation of its third cohort of health tech startups, including 12 national and international innovative businesses. During the event, held in Rochester, Minnesota, on July 28, each company presented progress and outcomes from the Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate program, providing a glimpse into the future of medicine.
Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate is an immersive 20-week accelerator program giving participants an opportunity to validate the clinical readiness of their artificial intelligence-driven solutions – with the power of the Mayo Clinic data network – and advance their business plans. The program has helped participants explore ways to improve healthcare in a variety of areas.
AccurKardia: To enable access to remote cardiac care for patients globally, AccurKardia developed a system approved by the Food and Drug Administration to deliver fully automated clinical-grade ECG analytics to cardiac monitoring companies, telehealth and remote patient monitoring companies. The company is based in New York City.
Acorai: To reduce hospital readmissions and length of stay, and improve patient outcomes related to heart failure, Acorai created an intracardiac pressure monitoring solution using a noninvasive sensor and machine learning to provide continuous insights. The company is based in Sweden.
Basys.ai: Basys.ai’s platform facilitates the implementation of value-based care for health plans and health systems, from prior authorization to utilization management, to improve care and transparency, and reduce cost and administrative burden. The company is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Empallo: To anticipate adverse cardiovascular events, enable personalized treatment and facilitate clinical trial categorization, Empallo uses machine learning to extract digital biomarkers to identify patient risk of cardiovascular syndromes and diseases, based on multimodal data. The company is a spinoff from MIT, based in Boston.
FemTherapeutics: Using a combination of medical devices and software to personalize medicine for women, FemTherapeutics uses both an AI cloud-based platform and 3D printing to produce patient-specific gynecological prosthetics for noninvasive treatment of pelvic health conditions, including pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. The company is based in Montreal.
HeartKinetics: Aiming to revolutionize management of heart failure and intercept cardiovascular disease before symptoms appear, HeartKinetics specializes in remote detection and monitoring, combining a patient-facing mobile app for data collection and an AI-based predictive insights platform for providers. The company is based in Belgium.
NeoPrediX: NeoPrediX has developed AI-based decision support tools for maternal, neonatal and perinatal screening, to anticipate risk of jaundice in newborns, improve speed and accuracy of clinical decision-making, and to make personalized care decisions early in life. The company is a spinoff from the University of Basel, and has offices in Switzerland, Germany and the U.S. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
NXgenPort: To personalize “hospital at home” care, NXgenPort developed a system to remotely manage patients between chemotherapy treatments. Using an implantable Smart Port sensor and machine learning, NXgenPort alerts providers to early signs of infection and continuous monitoring of the course of disease and treatment. The company is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
OpenEvidence: OpenEvidence addresses “information overload” for providers, who must keep up with the latest research and clinical evidence, despite exponential growth in biomedical literature. OpenEvidence uses AI to screen and summarize key findings, providing an unbiased literature analysis in an understandable, clinically useful format. The company is based in Los Angeles.
Peerbridge Health: To predict and diagnose chronic illness risks, including heart failure, obstructive sleep apnea and diabetes, Peerbridge Health has built an intelligent ECG platform, combining high-quality data collection from a wireless wearable and AI insights to deliver diagnostics and real-time monitoring of patient health. The company is based in New York City.
Saigeware: To enable high-accuracy health risk stratification and patient monitoring (for challenges like stroke recovery), Saigeware uses an evidence base of phenotypic markers to create predictive insights from AI/machine learning algorithms to improve screening, prevent hospital readmissions and monitor population health status. The company is based in Bangalore, India.
U-Care Medical: U-Care Medical created a clinical-grade AI analytics platform for acute intensive care, leveraging one of the largest Intensive Care databases in the world and a proprietary data-analytics platform, to deliver data-driven insights for clinical complications within Intensive Care Units, and to reduce costs and mortality rates. The company is a spinoff of Polytechnic of Turin and is based in Italy.
Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate program offers participating startups:
Access to deidentified clinical data in a secure environment.
AI model validation with guidance from data science experts.
Exploratory collaboration discussions with clinical experts.
Guidance to understand Food and Drug Administration clearance pathways.
Support to plan clinical validation studies, such as clinical simulation or clinical research trials.
As part of this in-kind investment, Mayo Clinic Platform has an equity position in the companies.
According to Eric Harnisch, vice president, Partner Programs, Mayo Clinic Platform, prior cohorts have already received attention from potential investors, healthcare providers and others who want to support the work of these health tech startups. He says, “Accelerate companies are already helping transform care by providing affiliate hospitals with novel AI solutions, obtaining new investors from our Accelerate graduation showcase, partnering with other startups in the Mayo Clinic Platform ecosystem, and more.”
Applications for the fourth Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate cohort are open to early-stage health tech startups and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
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About Mayo Clinic Platform Founded on Mayo Clinic’s dedication to patient-centered care, Mayo Clinic Platform enables new knowledge, new solutions and new technologies through collaborations with health technology innovators to create a healthier world. To learn more, visit Mayo Clinic Platform.
About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.
Kenneth and Elaine Langone’s recent $200 million gift to NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine drew its share of fanfare.
The gift extends the school’s guarantee of full-tuition scholarships to every student, regardless of need, in perpetuity.
“By providing our future doctors with an affordable education, we are investing in a brighter and healthier future for all, particularly here on Long Island, where Elaine and I grew up,” Kenneth Langone, co-founder of Home Depot and chair of NYU Langone Board of Trustees, said at the time.
Philanthropy plays an important role in healthcare. It comes at a time when donors seek to “take a leading role in helping to solve the biggest issues of our time,” according to a 2023 report from UBS that featured insights of 100 of its philanthropy experts.
Across Long Island, philanthropists are contributing to causes they are passionate about, especially healthcare. Their contributions fund new buildings, research and innovations. They also fund endowments, address inequities and like the Langones’ generous gift, pay for medical education.
“This extraordinary gift from Ken and Elaine ensures that … students for generations to come can follow their passion for medicine, regardless of their background and financial status,” Dr. Robert Grossman, CEO of NYU Langone Health and dean of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in Manhattan, said last week.
While philanthropists with deep pockets help fuel healthcare forward, donors needn’t be at the top of the “wealth spectrum” to have impact, according to UBS.
Consider Northwell’s current “Outpacing the Impossible” $1.4 billion fundraising campaign. It aims to fund programs, accelerate research, improve outcomes, expand access to care for the underserved and more. Launched in 2018, the campaign generated more than 185,000 donors in its communities, raising $1.14 billion toward its goal.
BRIAN LALLY Courtesy of Northwell Health
Healthcare “is not a high-margin business,” Brian Lally, senior vice president and chief development officer of Northwell Health, told LIBN. “Everything we make, we push back into the organization.”
Earlier in July, Scott Rechler, CEO and chairman of RXR, and his wife Debby, gave the health system a $10 million grant to help tackle health disparities. The gift to Northwell, and its research arm, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, funds the launch of the Scott and Debby Rechler Center for Health Outcomes at Feinstein. Through large-scale data models and artificial intelligence, the center aims to identify and address healthcare disparities and patient risk factors to identify problems early and improve care.
The Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell credits philanthropic support for its ability to attract students.
“Thanks to Donald and Barbara Zucker’s generous donation in 2017, we have been able to offer substantial scholarships to a vast number of our students,” said Dr. David Battinelli, the medical school’s dean. “This endowment allows us to attract the best and brightest to Long Island and helps us continue educating the physicians of tomorrow, creating a workforce ready to serve a diverse and growing population, not just on Long Island, but around the world.”
This was a cause that the Zuckers were passionate about, Lally said.
DR. DAVID BATTINELLI Courtesy of Northwell Health
“For a school as new as ours, welcoming our first class just 12 years ago, an endowment like this is unique and has been transformative to the lives of our students as well as to the evolution of our school,” Battinelli said.
At Stony Brook Medicine, philanthropy is supporting a number of initiatives. This includes $10 million from various donors for the Presidential Innovation and Excellence Fund, supporting the Center for Healthy Aging.
It includes a $6.2 million investment from the Baszucki family to develop Neuroblox, a software platform developed by biomedical engineer and neuroscientist Dr. Mujica-Parodi to model brain circuits and treat brain disorders.
“Philanthropy and community partnerships are fundamental to our ability to deliver care to a range of patient populations, and we are exceptionally grateful for the support of our donors,” Dr. Hal Paz, CEO of Stony Brook University Medicine, said.
DR. HAL PAZ Courtesy of Stony Brook Medicine
“Through their shared support of our mission, Stony Brook Medicine faculty are changing lives with lifesaving inventions and therapies,” he added.
Stony Brook received more than $4.5 million from several donors supporting the Pediatric Emergency Department Expansion Fund. It received a $4 million commitment from Kavita and Lalit Bahl to establish the Kavita and Lalit Bahl Endowed Cancer Center Directorship. It received $3 million from The Valerie Fund toward psycho-social support services for pediatric hematology/oncology patients. It received $2.55 million from Lester Kallus supporting emergency medicine residents. And it received a $1.5 million commitment from The Sanguinity Foundation to establish The Lourie Endowed Chair in Women’s Health.
Over in Oceanside, Mount Sinai South Nassau received $5 million from The Louis Feil Charitable Lead Annuity Trust in February for a four-story, 100,000-square-foot building. Scheduled to open in 2024, the Feil Family Pavilion will double the size of the current emergency department, increase critical and intensive care inpatient capacity and add nine new operating rooms.
The funding “will have a direct impact on improving patient care on the South Shore,” Dr. Adhi Sharma, Mount Sinai South Nassau president, said at the time.
In 2021, more than $3.3 million was raised to create the Alan D. Guerci, M.D. Endowment for Cardiovascular Research, honoring Guerci, the former Catholic Health and St. Francis president and CEO. This initiative aims to expand the scope and scale of research at the DeMatteis Cardiovascular Institute. The endowment provides seed funding for initiatives that include new hires and preparing new studies across the hospital’s cardiovascular specialties and more.
“Research funded through the Guerci Endowment will continue to be a driving force behind St. Francis Hospital’s advanced care options it offers to its patients,” Catholic Health President and CEO Dr. Patrick O’Shaughnessy said.
DR. PATRICK O’SHAUGHNESSY Courtesy of Catholic Health
In 2021, the St. Francis Hospital Foundation created the Endowment for Nursing Leadership and Education as a permanent resource for essential funding for training, mentoring and formal education for all nursing staff. Patients and benefactors contributed more than $4 million toward this initiative.
The need for philanthropy, especially in healthcare, will continue. But those who step up to the plate are helping to make a difference in their communities, and maybe inspire others, with deep pockets or not, to do the same in whatever way they can.
“Our study also identifies some sources of bias that may affect patients’ perceptions of their care – although the plastic surgeon’s gender or race doesn’t appear to affect the overall quality ratings,” comments senior author Brent R. DeGeorge, MD, PhD, of University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
Multiple factors affect five-star versus one-star ratings
The researchers analyzed 5,210 Yelp reviews of plastic surgery provider practices from 49 cities across the United States. Reviews were coded for the presence of positive and negative themes. Surgeon and practice-related factors associated with positive or negative ratings were identified, including the effects of the physician’s race and gender.
80% of reviews included in the analysis were five-star reviews, indicating the highest level of patient satisfaction. Another 13.5% were one-star reviews, reflecting the lowest patient satisfaction. Two- to four-star ratings accounted for only about six percent of reviews.
In positive reviews, the most frequently mentioned surgeon-related factors were the surgical outcomes achieved, the physician’s temperament, the physician’s competency and knowledge, and physician-patient communication.
“Patients with positive experiences emphasized having results that looked natural and matched the look they had discussed with the physician prior to surgery,” Dr. DeGeorge and colleagues write. “Patients felt most comfortable with physicians who gave thorough explanations of the procedures beforehand, often spending several hours over multiple consultation sessions.”
Plastic surgeons can learn from online reviews to improve the patient experience
In adjusted analyses, positive physician factors associated with higher Yelp ratings were surgical outcomes, physical exam/procedures, injectable outcomes, competency and knowledge, and temperament. Negative mentions of the same factors were linked to lower Yelp ratings, along with cost consciousness.
On analysis of practice-related factors, interactions with office staff and issues related to scheduling significantly affected whether patients left positive or negative reviews. Additional negative practice-related factors included billing/insurance issues and wait times. The study “corroborates the results of past studies, which have found that practice factors such as wait time and courtesy of registration staff were correlated with a patient’s likelihood to highly rate a practice,” according to the authors.
Yelp ratings were not significantly associated with the physician’s race or gender. While that’s an encouraging finding, the researchers note some differences in both positive and negative factors related to race and gender. “Further research is needed to identify the effect of patient characteristics on their ratings and reviews of providers,” Dr. DeGeorge and colleagues write.
While noting some limitations of the study – including the inherent subjectivity of online ratings – the researchers believe their analysis lends new insights into the range of physician and practice-related factors influencing patient perceptions of quality of care. Dr. DeGeorge and coauthors conclude: “Plastic surgeons can learn from patient ratings and reviews to develop initiatives to improve the patient experience and learn more about general biases held by patients as the field becomes more diverse.”
Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students in effective decision-making and outcomes across healthcare. We support clinical effectiveness, learning and research, clinical surveillance and compliance, as well as data solutions. For more information about our solutions, visit https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/health and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth.
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About Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
For over 75 years, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® (http://www.prsjournal.com/) has been the one consistently excellent reference for every specialist who uses plastic surgery techniques or works in conjunction with a plastic surgeon. The official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® brings subscribers up-to-the-minute reports on the latest techniques and follow-up for all areas of plastic and reconstructive surgery, including breast reconstruction, experimental studies, maxillofacial reconstruction, hand and microsurgery, burn repair and cosmetic surgery, as well as news on medico-legal issues.
About ASPS
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 7,000 physician members, the society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
About Wolters Kluwer
Wolters Kluwer (EURONEXT: WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the healthcare, tax and accounting, financial and corporate compliance, legal and regulatory, and corporate performance and ESG sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services.
Wolters Kluwer reported 2022 annual revenues of €5.5 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Health insurance premiums are increasing annually, at a rate that far outpaces inflation. Both employers and employees are paying more. If this trend continues unchecked, the average family’s health insurance premium will surpass the average wage by 2055.
A common misconception among employers, particularly within small to medium-size businesses, is the notion that a fully insured health plan — where the employer pays premiums to an insurer to cover claims — is their only choice. This often leaves employers believing they have no option but to continuously accept increasing costs, shelling out more money each passing year. While this may have once been the case, the persistent rise in premiums has now tipped the balance, reshaping the landscape of available options.
Historically, self-insurance — where employers take on the risk and handle claims directly — was largely viewed as a feasible strategy for companies employing 500 or more individuals. However, as these plans have evolved and become more adaptable, they now present a tangible opportunity for organizations with even as few as 25 employees. This approach allows employers of all sizes to not only mitigate healthcare expenses but also enhance the benefits they provide.
Self-funded health plans operate on a model where instead of paying premiums, the employer directly funds the healthcare claims for their people. In this structure, actual claims are paid directly to providers via a third-party administrator who manages the process.
This is a contrast to the fully insured models where employers shell out annually for premiums, which include not just the cost of potential claims but also considerable profit margins and markups for the insurance companies. In essence, with self-funding, employers pay solely for the actual cost of claims, steering clear of inflated annual premiums and the hidden costs of insurer profits.
Underwriting techniques have improved over the years, and risk management tools have evolved to the point that smaller businesses are now able to enjoy the freedom and savings that come with a self-funded plan. There are also tax advantages, as self-funding eliminates state premium taxes imposed by carriers.
The concerns of self-funded health plans
The No. 1 reason why small businesses are intimidated by self-insurance is the fear of large claims. Certain medical conditions can generate claims in the millions for a single individual, which obviously most small businesses couldn’t shoulder.
Stop-loss insurance is the safety net that protects employers against any unexpected surge in claims. With these policies, employers can calculate a worst-case scenario for their self-funded plan. When they do, they often find that premiums have risen so sharply that even a worst-case scenario for a self-funded health plan can end up being cheaper than the price of the annual renewal of a fully insured health plan.
When a company shifts from being fully insured to self-funded, employees are often anxious about the ability to keep seeing their providers and receiving their medications. Involving employees in the benefit design process can help reassure them and get them excited about the benefits of self-funding, which can include features such as $0 care/copays for virtual care or navigation lead benefits. Lower costs and better benefits have a way of getting people on the same page.
Another advantage of self-funded health plans — one that isn’t immediately evident in dollars and cents — is you gain access to your company’s claim data. Companies with fully insured plans have no idea what their actual claim costs were or what types of claims are driving costs up. Was the total cost more or less than the premiums? There’s no way to know.
Oftentimes an employer will get a quote for the first year of a self-funded plan and see little to no difference compared to what they are paying in premiums to an insurance carrier. With the newfound access to claims data, the value becomes crystal clear in the second year, third year and beyond.
Self-funded employers can analyze trends, forecast claim spending and better understand the healthcare needs of their group. It allows a company to optimize, customize and tailor its benefit plan. For instance, if telehealth and virtual care are going to be prominent within the group, tailoring coverage that way is an option.
By tailoring benefits to align with historical usage, employers enhance the likelihood of ending the year with a surplus. While it’s important to prepare for the worst-case scenario, any more favorable outcome means the plan will undershoot the budget — a situation that is unheard of with fully insured plans.
Offering healthcare navigation services can also help lower costs for the employer and members. Benefit navigators help employees find cost-effective care without sacrificing quality. The best way to deal with large claims is to avoid them in the first place.
Level-funded health plans serve as a bridge
While fully insured and self-insured health plans are the two main options on opposite ends of the spectrum, there is something in between. Level-funded plans are a sort of combination of the two that can serve as a bridge for employers to make the transition.
A level-funded plan is set up so an employer makes predictable monthly payments, like with a fully insured plan, but gets a refund at the end of the year if there is a surplus, like with self-insurance.
The regular payments, which cover anticipated claims, the stop-loss premium and administration expenses allow for more predictable expenditures for the company. When end-of-the-year costs are assessed, employers receive a refund if there’s a surplus. If claims exceed the predicted amount, the stop-loss premium will be adjusted upon renewal.
As the benefits of self-funding become increasingly clear to a rising number of employers, there’s no doubt that this market will continue in its momentum forward. The advent of new technologies and member-centric programs are being born out of necessity, ushering in an era of unprecedented efficiency and user experience, while lowering costs.
These advancements are setting a new bar in the industry, empowering employers to take an active role in their healthcare strategy. Employers are at a pivotal moment in history, where the potential to transform healthcare for their employees is within their reach. Working hand-in-hand with their benefit consultants to explore these innovations and stay abreast of the industry trends is no longer an option but a requisite.
The future of self-funding is here, and it’s catalyzing a revolution that promises to redefine employer-sponsored healthcare benefits as we know it.
Newswise — DALLAS – July 26, 2023 – Hip replacement surgery is safe for patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center found.
Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a common procedure performed primarily on older patients suffering from osteoarthritis or osteonecrosis, painful conditions that severely limit mobility and lifestyle choices. But some surgeons have been hesitant to perform THAs on patients with HIV or AIDS due to concerns about complications, including higher risk of infection, need for revision surgery, and increased length of hospital stay.
“Patients living with HIV are at a higher risk for orthopedic-related diseases such as osteoarthritis or osteonecrosis of the hip due to changes in their bone metabolism and effects from their medication regimen,” said Senthil Sambandam, M.D., Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, who led the study. “With improvements in HIV treatment leading to increased life expectancies, we are seeing a rise in the need for THA procedures in this patient population. Our study demonstrates that HIV-positive patients can safely undergo THA without concern for increased risk of complications and adds to the growing amount of literature that encourages surgeons to deliver appropriate medical care to a marginalized patient population.”
Using data from the National Inpatient Sample covering 2016-2019, UTSW researchers identified 504 HIV-positive patients who underwent THAs and compared their postoperative complications to a cohort of 493 HIV-negative patients. Their findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, showed that postoperative complications such as pneumonia, periprosthetic infection, wound dehiscence (reopening), and superficial and deep surgical site infection were not significantly different between the HIV-positive and HIV-negative groups. Blood transfusion rates also were lower among the HIV-positive patients.
The study was part of a larger effort by the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery to analyze arthroplasty complications in various subpopulations in support of UTSW’s commitment to the care of marginalized patient populations and equal treatment for every patient.
“These are important findings because they can help alleviate worries among the medical community about treating a group of patients who are often overlooked,” Dr. Sambandam said. “It’s an important quality-of-life issue for many HIV-positive patients.”
Other UTSW researchers who contributed to this study are Varatharaj Mounasamy, M.D., Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery; Ashish R. Chowdary, B.S., medical student; and Jack Beale, M.D., and Jack Martinez, M.D., residents in Orthopaedic Surgery.
About UT Southwestern Medical Center UT Southwestern, one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 26 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 19 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 2,900 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 4 million outpatient visits a year.
Newswise — LOS ANGELES, CA — Keck Hospital of USC earned five stars, the highest rating possible, on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2023 quality star rating report.
Only approximately 16% of hospitals across the country, 483 out of 3,076, received five stars out of a one-to-five-star rating system.
“This prestigious designation demonstrates our continuing commitment to patient safety and to best patient outcomes, and is the result of the hard work of every physician, nurse and staff member at the hospital,” said Stephanie Hall, MD, MHA, chief medical officer of Keck Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital.
A hospital’s star rating is based on how well it performs across five different areas of quality measures:
Readmission — returns to the hospital following a hospitalization.
Mortality — death rates of patients in the 30 days following a hospitalization.
Safety of care — potentially preventable injury and complications due to care provided during a hospitalization.
Timely and effective care.
Patient experience — such as how effectively physicians and nurses communicate to the patient and if a patient would recommend the hospital to others.
“A five-star rating means that Keck Hospital outperforms the national average in readmission, mortality and complication rates as well as timely and effective care, which is a tremendous validation of our commitment to quality care,” said Marty Sargeant, MBA, CEO of Keck Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital. “We’re also proud to have received five stars in the patient experience category, which reflects that more than 90% of our patients are likely to recommend our hospital to others.”
This quality designation is one of many recent national safety and quality recognitions the hospital has received, including earning a five-star ranking for excellence by Vizient, Inc., a leading health care performance improvement company. Keck Medicine of USC also recently underscored its commitment to safety by hiring a health system chief quality officer.
The CMS rating system was launched in 2016 to help patients and caregivers make informed decisions when selecting a hospital. Hospitals report quality data to the CMS through multiple reporting programs, and the data is then reviewed and standardized to calculate hospital star rankings.
For detailed information on how Keck Hospital scored on quality measures, please click here.
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For more information about Keck Medicine of USC, please visit news.KeckMedicine.org.
