SNI used patient-focused convenience as the foundation for designing the new facility, which opened Dec. 19, 2011.

“In this one location, SNI has consolidated its existing advanced diagnostics and interventional therapeutics, as well as the newest generation of technology,” said David Newell, M.D., cerebrovascular neurosurgeon and chief of Neuroscience. “The center also features the expertise of a care team that includes cerebrovascular neurosurgeons, vascular neurologists, neuroendovascular and radiosurgical specialists, neuroradiologists, neurohospitalists, and advanced practitioners who are trained to evaluate and treat cerebrovascular disorders.”

The facility also includes a Stroke Clinic.

A comprehensive menu of procedures

In addition to advanced diagnostics, the center offers state-of-the-art care for a broad scope of cerebrovascular disorders – including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformation, vascular stenosis, vascular tumors, transient ischemic attacks, stroke, arteriovenous fistulas, carotid stenosis and occlusion, Moyamoya disease, and patent foramen ovale assessment.

Among the available surgical procedures are repair of arteriovenous or cavernous malformation, extra-cranial to intracranial bypass, carotid endarterectomy, and microvascular decompression or transposition. The center also provides multiple neuro-endovascular procedures, such as intra-arterial drug delivery and thrombolysis, embolization, stent placement, and aneurysm coiling.

Swedish is the only facility in the Northwest that offers both CyberKnife and Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery in support of its cerebrovascular program. Therefore, Swedish radiosurgery experts are able to select the best technology to produce the best possible outcomes.

Integrating clinical care, research and education

Creating this type of comprehensive clinical setting also makes it possible to integrate research and education into clinical care – helping ensure the center’s experts are always at the leading edge of their discipline.

SNI’s clinical researchers investigate the safety and effectiveness of new drugs and medical devices, as well as new approaches to care. This allows cerebrovascular specialists to offer patients investigational therapies that are unavailable outside a research environment and may not be available anywhere else in Washington state or the Northwest.

Electronic medical record facilitates care coordination

The new center brings the necessary specialists to the patient to evaluate, collaborate and present all possible treatment options. Collaboration – both within Swedish and with the referring physician – is a critical element in delivering care that is coordinated and in sync with the patient’s overall medical needs. The use of Epic, Swedish’s electronic medical record system, helps ensure seamless coordination of each patient’s care.

A new home for stroke assessment and prevention

Stroke patients are also seen within the Cerebrovascular Center. The Stroke Clinic concentrates on advanced assessments and treatments for transient ischemic attack (TIA) and secondary stroke prevention, while helping to facilitate vascular consultations.

Physicians working with patients who have had a stroke and may have been treated at another hospital can also refer their patients to the Stroke Clinic for coordinated follow-up management to improve wellness and prevent future stroke.

The Stroke Clinic provides numerous neurovascular procedures and services, including diagnostic testing for clotting disorder or cerebral ischemia, medication selection, patient and family counseling and education, and non-drug approaches to vascular risk reduction.

“This new Cerebrovascular Center offers patients the expertise of a team of highly skilled specialists and the most advanced technology – all within an environment that has been designed for their comfort and convenience,” said William Likosky, M.D., medical director for Stroke and TeleStroke.

For more information

For more information about the Swedish Cerebrovascular Center, call 206-320-3470 or visit www.swedish.org/cerebrovascular.

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About Swedish

Swedish has grown over the last 102 years to become the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area with 11,000 employees, more than 2,800 physicians and 1,700 volunteers. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; and Swedish Medical Group – a network of more than 100 primary-care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care including robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. For more information, visit www.swedish.org, www.swedishcares.org, www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter or www.twitter.com/swedish.  

In 2007, Swedish embarked upon an ambitious $100 million fundraising campaign. Campaign investments are used to support a wide variety of initiatives throughout the health-care system, including cancer, heart and vascular, women and children, neuroscience, and orthopedics as well as programs to support underserved populations. To date, the campaign has secured gifts totaling $91.5 million. For more information or to support the campaign, visit www.campaignforswedish.org.

Swedish is affiliated with Providence Health & Services, which is a Catholic, not-for-profit organization founded by the Sisters of Providence in 1856 with 27 hospitals, 214 physician clinics and almost 53,000 employees across five states. Based in Renton, Wash., Providence Health & Services provides strategic and management services to integrated health-care systems in Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon and Washington state. In 2009, Providence and Swedish provided a combined total of more than $205 million in community benefit in Western Washington, including $61.4 million in free and discounted care for those who could not afford to pay for care. For more information, visit www.providence.org.  

About Swedish Neuroscience Institute

In 2004, Swedish expanded its neuroscience services by establishing the Swedish Neuroscience Institute. The team of leading neurologists, neurosurgeons and other specialists are building a world-class institute dedicated solely to the treatment and research of neurological disorders for patients in the Pacific Northwest. The Swedish/Cherry Hill campus is the hub for the Institute. For more information, visit www.swedish.org/neuroscience.

This TeleStroke partnership provides an as-needed link between the Emergency Center team at WWGH and the comprehensive team of stroke specialists based at the Swedish/Cherry Hill campus campus in Seattle. With the help of a secure, video-conferencing network, members of SNI’s Stroke Program are able to quickly perform ‘virtual’ bedside neurological evaluations that allow them to examine patients, review brain images and quickly select the best acute stroke treatments in collaboration with WWGH Emergency Center physicians.

WWGH sees more than 125 patients a year who are experiencing signs and symptoms of TIA or Stroke. Many of those patients may qualify for the TeleStroke program. “We have the equipment and team, now we have the expertise of the physicians and staff at Swedish to help better serve our patients,” said Jackie Fullerton, vice president for patient- care services at WWGH. “The difference this can make for our patients and their families is huge.”

In fact, the first week that the program went live a WWGH patient was evaluated via telemedicine by the Swedish Stroke Team neurologist and treated with the clot-buster drug, rtPA, in collaboration with the Emergency Center team at WWGH. “She went from a level of disability due to the stroke that would have left her needing full-time care, to walking out of the hospital with little to no disability after the quick evaluation and appropriate treatment,” said Linda Givens, director of the Emergency Center at WWGH. “Time is brain when it comes to caring for patients who may be suffering from a stroke. We are so thankful to have this level of care 24/7.”

Although this partnership between WWGH and SNI’s TeleStroke Program is a recent development, the concept of a certified and comprehensive stroke center providing extra support to partner emergency departments is not new.

“We are really excited about the opportunity to begin helping the Emergency Center team at WWGH provide an enhanced level of stroke care services,” said SNI Stroke Program Medical Director William Likosky, M.D. “The innovative component of this program is to bring experienced vascular consultants to the patient’s bedside in the Emergency Center. The consulting physician is then able to examine the patient and discuss with the patient, family and Emergency Center doctor emergent treatments, which may break down blood clots and reverse stroke symptoms.”

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States. According to the American Stroke Association, about 800,000 Americans suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Treatments for stroke are time-dependent and, as a result, most effective when they can be provided in the nearest emergency department (ED). Unfortunately, many EDs do not have the volume or support to provide American Heart Association-recommended stroke evaluations and treatments. Telemedicine provides an effective way of bringing the same level of expert care available at a major medical center to hospitals in more rural locations.

How the Swedish TeleStroke Program Works

The Swedish Stroke Program hub is located on the Cherry Hill Campus campus in Seattle. When a rescue candidate stroke patient arrives in the Emergency Center at WWGH at any time of the day or night, the Swedish stroke team is paged. As indicated, members of the team log in on their home or office computers to complete a TeleStroke examination and determine if a patient might qualify for available rescue therapies in an attempt to ‘stop’ the stroke. The most common rescue therapy that the stroke team would use is an FDA-approved medicine called tissue plasminogen activator or TPA. This medicine can reverse the devastating effects of stroke for some patients if it is administered within the acute treatment window. But the key to the successful use of TPA – or other clot-busting thrombolytic drugs – lies in rapid and correct diagnosis because as every minute passes, more brain cells die if the blood clot causing the stroke is not destroyed (‘Time is Brain’).

The Swedish Acute TeleStroke Program, which started in 2007, is part of an integrated effort to improve stroke diagnosis and treatment throughout Washington state. It currently provides these services to 15 locations throughout the region.

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About Walla Walla General Hospital

Walla Walla General Hospital (WWGH) is a not-for-profit, faith-based hospital providing a full range of emergency, inpatient, outpatient, and surgical services. A 72-bed, acute-care hospital, WWGH employs more than 400 community members, has a medical staff of nearly 181 and benefits from the services of more than 100 volunteers. WWGH is known for providing quality medical care with a personal touch, with employees who are dedicated to living out the hospital’s mission of restoring peace, hope and health as Christ did. WWGH is part of Adventist Health, a not-for-profit, faith-based health system operating in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington state. Founded on the Seventh-day Adventist heritage of Christian health care, Adventist Health is comprised of 18 hospitals with more than 2,800 beds, nearly 18,000 employees, numerous clinics and outpatient facilities, the largest system of rural health clinics in California, 15 home-care agencies and three joint-venture retirement centers with a fourth on the way. For more information, visit www.wwgh.com.  

About Swedish and Swedish Neuroscience Institute

Swedish has grown over the last 102 years to become the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area with 11,000 employees, more than 2,800 physicians and 1,700 volunteers. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; and Swedish Medical Group – a network of more than 100 primary-care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care including robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. For more information, visit www.swedish.org, www.swedishcares.org, www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter or www.twitter.com/swedish.  

In 2004, Swedish expanded its neuroscience services by establishing the Swedish Neuroscience Institute. The team of leading neurologists, neurosurgeons and other specialists are building a world-class institute dedicated solely to the treatment and research of neurological disorders for patients in the Pacific Northwest. The Swedish/Cherry Hill campus is the hub for the Institute. For more information, visit www.swedish.org/neuroscience.  

Swedish is affiliated with Providence Health & Services, which is a Catholic, not-for-profit organization founded by the Sisters of Providence in 1856 with 27 hospitals, 214 physician clinics and almost 53,000 employees across five states. Based in Renton, Wash., Providence Health & Services provides strategic and management services to integrated health-care systems in Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon and Washington state. In 2009, Providence and Swedish provided a combined total of more than $205 million in community benefit in Western Washington, including $61.4 million in free and discounted care for those who could not afford to pay for care. For more information, visit www.providence.org.

The almost three-minute piece introduced by co-anchor Matt Lauer and reported on by Kevin Tibbles profiles a local family whose grandparents attended the class. It also features a soundbite from Dr. Jane Uhlir, executive director of Women and Infant Services at Swedish, and a grandparent herself.

As the description for the class reads, "Babies haven't changed, but what we know about them has changed. This fun and informative class teaches grandparents the latest information regarding pregnancy and parenting. It covers current trends in maternity practices and infant care. Included is the most current information regarding breastfeeding and the reasons for putting new babies to sleep on their back. It also gives grandparents a chance to discuss new ideas about parenting and how they can play an important role."

This three-hour course, which is offered twice a month, ends with a tour of the Labor & Delivery unit at Swedish/First Hill for the expectant grandparents.

To watch the TODAY show piece, click here.

And for more informaton about the Grandparents Class, including how to register, click here.

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Swedish joins with Providence’s Northwest and Southwest Washington operations to create a new organization serving the greater Puget Sound area. This new region includes all of Swedish’s operations in King and South Snohomish counties and Providence’s operations in King, Snohomish, Thurston and Lewis counties.

Through this affiliation both organizations will collaborate to better deliver health care to the region, while at the same time maintaining their individual identities and heritage. Providence will retain its Catholic identity and name, and Swedish will retain its name and will remain non-religious. While the organizations’ names and brands won’t be changing and patients won’t see any difference in how they access care, by working together, Providence and Swedish can reduce costs and increase quality and access for patients in Western Washington.

“This is an exciting day for both organizations,” said John Koster, MD, Providence Health & Services president and CEO. “Together, we will reach new levels of excellence and will be able to improve quality and access for Western Washington in a way we couldn’t as separate organizations.”

“At a time of crisis for health care nationally, this partnership will allow us to improve quality and access on a scale that no single organization can achieve on its own,” said Rod Hochman, MD, president and CEO of Swedish. “It will also allow us to lower the cost of health care by sharing resources and best practices. This is an innovative and bold local solution to a national problem.”

The affiliation planning process was aided by support from the community, elected officials and regulatory agencies. Their support and review were instrumental in this process.

As a part of the affiliation, Providence and Swedish are announcing key leadership changes, including:

• Arnie Schaffer will serve as executive vice president, chief executive of the new Western Washington Region. Schaffer previously oversaw Providence’s regional operations in Alaska, Washington, Montana and California, and, in his new role, will be responsible for affiliation operations and overseeing integration activities between Swedish and Providence.
• Rod Hochman, MD, has accepted a new position with Providence, serving as one of two group presidents for Providence’s five-state system. In this capacity, Dr. Hochman will oversee clinical quality, physician services, human resources and communication for the Providence system and will also have accountability for Oregon and Washington operations.
• Currently serving as chief operating officer for Providence, Mike Butler has been promoted to group president, Providence Health & Services. Butler will oversee management services, finance, strategy and business development, senior and community services and will have accountability for Alaska, California and Montana operations.
• Kevin Brown will serve as the new chief executive for Swedish Health Services. Brown previously served as Swedish’s chief strategy officer and administrator for Ballard, Issaquah, Mill Creek and Redmond.

“The real work lies ahead,” said Dr. Koster. “Together, we’ll ensure we realize the benefit of shared clinical expertise to develop leading care practices to improve the health of the communities we serve.”

Learn more about Providence and Swedish working together to improve health care:

Swedish Health Services is a private, not-for-profit organization founded in 1910 with five hospitals, more than 100 primary care and specialty clinics, two ambulatory care centers and 11,000 employees in Greater Seattle, including the Eastside, South Snohomish County and Cle Elum. Providence Health & Services is a Catholic, not-for-profit organization founded by the Sisters of Providence in 1856 with 27 hospitals, 214 physician clinics and almost 53,000 employees across five states. Based in Renton, Washington, Providence Health & Services provides strategic and management services to integrated health care systems in Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon and Washington. In 2009, Providence and Swedish provided a combined total of more than $205 million in community benefit in Western Washington, including $61.4 million in free and discounted care for those who could not afford to pay for care. 

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Media Coverage

• To read an article posted Feb. 1 on The Seattle Times Web site, click here.
• To read an article posted Feb. 1 on the Puget Sound Business Journal Web site, click here.
• To read an article posted Feb. 1 on The (Everett) Herald Web site, click here.
• To read an article posted Feb. 1 on the Modern Healthcare Web site, click here.
• To read an article posted Feb. 2 on MyBallard.com, click here.

“For the second consecutive year, this honor recognizes the dedication of our nurses, physicians and the entire Swedish/Edmonds team to clinical quality and providing patients with outstanding medical care every day,” said David Jaffe, interim chief administrative officer of Swedish/Edmonds. “The HealthGrades study reaffirms our strengths as a community hospital, as well as provides us with information to continue to raise the bar on patient care.”

HealthGrades based its decision to award clinical excellence to Swedish/Edmonds on an independent analysis of approximately 40 million Medicare discharges for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010. The study evaluated hospitals solely on clinical outcomes for risk-adjusted mortality and inhospital complications, and objectively identified those hospitals with the best overall clinical performance across 26 medical diagnoses and procedures. HealthGrades quantified the impact of differences in hospital quality in terms of lives lost and unexpected complications. Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence had a more than 30 percent lower risk-adjusted mortality rate and a nearly 2 percent lower risk-adjusted inhospital complication rate among Medicare beneficiaries compared to all other hospitals.

Swedish/Edmonds is one of only 263 top-performing hospitals in the nation to be designated as a HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence™.

“Swedish/Edmonds can be proud of the contributions of its physicians, nurses and staff in achieving outstanding patient care,” said Kristin Reed, HealthGrades vice president of hospital ratings and author of the study. “The Greater Edmonds community is fortunate to have access to some of the highest quality hospital care in the nation.”

According to HealthGrades, if all hospitals performed at the level of Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence, 165,704 Medicare lives could potentially have been saved and 6,800 Medicare inhospital complications could potentially have been avoided.

About Swedish/Edmonds
Swedish/Edmonds is licensed for 217 beds with a professional staff of 1,200-plus. On September 1, 2010 the hospital affiliated with Swedish, the largest, most comprehensive nonprofit health provider in the Greater Seattle area. Swedish/Edmonds offers a range of services including cardiac and cancer care, obstetrics, emergency services, state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, and services from the only inpatient mental health program in Snohomish County. The hospital is nationally recognized having received the Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence™ Award from HealthGrades®, a leading independent source of physician information and hospital quality ratings, for two consecutive years. In 2012, Swedish/Edmonds was one of only five hospitals in Washington state to receive the Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence honor. For more information, visit www.swedish.org/edmonds.  

About HealthGrades
HealthGrades, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. More than 200 million consumers use the HealthGrades websites, including HealthGrades.com and BetterMedicine.com, to research, select, and connect with a physician or hospital, and use its comprehensive information about clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, patient safety, and health conditions to make more informed healthcare decisions and take action. Find more information about our products and services at HealthGrades.com. Follow us on Twitter (@HealthGrades) and Facebook for news and updates. More information on how HealthGrades guides Americans to their best health can be found at www.healthgrades.com.

HealthGrades Hospital Quality Distinctions
As part of this study, HealthGrades evaluates each of the nation’s 5,000 nonfederal hospitals in 26 procedures and diagnoses, allowing individuals to compare their local hospitals online at www.healthgrades.com. HealthGrades hospital quality distinctions are independently created; no hospital can opt-in or opt-out of being evaluated, and no hospital pays to be evaluated. Mortality and complication rates are risk adjusted, which takes into account differing levels of severity of patient illness at different hospitals and allows for hospitals to be compared equally.

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The DOH recently developed the emergency cardiac system to provide a consistent, statewide certification program that recognizes the level of emergency care available to cardiac patients in medical facilities across Washington state.

This new designation confirms Swedish’s long standing role as a leader in providing critical cardiac care in emergency settings. The Level 1 designation for Swedish/Cherry Hill and Swedish/Edmonds signifies that both campuses have the full range of equipment and staffing to provide 24/7 percutaneous (catheter-based) cardiac interventions as a provision of the Level 1 emergency cardiac care designation.

“Heart attacks are caused by the sudden blockage of a heart artery. Opening these blocked vessels promptly by placing stents markedly reduces the amount of heart damage that occurs,” said Jeff Westcott, M.D., medical director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute. “It is very important for patients who think they might be having a heart attack to call 911 right away – time is heart muscle. At Swedish we are dedicated to providing the best care for heart attacks in the region.”

Swedish/First Hill and Swedish/Ballard were designated Level 2 cardiac centers indicating that these sites can provide intermediate and immediate medical therapy to stabilize patients before transferring them to Level 1 facilities for further intervention and treatment.

After several years of evaluation and planning, the DOH decided to institute this new system to focus on improving timely access to critical emergency services for heart-attack and stroke patients. One goal of the new system is to make available a participating hospital no more than an hour away from every citizen. A second goal is to get heart-attack and stroke patients the necessary treatment at the most appropriate medical facility in less than 120 minutes.

For more information, visit http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/hdsp/.

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About Swedish

Swedish has grown over the last 101 years to become the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area with 11,000 employees, more than 2,800 physicians and 1,700 volunteers. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); freestanding emergency departments and ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; Swedish Visiting Nurse Services; and Swedish Medical Group – a network of more than 100 primary-care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care including robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. For more information, visit www.swedish.org, www.swedishcares.org, www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter or www.twitter.com/swedish.  

In 2007, Swedish embarked upon an ambitious $100 million fundraising campaign. Campaign investments are used to support a wide variety of initiatives throughout the health-care system, including cancer, heart and vascular, women and children, neuroscience, and orthopedics as well as programs to support underserved populations. To date, the campaign has secured gifts totaling more than $87 million. For more information or to support the campaign, visit www.campaignforswedish.org.  

About Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute

The Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute is a regional network of physicians at hospitals and clinics across the Puget-Sound area. It offers a broad spectrum of adult and pediatric cardiovascular-care services – from surgical and interventional procedures to the latest advances in heart-disease prevention, diagnosis and cardiovascular health and wellness. The institute – which is affiliated with more than 60 cardiac and vascular specialists, including cardiologists, surgeons, radiologists, anesthesiologists and vascular specialists – has a presence at Swedish’s Cherry Hill, Edmonds and Issaquah campuses as well as at Highline Medical Center in Burien. In addition, the Institute focuses on research and education as fundamental tools in fighting heart disease. For more information, visit www.swedish.org/heart.

The two-minute piece features Swedish Executive Chef Eric Eisenberg, who came up with the recipes, and Bariatric Medicine specialist Dr. Richard Lindquist, who provides expert perspectives on the ingredients as well as simple things people can do to help make healthier decisions when it comes to enjoying food and beverages around the Holidays.

We hope the recipes and tips contribute to your good health into the Holidays and throughout the New Year!

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Media Coverage

• To read a related article posted Dec. 21 on Seattle/LocalHealthGuide.com, click here.

WHAT

On Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, Drs. Ryder Gwinn and Ron Young of the Swedish Neuroscience Institute will host an online live stream to discuss the affects of ET and the various treatment options available at Swedish as well as throughout the country. The webcast will feature a DBS surgical procedure, accompanied by a live web chat led by Drs. Gwinn and Young. The webcast will be embedded on Swedish’s Web site at www.swedish.org/DBSLive. Viewers will be able to submit questions regarding ET, DBS surgery and any other ET treatment options, such as Gamma Knife, throughout the live stream using an embedded chat feature or via Twitter using the hashtag #SwedishDBS. Anyone interested in learning more about ET and the various treatment options available at Swedish and elsewhere are encouraged to join the live stream and related discussion.

WHO

The live stream will be hosted by Drs. Ryder Gwinn and Ron Young, neurosurgeons at Swedish Neuroscience Institute (SNI), along with a Swedish DBS for ET surgery patient. Dr. Jennifer Witt, a movement disorders neurologist with SNI, will also be joining the conversation to discuss the medical management of ET.

WHEN

Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time.

WHY

Essential Tremor is the most common neurological movement disorder affecting Americans, yet most people are unaware of the disorder and the available treatment options. Simple tasks like eating, combing your hair, or writing a thank-you note can be impossible for those suffering from ET, but because of the lack of awareness for the disorder, it goes untreated most of the time. Drs. Gwinn and Young are hosting this webcast to increase awareness of ET and the innovative treatment options, such as deep brain stimulation surgery and Gamma Knife, that are available at Swedish and elsewhere.

WHERE

The webcast can be viewed online at www.Swedish.org/DBSLive. Those interested may also join the conversation via Twitter by using the hash tag #SwedishDBS.

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Media Coverage

• To read a related blog entry posted Dec. 15, 2011 on the Scientific American magazine Web site, click here.
  

“Diabetes is so much more prevalent now and some women may not even know they have it until they are pregnant,” said Dr. Brock. “A generation ago, many health-care providers discouraged women with diabetes from becoming pregnant. But women who manage their diabetes very tightly during pregnancy can give birth to healthy babies.”

Previously, Swedish physicians referred women to the Swedish Diabetes Education Center, located in Suite 611 of the Heath Building at 801 Broadway. Now, all services are under the same roof at the Maternal and Fetal Specialty Center, which focuses on higher-risk pregnancies and is located in Suite 750 of the Nordstrom Medical Tower at 1229 Madison St.

Pelto expects to work with up to 200 pregnant women each year, including patients with Types 1 and 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. Many of them will be working mothers and have other children, so one-stop convenience is important.

“Swedish sees this as a fully integrated service,” said Pelto. “If we make it easier for patients to get the right information and guidance during pregnancy, they are more likely to follow through on it and have healthier babies.”

A key to a successful outcome for a woman with diabetes is keeping blood glucose (sugar) in the target range, both before and during pregnancy. If blood-glucose levels are near normal from the time of conception, the risk of birth defects can be reduced to no higher than that for women without diabetes.

Patients see Pelto as part of each doctor visit. She downloads their blood-sugar levels into easy-to-read graphs, plus provides full support for proper nutrition and exercise. “Pregnancy can make the symptoms of low-blood glucose harder to detect,” she noted. “So, diabetes control requires some extra work.”

If a pregnant woman’s blood sugar is tightly controlled, that can significantly reduce the risk of miscarriage, premature delivery or stillbirth, or the possibility of birth defects. Other risks to the baby include low blood glucose at birth (hypoglycemia), prolonged jaundice and respiratory distress syndrome.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), some of the possible risks to the mother include worsening of diabetes-related eye problems and kidney problems, infections of the urinary bladder and vaginal area, preeclampsia (high blood pressure usually with protein in the urine), or difficult delivery or cesarean section.

Despite recent advances, babies born to women with diabetes, especially women with poor diabetes control, are still at greater risk for birth defects. High blood-glucose levels and ketones (substances that in large amounts are poisonous to the body) pass through the placenta to the baby, increasing the chance of birth defects.

Pregnant women who have never had Types 1 or 2 diabetes before but experience elevated glucose levels during pregnancy have gestational diabetes. This starts around 24 to 28 weeks of gestation when the placenta secretes hormones that unmask maternal carbohydrate intolerance and insulin resistance, resulting in blood sugars that are higher than normal. Without treatment these high blood sugars pose a threat to the fetus.

The ADA estimates that gestational diabetes is present in 18 percent of pregnancies. For the women who develop it, Swedish’s new service will make sure they are evaluated and counseled more promptly.

“Patients are in shock when they learn they have gestational diabetes,” explained Pelto. “For them, meal planning and exercise often work to keep blood-glucose levels in control. However, if levels remain high, a physician will probably start the patient on medication, such as insulin.”

Women with a history of gestational diabetes frequently develop Type 2 diabetes later in life, so patients need to be checked regularly. “Some people have the misconception that they get diabetes from eating too much sugar,” noted Dr. Brock. “But it’s usually a hereditary trait of insulin resistance that becomes more obvious during pregnancy. And it’s much more likely to appear if the woman is not at a healthy weight and isn’t physically active.”

Diet and Exercise

Specific meal planning can help women avoid high and low blood-glucose levels, while providing all the nutrients a baby needs to grow. That includes eating a wide variety of foods – vegetables, whole grains, non-fat dairy products, fruits, lean meats, poultry and fish.

“Many people think ‘eating for two’ means consuming a lot more during pregnancy than before,” said Pelto. “But most women only need to increase their calorie intake by about 300 more calories each day.”

Exercise is another key part of diabetes treatment, said Pelto. “In general, it’s not a good idea to start a new, strenuous exercise program during pregnancy. So, we can help women select the right mix of walking, low-impact aerobics, swimming or water aerobics.”

For more information

For more information, contact the Swedish Maternal and Fetal Specialty Center at 206-386-2101 or 1-800-228-9677 or visit www.swedish.org/Services/Pregnancy---Childbirth/Services/Maternal-and-Fetal-Specialty-Center.  

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About Swedish

Swedish has grown over the last 102 years to become the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area with 11,000 employees, more than 2,800 physicians and 1,700 volunteers. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); freestanding emergency departments and ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; Swedish Visiting Nurse Services; and Swedish Medical Group – a network of more than 100 primary-care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care including robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. For more information, visit www.swedish.org, www.swedishcares.org, www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter or www.twitter.com/swedish.  

In 2007, Swedish embarked upon an ambitious $100 million fundraising campaign. Campaign investments are used to support a wide variety of initiatives throughout the health-care system, including cancer, heart and vascular, women and children, neuroscience, and orthopedics as well as programs to support underserved populations. To date, the campaign has secured gifts totaling more than $87 million. For more information or to support the campaign, visit www.campaignforswedish.org.

The DAISY Award presentation ceremony took place in the Education Conference Center at Swedish/Cherry Hill.

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System) was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon autoimmune disease. The care Barnes and his family received inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patients’ families.

UnitedHealthcare’s support of this annual effort brings total grant contributions to more than $149,000 to the DAISY Foundation since 2006. Swedish joins 97 other medical centers around the country where The DAISY Award is sponsored by UnitedHealthcare.

“When Patrick was ill, we were awed by the skill, care and compassion he – and we, his family – received,” said Bonnie Barnes, president and co-founder of The DAISY Foundation. “We created The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in 2001 to say thank you to nurses around the country, as we believe they are truly ‘unsung heroes.’ We thank UnitedHealthcare for helping us acknowledge the remarkable work nurses do every day.”

Each month, nurses in more than 800 participating hospitals across the United States are nominated by their colleagues and patients to receive The DAISY Award. The honorees receive a certificate commending outstanding clinical care and a designation of being an ‘Extraordinary Nurse.’ The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” The honorees are also given a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.

Swedish honored four nurses with the DAISY Award. The nominees and winners each exemplify the tenets of the DAISY Award: social responsibility, service excellence, ethical behavior, safe patient care, quality care, and continual education. They include (Quotes taken from their individual nomination forms):

Ruby Vandyck, R.N., Swedish/First Hill

“Ruby works in a very trying setting. Recently, she cared for an addict, a morbidly obese patient with circulation issues, and a woman who was dying. The kindness, compassion, and care she showed her patients were overwhelming to me. She always took the time to ask how they were doing and praised her colleagues (including her managers). Ruby assured me she loved her job of 35+ years.”

Melissa Bustamante, R.N., Swedish/Ballard

“Melissa is an exceptional nurse. She provides the highest quality care to her patients. Melissa has mentored new nurses into the profession with passion, expertise, organization, strength and calm. She is particularly great with kids. Her empathy shines in every interaction with their parents. Because Melissa takes her work very seriously and is always thinking about ‘how can we make this better?’"

Lorena Taleon, R.N., Cherry Hill

“Lorena is committed to what is best for the patients in the emergency department. She is always asking if other staff members need help and jumps in to take care of critical patients. Her patients state that she is the best from start of care, to discharge, admission or transfer of care.”

Ella Hisaw, R.N., Ballard

“Ella always goes above and beyond. She puts patients first and their comfort is her first priority. Ella is known for her vast knowledge, her dependability and support of her team. New nurses are so thankful to be able to work with her. She is respected by her nursing and M.D. partners. Ella is a team player, a leader and a role model.”

“UnitedHealthcare is proud to support The DAISY Foundation in recognizing talented nurses who go above and beyond the call of duty,” said David Hansen, CEO for UnitedHealthcare Northwest Region. “In spite of the current nationwide shortage, nurses are part of the foundation to help people stay well, get well or live with illness. We congratulate the nurses at Swedish for providing exemplary care to their patients.”

Barnes added, “When we created The DAISY Foundation, we could not have anticipated that our program would come to be regarded by some of the best hospitals in America as a strategic tool for nurse recruitment and retention – two key elements in managing the nursing shortage.”

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About The DAISY Foundation

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established in 2000 by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. The DAISY Foundation supports the nursing profession with recognition programs for bedside nurses and nursing faculty and with grants for research and evidence-based practice projects conducted by nurses. As of March 2011, more than 8,000 nurses at more than 800 hospitals have been recognized with The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses. For more information, visit www.daisyfoundation.org.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health-care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 650,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 37 million people and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit www.uhc.com.   

About Swedish

Swedish has grown over the last 101 years to become the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area with 11,000 employees, more than 2,800 physicians and 1,700 volunteers. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); freestanding emergency departments and ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; Swedish Visiting Nurse Services; and Swedish Medical Group – a network of more than 70 primary-care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care including robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. For more information, visit www.swedish.org, www.swedishcares.org, www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter or www.twitter.com/swedish.  

In 2007, Swedish embarked upon an ambitious $100 million fundraising campaign. Campaign investments are used to support a wide variety of initiatives throughout the health-care system, including cancer, heart and vascular, women and children, neuroscience, and orthopedics as well as programs to support underserved populations. To date, the campaign has secured gifts totaling more than $82 million. For more information or to support the campaign, visit www.campaignforswedish.org.

The Leapfrog Group is a coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health coverage – including Boeing and the Washington State Healthcare Authority – that was founded a decade ago to work for improvements in health-care safety, quality and affordability. The ‘Top Hospital’ designation, which is the most competitive national hospital quality award in the country, recognizes hospitals that deliver the highest quality care by preventing medical errors, reducing mortality for high-risk procedures like heart-bypass surgery, and reducing hospital readmissions for patients being treated for conditions like pneumonia and heart attack.

“The Leapfrog Group’s national standards of patient safety and quality are the toughest. And once again, Swedish Medical Center/First Hill has risen to the top of all hospitals in the country to earn Leapfrog’s highest distinction: Top Hospital,” said Leah Binder, CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “This is a significant achievement that speaks to the high quality of care and excellence in patient safety that people everywhere should expect.”

The 2011 list includes university and other teaching hospitals, children’s hospitals and community hospitals in rural, suburban and urban settings. Selection is based on results of The Leapfrog Group’s national survey that measures hospitals’ performance in crucial areas of patient safety and quality. The results of the survey are posted on a web site open to patients, families, the public, employers and other purchasers of health care. It is the most complete picture available of a hospital’s quality and safety. The web site is www.leapfroggroup.org, which is also where a complete list of 2011Leapfrog Top Hospitals can be viewed.

While numerous agencies and organizations collect and publicize hospital quality data, the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, now in its eleventh year, is the toughest standard-bearer and provides the most complete picture of a hospital’s quality and safety. The survey focuses on three critical areas of hospital care: 1. How patients fare; 2. Resources used to care for patients; And 3. Management practices that promote safety and quality. In each of these three areas, Leapfrog asks hospitals to report on nationally standardized measures so health-care consumers can compare hospitals in their community and across the country.

The Leapfrog Hospital Survey is the only voluntary effort of its kind. It focuses on four critical areas of patient safety:

• The use of computer physician order entry (CPOE) to prevent medication errors
• Standards for doing high-risk procedures such as heart surgery
• Protocols and policies to reduce medical errors and other safe practices recommended by the National Quality Forum
• Adequate nurse and physician staffing

In addition, hospitals are measured on their progress in preventing infections and other hospital-acquired conditions as well as adopting policies on the handling of serious medical errors, among other things.

“Of all the awards Swedish has won over the years, the most meaningful is Leapfrog’s Top Hospital,” said Mary Gregg, M.D., Swedish’s director of Quality and Patient Safety. “The reason this award is such an honor for Swedish is because our physicians, nurses and other staff have been working tirelessly for years to develop a culture of safety and quality on behalf of our patients. This award validates these efforts because it is based on performance of key quality and safety metrics.”

Dr. Gregg added that although Swedish Medical Center/Ballard is not eligible for the award because it doesn’t provide intensive care services, that campus also scored in the top 10 percent of all Leapfrog hospitals for the second year in a row.

“Employers and other large health-care benefits purchasers look to The Leapfrog Group to identify high-performing hospitals,” said Keith Reissaus, Leapfrog board chair. “Leapfrog’s members and supporters believe the challenges for American health care go far beyond just keeping costs down. It is about making certain that patients get the right care at the right time; that value is an equal part of the equation.”

Three administrators from Swedish traveled to Washington, D.C. to receive the Top Hospital award. They included Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Mike Carter; Chief Medical Information Officer Tom Wood, M.D.; and Annabaker Garber, R.N., Ph.D., director of Care Delivery Efficiency and Effectiveness for Swedish.

About Swedish

Swedish has grown over the last 101 years to become the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area with 11,000 employees, more than 2,800 physicians and 1,700 volunteers. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); freestanding emergency departments and ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; Swedish Visiting Nurse Services; and Swedish Medical Group – a network of more than 70 primary-care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care including robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. For more information, visit www.swedish.org, www.swedishcares.org, www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter or www.twitter.com/swedish.  

In 2007, Swedish embarked upon an ambitious $100 million fundraising campaign. Campaign investments are used to support a wide variety of initiatives throughout the health-care system, including cancer, heart and vascular, women and children, neuroscience, and orthopedics as well as programs to support underserved populations. To date, the campaign has secured gifts totaling more than $82 million. For more information or to support the campaign, visit www.campaignforswedish.org.

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Media Coverage

• To read a related article posted Dec. 6 on MyLocalHealthGuide.com, click here.

Swedish/Cherry Hill is one of only four hospital campuses in King County to receive Level I designation.

Washington DOH designated Swedish/Cherry Hill as a Level I facility, recognizing their leadership in providing stroke care to people throughout Seattle and the Puget Sound region. Swedish/Cherry Hill provides comprehensive stroke care – including acute thrombolytic interventions to break clots down and restore circulation, advanced diagnostic imaging to identify a blocked artery, and catheter-based interventions to re-open arteries. Swedish admits about 1,000 stroke patients annually, and provides 24/7 acute stroke care. In addition, Swedish/Cherry Hill is engaged in clinical research utilizing advanced diagnostic imaging and offering novel therapies for acute stroke patients.

“This is a wonderful recognition of the high level of care provided by the physicians and advanced care specialists in the Swedish system and at the Cherry Hill campus,” said William Likosky, M.D., medical director of the Stroke Program at Swedish’s Neuroscience Institute. “In the case of stroke, minutes count in preventing long-term neurological damages."

Swedish/First Hill and Swedish/Edmonds were designated as Level II facilities having demonstrated stroke-trained staff, clinical and administrative infrastructure, and support programs to stabilize and treat acute stroke patients.

Swedish/Ballard was designated as a Level III. Level III facilities have the infrastructure and ability to provide acute thrombolytic rescue therapy for stroke patients.

The Swedish Stroke System of Care has partnered with multiple hospitals throughout Washington state providing level I services for patients needing tertiary care. Additionally, Swedish embraces telemedicine technology to augment local care-delivery systems for acute stroke rescue therapy allowing patients local emergent access to stroke specialists. This is vital to assure optimal outcomes for patients in a diagnosis where by seconds count and ‘time is brain.’ As a reminder, if you or someone you know shows signs of a stroke, act FAST (F = facial weakness, A = arm or leg weakness, S = speech changes – slurred or sound strange, T = time is brain) and call 911 immediately.

For more information, visit www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/hdsp/ and  www.doh.wa.gov/Publicat/2011_news/11-115.htm.  

About Swedish

Swedish has grown over the last 101 years to become the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area with 11,000 employees, more than 2,800 physicians and 1,700 volunteers. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); freestanding emergency departments and ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; Swedish Visiting Nurse Services; and Swedish Medical Group – a network of more than 70 primary-care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care including robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. For more information, visit www.swedish.org, www.swedishcares.org, www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter or www.twitter.com/swedish.  

In 2007, Swedish embarked upon an ambitious $100 million fundraising campaign. Campaign investments are used to support a wide variety of initiatives throughout the health-care system, including cancer, heart and vascular, women and children, neuroscience, and orthopedics as well as programs to support underserved populations. To date, the campaign has secured gifts totaling more than $82 million. For more information or to support the campaign, visit www.campaignforswedish.org.

About Swedish Neuroscience Institute

In 2004, Swedish expanded its neuroscience services by establishing the Swedish Neuroscience Institute. The team of leading neurologists, neurosurgeons and other specialists are building a world-class institute dedicated solely to the treatment and research of neurological disorders for patients in the Pacific Northwest. The Swedish/Cherry Hill campus is the hub for the Institute. For more information, visit www.swedish.org/neuroscience.

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Media Coverage

• To read a related article posted Nov. 30 on MyBallard.com, click here.
• To read a related article posted Nov. 30 on the Ballard News-Tribune Web site, click here.

A new two-story, medical oncology facility on the hospital’s campus, as well as renovation of the adjacent existing radiation therapy center, will provide comprehensive cancer-care services close to home for residents of Edmonds and other communities in north King and south Snohomish counties. The new cancer facility is on schedule to open in 2012.

“All of us, including our doctors, nurses, clinical and administrative staff, are excited to build and expand access to state-of-the-art oncology care and research in the local community,” says Richard McGee, M.D., F.A.C.P., an oncologist and hematologist at Swedish/Edmonds and president of Puget Sound Cancer Centers. “The new cancer center and renovation of the existing facility will provide residents living north of Seattle with increased access to cancer medications, new treatment modalities and expanded access to new clinical trials.”

Dr. McGee was among the guest speakers at the Imagine Gala as well as Rod Hochman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Swedish, and David Jaffe, interim chief administrative officer for Swedish/Edmonds.

“Swedish/Edmonds is committed to ensuring it has resources needed to create the best facilities, incorporate the best technologies and attract the best physicians, nurses and staff to care for patients,” says Jaffe. “Thank you to everyone who attended the Imagine Gala and generously supported our mission of providing the community with the highest quality health care possible.”

The Campaign for Swedish, which is the largest fund-raising campaign in the Swedish Foundation’s history, has raised more than $84 million to date as well as helped fund a wide range of programs and initiatives across the Swedish system since it began in 2007. To make a donation to The Campaign for Swedish, visit www.campaignforswedish.org. Gifts can be earmarked for activities at Swedish/Edmonds or for a broad range of other needs.

About Swedish/Edmonds

Swedish/Edmonds is licensed for 217 beds with a professional staff of 1,200-plus. On Sept. 1, 2010, the former Stevens Hospital affiliated with Swedish Health Services – the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area. Swedish/Edmonds offers a range of services including cardiac and cancer care, obstetrics, emergency medicine, state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, and services from the only inpatient mental health program in Snohomish County. In 2011, Swedish/Edmonds was one of only three hospitals in Washington state to receive the Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence™ Award from HealthGrades®, an independent health-care ratings organization. In addition to the award for clinical excellence, Swedish/Edmonds received top, five-star ratings from HealthGrades for treatment of stroke, pneumonia and overall gastrointestinal services. For more information, visit www.swedish.org/edmonds.

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Media Coverage

• To read a related article posted Nov. 28 on the Edmonds KOMO Web site, click here.
• To read a related article posted Dec. 1 on The (Everett) Herald Web site, click here.

As one of the first medical centers in the region to perform robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is home to the fastest growing and most experienced robotic-assisted surgical program in the Pacific Northwest. The multidisciplinary, robotic-assisted surgical program was first established at Swedish in 2005. Since then, Swedish-affiliated surgeons have performed more than 4,000 procedures using the multi-specialty da Vinci Surgical System, more than any other robotic-assisted surgical program in the region.

Swedish-affiliated surgeons are using the da Vinci Surgical System to perform minimally invasive urological, gynecological and thoracic surgeries for diseases such as prostate cancer, kidney cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and lung cancer, as well as to assist in complex gynecologic reconstruction surgeries. Swedish-affiliated surgeons are also using the da Vinci Surgical System to perform bariatric, colorectal, head and neck procedures, as well as pediatric urology cases.

Robotic-Assisted Surgery at Swedish/Edmonds

At Swedish/Edmonds, surgeons are using the robotic-assisted system to perform minimally invasive urological and gynecological surgeries. Brian Fong, M.D., a Swedish-affiliated surgeon performed the first urology case at the hospital last week.

“The staff at Swedish/Edmonds were well-prepared and effective,” said Dr. Fong, an experienced robotic-assisted surgeon from Western Washington Medical Group. “Because of the team’s abilities, the patient was discharged from the hospital the next day. He experienced minimal pain and we expect a quick recovery.”

“We are pleased to expand our network of da Vinci robotic-assisted technology to the south Snohomish County area and look forward to continuing to transform the surgical experience for both patients and surgeons alike,” said David Jaffe, interim chief administrative officer at Swedish/Edmonds. “We’re committed to bringing the most innovative and advanced medical technologies to our community. This is an excellent example of that commitment.”

In Celebration of the Robotic-Assisted Surgical System's Arrival at Swedish/Edmonds

To celebrate the new robot’s birthday, Swedish/Edmonds is hosting a series of open houses at the campus, which is located at 21601 76th Ave. W. in Edmonds. They are also hosting a ‘Name the Robot’ contest where members of the community are invited to submit a nickname for the robot. One lucky person will receive a $200 Visa gift card. Swedish staff and physicians, as well as the new da Vinci robotic-assisted surgical system, will be available to the public on Friday, Dec. 16 and Saturday, Dec. 17 for informational sessions and system demonstrations. The open houses will also serve as collection points of submission forms for the naming contest. Submissions will also be accepted online starting the first week of December at Swedish’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter.  

About Swedish/Edmonds

Swedish/Edmonds is licensed for 217 beds with a professional staff of 1,200-plus. On Sept. 1, 2010 the hospital affiliated with Swedish – the largest nonprofit health provider in the Greater Seattle area. Swedish/Edmonds offers a range of services including cardiac and cancer care, obstetrics, emergency medicine, state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, and services from the only inpatient mental health program in Snohomish County. In 2011, Swedish/Edmonds was one of only three hospitals in Washington state to receive the Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence™ Award from HealthGrades®, an independent health-care ratings organization. In addition to the award for clinical excellence, Swedish/Edmonds also received top, five-star ratings from HealthGrades for treatment of stroke, pneumonia and overall gastrointestinal services. For more information, visit www.swedish.org/edmonds.  

About Swedish

Swedish has grown over the last 101 years to become the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area with 11,000 employees, more than 2,800 physicians and 1,700 volunteers. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); freestanding emergency departments and ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; Swedish Visiting Nurse Services; and Swedish Medical Group – a network of more than 70 primary-care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care – including robotic-assisted surgery – Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. For more information, visit www.swedish.org, www.swedishcares.org,  www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter or www.twitter.com/swedish.  

In 2007, Swedish embarked upon an ambitious $100 million fund-raising campaign. Campaign investments are used to support a wide variety of initiatives throughout the health-care system, including cancer, heart and vascular, women and children, neuroscience, and orthopedics as well as programs to support underserved populations. To date, the campaign has secured gifts totaling more than $82 million. For more information or to support the campaign, visit www.campaignforswedish.org.

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Media Coverage

• To read a related article posted on MyEdmondsNews.com, click here.

“The strength of our clinical programs and investment in research infrastructure in the neurosciences made SNI a strong candidate for this center designation,” said Dr. Henson. He noted that the major challenge for the NeuroNEXT consortium will be to translate discoveries about neurological diseases into improvements in health, while pushing the frontiers of basic research forward. Many serious neurological disorders will become more common as the U.S. population ages.

“Our research program is focused on discoveries that can be directly applied to patient care,” said Dr. Rizzuto. “Everything we do is geared toward solving some problem or improving the quality of life for those who have a complex neurological disease. Participation in the NeuroNEXT consortium is a natural addition to our existing efforts.” He noted that SNI has more than 80 active clinical research projects under way now in 10 different neurological diseases.

“NeuroNEXT will expand the capability to test the most promising new therapies for a wide range of neurological disorders affecting children and adults,” said Elizabeth McNeil, M.D., the NIH/NINDS program director who will oversee the program. “Through 25 clinical sites across the U.S., as well as a clinical- and a data-coordinating center, NIH will provide the expertise and infrastructure needed to rapidly assess treatment options as they become available from both academic and industry investigators.”

Marc Mayberg, M.D., chief medical director at SNI said, “I believe SNI was selected because of its broad areas of specialization, the track record of quality research by SNI investigators, and the high volume of patients with neurological and neurosurgical disorders treated at Swedish Neuroscience Institute.”

Drs. Henson and Rizzuto along with other SNI staff will attend a kickoff meeting on Friday, Nov. 18 at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, DC.

According to NIH, the first study will investigate a rare but devastating condition in pediatric patients called spinal muscular atrophy. The NeuroNEXT consortium hopes to identify biomarkers that improve diagnostic testing, track disease progression, and permit assessment of the effectiveness of new therapies. Identifying biomarkers for spinal muscular atrophy is an example of translational research, as the study is not testing a new therapy per se, but is expected to support the development of new therapies in the future. Due to the rare nature of spinal muscular atrophy, having a nation-wide consortium of 25 regional centers will be very important for enrolling sufficient numbers of patients into the trial. SNI will work closely with neurologists throughout the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) region and with disease-specific community organizations, such as the Multiple Dystrophy Association, to raise awareness of the NeuroNEXT trials and help identify appropriate study participants.

In addition to SNI, other NeuroNEXT clinical sites include:

• Albert Einstein College of Medicine Yeshiva University
• Children’s Hospital – Boston
• Children’s National Medical Center
• Columbia University – Weill Cornell
• Emory University
• Massachusetts General Hospital
• Northwestern University
• Ohio State University
• Oregon Health and Science University
• SUNY (Buffalo, Downstate, Upstate, and Stony Brook)
• University of Alabama at Birmingham
• University of California – Davis
• University of California – Los Angeles
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Colorado – Denver
• University of Kansas Medical Center
• University of Miami School of Medicine
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Rochester
• University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• University of Utah
• University of Virginia – Charlottesville
• Vanderbilt University
• Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine.

About NeuroNEXT and the NIH

The goal of the NINDS Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials, or NeuroNEXT, is to conduct exploratory (Phase II) trials of treatments for neurological diseases through partnerships with academia, private foundations, and industry. The network is designed to expand the Institute’s capability to test the most promising new therapies, to increase the efficiency of clinical trials before embarking on large efficacy studies, and to respond quickly as new opportunities arise to test promising treatments for people with neurological disorders.

In October 2011, the NINDS made awards to 25 U.S. clinical sites, a clinical coordinating center, and a data coordinating center, and announced the program in a series of meetings with academic researchers, industry representatives, and patient groups.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), one of the 27 NIH Institutes, is the nation’s leading funding agency for research on the brain and nervous system. The NINDS mission is to reduce the burden of neurological disease – a burden borne by every age group, by every segment of society, by people all over the world. For more information about NIH and NINDS programs visit www.nih.gov and www.ninds.nih.gov.  

For More Information

For more information on the NeuroNEXT research, contact Dr. Dan Rizzuto at 206-320-2828 or via dan.rizzuto@swedish.org.  

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About Swedish Neuroscience Institute

In 2004, Swedish expanded its neuroscience services by establishing the Swedish Neuroscience Institute. The team of leading neurologists, neurosurgeons and other specialists are building a world-class institute dedicated solely to the treatment and research of neurological disorders for patients in the Pacific Northwest. The Swedish/Cherry Hill campus is the hub for the Institute. For more information, visit www.swedish.org/neuroscience.  

About Swedish Health Services

Swedish Health Services has grown over the last 101 years to become the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area with 11,000 employees, more than 2,800 physicians and 1,700 volunteers. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); freestanding emergency departments and ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; Swedish Visiting Nurse Services; and Swedish Medical Group – a network of more than 70 primary-care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care including robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. For more information, visit www.swedish.org,  www.swedishcares.org, www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter or www.twitter.com/swedish.  

In 2007, Swedish embarked upon an ambitious $100 million fund-raising campaign. Campaign investments are used to support a wide variety of initiatives throughout the health-care system, including cancer, heart and vascular, women and children, neuroscience, and orthopedics as well as programs to support underserved populations. To date, the campaign has secured gifts totaling more than $82 million. For more information or to support the campaign, visit www.campaignforswedish.org.

Media Coverage

• To read a related article posted Nov. 11 on the Puget Sound Business Journal Web site, click here.