N E W S F R O M T H E R E G I O N ’ S P R E M I E R A C A D E M I C M E D I C A L C E N T E R

ADVANCES OCTOBER 22, 2015

Research Registries Program Spotlight

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Consumers again name hospital No. 1 in KC metro

The University of Kansas Hospital has won the 2015-16 National Research Corporation Consumer Choice Award for Kansas City, the only award where members of the com-munity choose the hospital they believe provides the highest quality service.  

It is the fourth year in a row the hospital has won the award for Kansas City outright.

The Consumer Choice Award, in its 20th year, is based on local results from a national survey of 300,000 households. The award recognizes hospitals possessing: • Best overall quality • Best overall image/reputation • Best doctors • Best nurses

North Kansas City Hospital, Saint Luke’s Hospital and Shawnee Mission Medical Center

also were ranked locally. Our hos-pital led those facilities in each of the four categories and when the four categories were combined. Our hospital’s scores also have increased significantly in each category over the past five years.

In July, the hospital was one of just 16 in the nation to be named in all 12 data-based national “Best Hospital” lists from U.S. News & World Report.  

“Consumers have shown their

support for the hospital by choos-ing it in record numbers for their healthcare needs,” said President and CEO Bob Page.

“It means our community em-braces academic medicine. It also validates our national recognition as a healthcare provider,” he said. “And most important, it confirms that our focus on the patient since

1998, when we became a public authority, is the right thing to do.”

Often at full capacity, the hospital’s 92-bed Cambridge North Tower at 39th and State Line Road is expected to open in 2017. The new tower is backed by a $100 million community philanthropic effort.

Consumer award validates patient focus

By the Numbers: Patients nationwideDuring fiscal year 2015, The University of Kansas Hospital and its health system treated patients from every state in the country.

Unique patients from Kansas, Missouri

To suggest a By the Numbers, email Advances@kumc.edu.

Local consumers again ranked our hospital No. 1 in four categories: best overall quality, best overall image/reputation, best doctors and best nurses. (Pictured: Neurosurgeon Koji Ebersole, MD, and Liz Helling, RN.)

252,743Unique patients, including inpatients and outpatients at our hospital and ambulatory settings. (A unique patient is counted once, regardless of number of visits.)

19%Growth in unique patients from outside Kansas and Missouri, FY2014-15

Top 10 states Kansas

156,737

Oklahoma 439

Texas 368

Arkansas 335

Nebraska 290

California 241

Florida 199

Iowa 175

Illinois 188

Missouri 92,486

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Events Boots and breast cancer –

Nigro’s Western Store will host Giddy Up for Boots and Breast Cancer 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Merriam Lane store. Billed as “a girls’ night out full of shopping and fun,” the evening includes drinks and appetizers (with a $10 donation). Proceeds support The University of Kansas Cancer Center. Breast cancer physicians will be on hand to meet guests. Call 913-262-7500 for information.

Yoga nidra during cancer – Learn to use yoga tools as you go through surgery, therapy and extended chemotherapy or radiation treatments. The class teaches mindfulness and breathing techniques that ease anxiety. You’ll also learn a guided yoga nidra (yoga sleep) practice to calm your mind, relax tension and allow your body to be more receptive to treatments. Bring a yoga mat and light blanket. The class is 2-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Turning Point: The Center for Hope and Healing in Leawood. Call 913-574-0900 to register.

Blood drives – The Community Blood Center will host blood drives 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Westwood Campus, and 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the main campus Hixson Atrium. Walk-ins are welcome. The center is the primary supplier of blood to patients at The University of Kansas Hospital.

Lung cancer education – Learn the latest in advancements, hear stories of survival and connect with others who share your experience. The event, Shine a Light on Lung Cancer, is 5:30- 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion at the Westwood Campus Atrium. Register at shinealightonlungcancer.org or call 913-588-1227.

More events are at kumed.com/event-detail.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

Research registries key to innovationsWithout research, medical

discoveries and new treatments would be nearly impossible. That’s why the University of Kansas Medical Center devel-oped the Frontiers and Pioneers Registry programs.

The two registries contain information about thousands of people interested in participating in clinical trials. Researchers use the databases to contact people who fit a study’s criteria.

Ambulatory clinic patients at The University of Kansas Hospital and The University of Kansas Cancer Center can par-ticipate in the Frontiers registry, which was formed in 2008.

The Pioneers registry, launched in 2013, is a “friends and family” program open to anyone who wants to participate in a clinical trial. At pioneersresearch.org, reg-istrants can indicate the studies they’d like to be involved in. Or they can opt to have a researcher contact them when they qualify for a study.

“Frontiers and Pioneers provide researchers in the region easy ac-cess to a pool of people who want to be involved and help further science,” said Patricia Kluding,

PhD, PT, associate director of the Clinical and Translational Science Unit. “Without research, we wouldn’t have today’s standards of care because they were developed from the results of individual clinical trials.”

Nearly 38,000 people are reg-istered in the Frontiers database – one of the nation’s largest – and about 550 are in Pioneers. More than 20 studies are underway involving volunteers from the registries. The projects range from diabetic neuropathy and Alzheimer’s disease to measur-ing the effectiveness of health education among ethnic, rural

and older patients.The registries aren’t just for

people with a disease or condi-tion: Researchers need healthy people to participate too. They have an important role as control subjects in clinical trials.

If you are a patient of any of our providers, you’ll be asked to enroll in Frontiers. The one-page opt-in form is easy. You, your family and friends can also enroll in Pioneers anytime.

“Research is at the heart of every academic medical center,” Kluding said. “It’s what sets us apart from other healthcare institutions.”

EXPOSURE

Expert trainer As part of their pediatric physical therapy class at the University of Kansas School of Health Professions, third-year students in the doctor of physical therapy (DPT) program enjoy hands-on sessions studying with youngsters such as little Ruby Brown. Families volunteer to bring their chil-dren to help the students learn how to work with kids, from infants to pre-teens.

Patricia Kluding, PhD, PT (right), leads the registry programs. The team includes Hilary Dubinsky, RN (left), and Barb Shull, among others.

Oncology program among tops in U.S.Becker’s Hospital Review again has named The University of

Kansas Hospital one of the nation’s top 100 hospitals offering “great oncology programs.” The hospital is the only one in Kansas and one of just two in Missouri, with Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis on the list.

The 100 hospitals and health systems lead the way in care for patients with cancer, according to Becker’s. “These organi-zations have received recognition for their clinical outcomes, multidisciplinary care teams, clinical expertise and oncology research,” Becker’s writes. “They are also influential in cancer education and prevention efforts.”

Hospitals were selected based on a variety of factors, including accreditations, awards, National Cancer Institute designations and rankings by U.S. News & World Report and CareChex, among others.

Grant supports rural telemedicine effortThe University of Kansas Center for Telemedicine and

Telehealth will receive a $975,000 grant supporting a program that provides telemedicine to underserved rural areas.

The grant, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is part of $3.9 million funding over three years for four telehealth programs. It focuses on rural children and their families living in poverty.

The $3.9 million grant also supports telehealth programs in Georgia, South Dakota and New Mexico.

Hallmark kiosk: Efficient greeting cards Hallmark is testing a cardbox kiosk in The University of

Kansas Hospital lobby. Available 24-7 for patients, visitors and staff, the kiosk is designed for those who need a greeting card in a hurry or when the gift store is closed.

The test kiosk launched this week and runs through Dec. 31. It offers a variety of 50 greeting card designs by Hallmark artists, fo-cused on everyday occasions. It will feature a digital touch-screen catalog for efficient browsing. Once a card is chosen and paid for with a credit card, the kiosk will dispense it and an envelope. Prices are $2.99-$7.99, including Hallmark Signature cards.

“This partnership offers another opportunity for us to support one of our local organizations and continue bringing the hometown feel of Kansas City into our health system,” said Shawn Long, the hospital’s vice president of Corporate and Community Outreach.

New

s Br

iefsIn the News

A recap of recent articles, TV segments and other media coverage of the region’s leading academic medical center

Royals physician’s ‘real’ patients – Fox 4 News, Oct. 14. Vincent Key, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at The University of Kansas Hospital, is the physician responsible for the health of the Kansas City Royals. But his “real” gig, he said, is treating patients at the hospital’s Indian Creek Campus in Overland Park. “I have about four total knees today to do. So I tell people I’m not fast, I’m just efficient,” he said. Much of his work with the Royals is decid-ing how to treat player injuries at both the major and minor league level.

Helping patients ‘Look Good, Feel Better’ – KCTV 5 News, Oct. 13. The Kansas City Chiefs joined The University of Kansas Hospital and the American Cancer Society on Oct. 13 to host the third annual Look Good, Feel Better luncheon. Held at Arrowhead Stadium, the luncheon is for cancer patients to learn beauty techniques. Chiefs safety Eric Berry struggled with the side effects of his lymphoma treatment. “The biggest thing that really changed my appearance was not having eyebrows,” he said. “At the end of the day, you have to understand that you are still the same person regardless of how you look or feel.”

Enticing more physicians to ‘go rural’ – KSNT, Oct. 12. The University of Kansas Medical Center and Geary Community Hospital are joining forces to provide free living to medical students in the small community. The goal: Make it easier for students to learn in a rural healthcare setting – and hope-fully stay. Otherwise, said Michael Kennedy, MD, associate dean for Rural Health at the medical center, “the likelihood a student will get their education at an academic medical center and then return to rural practice is pretty low.”

Providing free cancer screening – The Emporia Gazette, Oct. 6. Midwest Cancer Alliance, the outreach division of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, and local Masons hosted a free cancer screen-ing in Emporia. It was one of 22 free cancer awareness events across the state this year sponsored by the Kansas Masonic Foundation. The screening was open to the public and included skin and prostate cancer screenings as well as bone density tests and breast cancer information.

Pink power Throughout October, The University of Kansas Cancer Center and the Kansas City Chiefs are promoting “A Crucial Catch” as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Among the many activities, survivors are being honored at the Oct. 11 and Oct. 25 games. The campaign also reminds women of the importance of regular screenings.

Internal Medicine’s Tori Gushleff, DO, and Ayman Albakour, MD, are part of the hospital’s oncology care team on Unit 42.

ADVANCES

is a biweekly publication produced by:

The University of Kansas Hospital Corporate Communications

2330 Shawnee Mission Pkwy., Suite 303 Westwood, KS 66205

Send story ideas to Advances@kumc.edu.

Bob Page, President and CEO The University of Kansas Hospital

Doug Girod, MD, Executive Vice Chancellor University of Kansas Medical Center

Kirk Benson, MD, President The University of Kansas Physicians

Staff: Mike Glynn, Editor Kirk Buster, Graphic Designer

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Our People A son’s support – Physicians save lives. And sometimes they even have

the chance to help save a family member.Jeffrey Holzbeierlein, MD, a urologist with The University of Kansas

Cancer Center, adopted that attitude two years ago when his mother, who lives in Oklahoma, was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia. He guided her through treatment, gave her his bone marrow and, of course, opened his home to her while she recovered.

Anne Holzbeierlein needed a bone marrow transplant (BMT) to survive. Family members were not a full match and none were found on the national registry. The outcome did not look good.

Jeffrey Holzbeierlein suggested she consult with his colleagues at the cancer center. During their consultation, Joseph McGuirk, DO, medical director of the cancer center’s BMT program and director of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapies, told the family about a clinical trial that might save her life.

She participated in the trial, which randomly selected her to receive a transplant from a bone marrow donor who was a genetic half match. Her son was the half match who saved her life.

“I was so happy I could be the donor,” said Jeffrey Holzbeierlein. “My parents have done so much for me, I was really glad to be able to give back.”

Now, two years later, his mother is still in remission. She attributes a lot of her recovery to the encouragement and care she received from her son and his family – living with them for weeks after the transplant.

But her son is quick to spread the accolades around. “Every person on the BMT team did a fantastic job,” said Jeffrey Holzbeierlein. “And my dad was amazing and took her to every appointment.”

Writer’s Award – Three University of Kansas School of Nursing faculty received a Research for Practice Writer’s Award for their article in MedSurg Nursing, the official journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses.

Jill Peltzer, PhD, APRN; Elaine Domian, PhD, APRN; and Cynthia Teel, PhD, FAAN, authored “Living in the Everydayness of HIV Infection: Experiences of Young African-American Women.” The article, published in the March/April 2015 issue, specifically explored how the young women engaged in self-care.

“The participants’ narratives revealed their unique stories about living with an incurable, chronic disease,” Peltzer said. “Yet common themes explicated from the narratives suggest they all lived with uncertainty in light of their HIV diagnosis. All of the women reported unrelenting depression and many discussed multiple episodes of stigma due to their diagnoses.”

913-588-1227 | kumed.com

Here, Patients Come First Each day, our primary focus is on our patients. In turn, the people of Kansas City have once again made us their No. 1 consumer choice

• Best Doctors• Best Nurses

• Best Image/Reputation • Best Overall Quality

We are honored to be your first choice.

Katherine Stiles, MD Anesthesiology

New

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Kyle Brown, MD Emergency Medicine

Luke Ledbetter, MD Radiology

Shaun Best, MD Radiology

Eric Lai, MD Plastic Surgery

Kerri Barnes, MD, MPH Urology

With support from his father, Lynn, Urology’s Jeffrey Holzbeierlein, MD, steered his mom toward a clinical trial and provided the bone marrow that saved her life.