Arkansas Department of Health Monitoring Case of Tuberculosis (TB) in Johnson County

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has identified a case of active tuberculosis at a manufacturing plant in Johnson County . The case has been on appropriate treatment for TB and there is no longer any risk of infection. As a precautionary measure and in accordance with its standard TB control procedures, the Department of Health will screen individuals at the plant that might have been exposed to the infected person on Wednesday, September 26th. Screening consists of tuberculin skin tests with chest X-rays of positive reactors.

Having a positive TB skin test with a negative chest X-ray does not mean that the person has tuberculosis disease. It means that he or she has been infected by the inhaled TB germ. This infection is called Latent TB infection (LTBI) and is not communicable. Only about ten per cent of people who have been infected develop TB during their lifespan. LTBI can be treated with medication to prevent the risk of disease development later in life. Chest X-rays are done in positive reactors to evaluate for the presence of active disease.

All positive reactors will be further evaluated with chest X-rays by the ADH TB program.

Dr. Iram Bakhtawar, Director of the ADH Tuberculosis Section, states, “Plant officials have provided excellent assistance to the Department of Health in this investigation. TB was the leading cause of death in Arkansas at the turn of the century. Identification and preventive treatment of contacts has led to a marked reduction of cases in the state. In 2006, there were 102 cases of TB for the entire state.

Gary L. Bebow, FACHE Receives A. Allen Weintraub Memorial Award from Arkansas Hospital Association

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Hospital Association presented its highest individual honor, the A. Allen Weintraub Memorial Award, to Gary L. Bebow, FACHE Administrator/CEO of White River Health System at the association’s annual awards dinner on Thursday.
The Weintraub Award, named for the late Allen Weintraub, former Administrator of St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center, is awarded to an Arkansas hospital chief executive officer who is recognized as a leader in healthcare and civic affairs. Weintraub served St. Vincent Infirmary and the community of Little Rock for more than 20 years and was admired and respected for his dedication to quality service and patient care.

Bebow joined White River Medical Center (WRMC) in 1991 as Administrator/CEO. During his tenure, WRMC has become White River Health System (WRHS), a multi-facility organization serving North Central Arkansas. Under his leadership WRHS has experienced significant growth in physician recruitment, admissions, acquisition of other services/facilities and expansion of the physical plant as well as development of new service lines to meet the needs of the eight county service area.

In addition to the expansion of facilities and services, WRHS has grown to be a major regional employer with more than 1500 employees system wide. Bebow is a strong advocate for employee education, encouraging employees to further their training and supporting them through tuition reimbursement and scholarship programs.

He supports nursing and professional allied health education by creating partnerships with educational institutions to provide the workforce needed to care for an aging population and providing a solid foundation of stable competitive jobs for area citizens. WRHS is a clinical partner with educational institutions throughout the region providing clinical training sites, financial support and leadership for program development. Bebow played an instrumental role in the development of WRMC and the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville successful proposal to establish an Area Health Education Center for North Central Arkansas.

As a leader in community health, Bebow supports initiatives to develop programs related to the health of area residents along with community partners such as Partners in Community Health, Health Teacher online curriculum, CommHealth worksite wellness events, MASH, CHAMPS, Ladies Night Out and Annual Prostate Cancer Screenings.

He is a founding member of the Independence County Economic Development Foundation and a member of the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and active in the CEO Leadership Council. He served on the Arkansas Hospital Association Board of Directors from 1993 until 1997. He served as the President of the AHA Board of Directors from 1998-1999. He continues to be active with the association in legislative affairs.

UAMS Performs Record 7,000th Stem-Cell Transplant

LITTLE ROCK – The internationally known treatment program for multiple myeloma at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) reached another milestone today as Jeffrey Zwerin of California received the 7,000th stem-cell transplant procedure performed at the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy.

The institute, a part of the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute (formerly the Arkansas Cancer Research Center ), has performed more blood stem cell transplants for myeloma than any other facility in the world.

The stem cells are typically collected from the patient at the outset of treatment and then given back as a transfusion to promote recovery of the bone marrow following high-dose chemotherapy. Stem cell transplantation has led to higher survival and remission rates for those patients with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood’s plasma. The first stem cell transplant to treat myeloma at UAMS was conducted in 1989.

Jeffrey Zwerin, D.O. and a board-certified psychiatrist from northern California, received the transplant of stem cells previously collected from him. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in late 2006 and came to the Myeloma Institute for treatment in 2007. He will receive a second stem cell transplant following high-dose chemotherapy in a few months as part of his treatment protocol.

Between 1995 and 2001 the five-year survival rate reported by the National Cancer Institute for newly diagnosed myeloma patients was 34 percent. At the Myeloma Institute, for the same time period, 57 percent of newly diagnosed patients lived five years or more. Five-year survival rates at the institute are now more than 65 percent. UAMS has achieved a median survival rate of seven years.

The Myeloma Institute also has remained in the forefront of research and education. Researchers there draw from more than 3,000 samples of bone marrow and 19,000 tissue samples to try to identify the genetic mechanisms behind myeloma.

In 2007, John Shaughnessy, Ph.D., director of the Lambert Laboratory of Myeloma Genetics at the Myeloma Institute, led a team that identified the molecular trigger for birth defects caused by the drug thalidomide, a discovery that also could be the mechanism that makes it effective against multiple myeloma. The sedative was given to pregnant women in the 1950s and 1960s to treat morning sickness until it was found to cause birth defects. It is currently used as a treatment for multiple myeloma.

A team of UAMS researchers, including Barlogie and Shaughnessy, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2006 that thalidomide as a part of a treatment program for multiple myeloma produced higher remission and five-year survival rates in patients. The drug failed to increase overall survival and was associated with several adverse side effects, such as blood clots, according to the research.

Also in 2007, Shaughnessy’s team reported development of a genetic analysis model for identifying patients with aggressive multiple myeloma.

State Emergency Planners Practice Anthrax Event

LITTLE ROCK — Recently, Emergency Preparedness planners from federal, state and local agencies and hospitals statewide rehearsed what they would do in the hours and days following an actual terrorist attack involving anthrax. The exercise was designed to help planners establish protocols, especially for the distribution of medicine to people who might be affected all over the state. The exercise evaluated the capability of participating agencies to receive and rapidly distribute medication across the state using regional distribution centers, evaluated the hospitals’ ability to understand the state’s Mass Distribution Plan and execute with proper personnel, and tested communications systems and operational abilities.

The exercise focused on the delivery of drugs stored at the Strategic National Stockpile location in Arkansas to eighty-six (86) participating hospitals in every part of the state as quickly as possible. The Arkansas National Guard actually delivered surplus Amoxicillin during the drill to the hospitals to demonstrate that real medications could be transported safely if need be.

CDC’s Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) has large quantities of medicine and medical supplies to protect the American public if there is a public health emergency (terrorist attack, flu outbreak, earthquake) severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. Once Federal and local authorities agree that the SNS is needed, medicines will be delivered to any state in the U.S. within 12 hours. Each state has plans to receive and distribute SNS medicine and medical supplies to local communities as quickly as possible.

The exercise included a wide range of public and private partners: the Arkansas National Guard, the University ofArkansas for Medical Sciences School of Pharmacy, eighty six Acute Care Hospitals (see attached listing), the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, the ADH Emergency Medical Services Department, local law enforcement agencies, and State and local Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs).

The Burn Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Receives American Burn Association Verification

LITTLE ROCK — The Burn Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) recently joined the ranks of elite institutions that have received the prestigious Burn Center Verification status.

A joint venture by the American Burn Association (ABA) and the American College of Surgeons, Burn Center Verification requires an institution to meet rigorous standards of organizational structure, personnel qualifications, facilities resources and medical care services.

This voluntary program includes completion of a pre-review questionnaire and an in-depth on-site review by members of the ABA Verification Committee, as well as senior members of the ABA. The process included the entire Burn Center team: social workers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, child life specialists, clinical nutritionists, respiratory care technicians and nurses, as well as physicians and administrators. A written report by the site visit team is reviewed by the ABA Verification Committee and by the Committee on Trauma of the ACS. The review process includes many components and takes three to six months. ACH put together a 200-page accreditation manual to document policies and cases as evidence for qualification.

Verification status is an indicator to government, third-party payers, patients and their families and accreditation organizations that the Burn Center at ACH provides high quality patient care to patients during the entire treatment and recovery process, said Sandra Meredith, nursing director of the Burn Center at ACH.

ACH joins about 50 other institutions across the country that have passed the verification process. A list of them is available at http://www.ameriburn.org/verification_verifiedcenters.php . The verification status will last for three years, at which time ACH will undergo the same review to renew the credentials.

The Burn Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital is the state’s only dedicated burn center treating children and adults from throughout the state and surrounding areas. For more information about The Burn Center, visit www.archildrens.org/medical_services/inpatient/burn_center.asp.

Arkansas Department of Health’s Communications Efforts Recognized Nationally

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has been recognized by the National Public Health Information Coalition for its efforts in promoting and communicating with Arkansans about their health. In a ceremony held in Baltimore, MD on September 26th, the agency received thirteen awards for releases, websites, print media, radio and television used in various campaigns last year.

Dr. Paul Halverson, ADH Director, said, “We are honored to be recognized nationally for public health communication efforts. Health communication is one of the Department’s most important functions at the state and local level. Through communication efforts, ADH alerts Arkansans to disease outbreaks, water safety notices and the importance of childhood immunizations, among other things. I am very proud of our colleagues and their excellent work.”

States compete on a level playing field for NPHIC awards recognizing excellence in public health communications. Each award category (annual reports, news releases, Internet home pages, video projects, and the like) has two divisions: those produced totally in-house and those produced with the assistance of an outside agency. Only voting, associate and organizational NPHIC members may submit entries.

The National Public Health Information Coalition is an independent organization of professionals organized to share best practices and improve America’s health through public health communications. NPHIC senior public health information officers participate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public and private agencies to promote health and prevent disease, identify methods to improve communications among members, and communicate with and through the news media to promote greater understanding and awareness of public health issues.

St.Vincent New Administrator

LITTLE ROCK — Tim Osterholm is the administrator, ambulatory and outpatient services for St. Vincent Health System.
Osterholm is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Omaha, where he earned a Masters of Public Administration.

Dr. West Joins BRMC Emergency Department

MOUNTAIN HOME — Dr. Mark West has joined the Baxter Regional Medical Center Emergency Department.
After graduating from Louisiana Tech, he received his medical degree from the Univesity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He did his internship and residency at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Department of Internal Medicine

He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He is a member of the American College of Physicians and the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Dr. West’s appointments at Doctor’s Hospital in Shreveport. La., have included Medical Executive Committee, Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement Committee, Medical Director of the Addictive Diseases Unit, Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Emergency Care/ICU.

UCA Kicks Off $35 Million Fundraising Campaign

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas recently announced a $35 million goal during the kickoff of its first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, “New Vision, New Century: The Centennial Campaign for UCA.” The campaign goal was announced during a pep-rally style event on thecampus lawn as hundreds from UCA and the surrounding communities looked on. Tuba players from the marching band helped UCA President Lu Hardin make the announcement by unveiling each number of the goal on the bells of their instruments. As the final number was unveiled, the amount flashed on two large projection screens on opposite sides of a large stage and the marching band began playing the university’s fight song.

The kickoff event also included performances by the UCA Jazz Band and the UCA Marching Band, an appearance by the cheerleading squad, video presentations, festival-style refreshments and a commemorative mug giveaway.

During the program, UCA announced a new record for the largest single private gift to the university, a $3 million bequest from the estate of Mary Ellen White Crow and Jake Crow of Elaine, Ark. The gift will be added to a scholarship the couple established in 2004 for descendents of the White and Crow families as well as students from Phillips and Faulkner counties. The gift was presented to the university by Joe White of Conway, a nephew of the late couple.

The university also recognized a private gift by Robin Nix of Jonesboro to purchase new uniforms for the UCA Marching Band.

The kickoff of UCA’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign coincides with the centennial anniversary of the institution’s founding.

Since the campaign fundraising efforts began in 2004, UCA has raised over $18 million for three areas identified as priorities for the
campaign: endowments, facility enhancements and annual support.

The university is seeking support to establish endowed funds for student scholarships, faculty resources and program needs. Endowed funds are permanently established with the UCA Foundation. A minimum of $10,000 is required for endowment. Once a fund is endowed, only the interest from the fund is used to support an area of the donor’s choosing.

The university has also identified several facility enhancement needs for academics, athletics and campus beautification. Academic priorities include new buildings for the College of Business, College of Education, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the nursing program.

The athletics department is raising funds for upgrades to facilities such as the baseball field, new construction for soccer and track and the relocation of the tennis courts.

Funds are also being raised through annual pledges that will be used to build the Foundation’s Margin of Excellence, or unrestricted, fund and to add to existing endowments for scholarships and program support. The majority of UCA’s annual support is raised during the foundation’s bi-annual phonathon.

UAMS Renames Cancer Center for Winthrop P. Rockefeller

LITTLE ROCK – The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) honored the late Winthrop P. Rockefeller, former Arkansas lieutenant governor, today by renaming its Arkansas Cancer Research Center (ACRC) for him while celebrating the groundbreaking for a major expansion to the facility.

The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute will include a 12-floor, more than 300,000-square-foot addition that will allow the institute to treat more patients and host more research into new treatments. The addition is expected to open in 2010.

Rockefeller, who served as lieutenant governor for 10 years before his death in 2006, was a past member of the ACRC Foundation Board. He, along with the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, named for his late father and former Arkansas governor, have been longtime supporters of UAMS. At the renaming ceremony, it was also announced that the Foundation has made a more than $12 million gift to the cancer institute that will in part fund creation of a new leukemia/ lymphoma program.

“The legacy of Winthrop Paul Rockefeller is one of untiring dedication while he was in public office and in his many philanthropic efforts throughout his life,” said UAMS Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson, M.D. “It is a fitting tribute to him to rename the ACRC, which has been home to so many doctors, nurses, scientists and staff members who share his untiring spirit in pursuit of a cure for cancer.”

The number of patient visits to the cancer institute has grown since it was established in 1984 and is expected to keep doing so. In fiscal year 2007, there were 120,000 patient visits, compared to 75,000 in 2000. Patient volume has already surpassed predictions made in 2005, in part because of new patients, but also because of new life-prolonging treatments.

“Over the years, the UAMS Arkansas Cancer Research Center has attracted patients from around the world and provided quality care close to home for Arkansans,” said Arkansas first lady Ginger Beebe. “That commitment to service also was evident throughout the life of Winthrop Paul Rockefeller and makes this renaming so appropriate.”

Winthrop Paul Rockefeller was the great-grandson of John D. Rockefeller, who founded Standard Oil. He was chief executive for Winrock Farms, a cattle ranch started by his father.

Rockefeller was elected lieutenant governor in a special election in November 1996, then re-elected in 1998 and again in 2002. He was running for governor but withdrew when doctors discovered he had an unclassifiable myeloproliferative disorder, a rare bone marrow disease in which excessive blood cells are manufactured. In some patients, the disease can transform into acute leukemia. Despite his own illness, Rockefeller devoted time after his diagnosis to help raise awareness about the importance of bone marrow donation. He died in 2006.

“Like his father, Winthrop Paul Rockefeller was committed to improving the lives of Arkansans,” said Sherece West, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. “The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation embodies that tradition and is proud to support UAMS and the cancer institute in expanding its programs so it can help more patients from Arkansas , across the country and around the world.”

Rockefeller’s philanthropic and charitable work included involvement with the Boy Scouts of America . He and his wife, Lisenne, founded what is now the Academy at Riverdale, a school for children with learning disabilities. He served as a trustee for Texas Christian University and on the national boards of Ducks Unlimited and the Nature Conservancy.

FDA Announces Initiative to Bolster Generic Drug Program

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently outlined a program aimed at increasing the number and variety of generic drug products available to consumers and healthcare providers. Generic drugs generally cost less than their brand-name counterparts and competition among generics has been a key factor in lowering drug prices. The Generic Initiative for Value and Efficiency, or GIVE, will help the FDA modernize and streamline its generic drug approval process.

As part of the GIVE efforts, FDA is revising the review order for certain drug applications. For example, first generic products, for which there are no blocking patents or exclusivity protections on the reference listed drug, are identified at the time of submission for expedited review. This will mean that these products, for which there are currently no generic products on the market, may reach the consumer much faster.

FDA now has about 215 full-time staff working on the review of generic drug applications. Under GIVE, FDA will hire and train new generic drug reviewers and focus on enhanced use of electronic programs for handling drug submissions and internal documents. When possible, resources from other FDA departments will be engaged in the effort. As well, FDA will increase its communications with generic drug manufacturers and provide training on proper application submission to the industry in meetings and Webcasts.

New Study Spotlights Growing Role of Medicare in Propping Up Nation’s Medicaid Program

WASHINGTON — The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care recently said a new BDO Seidman study of the nation’s Medicaid program released recently draws much needed attention to a chronic and worsening problem: Medicare’s cross-subsidization of increasingly inadequate Medicaid payments for nursing home care.

The BDO Seidman study, released by the American Health Care Association (AHCA), estimates that Medicaid pays some $4.4 billion less than the actual cost of nursing home care for the nation’s seniors. This translates into $13.15 per patient per day less than the cost of care, an amount which has increased 45% since 1999.

Annual Economic Impact of Chronic Disease on U.S. Economy is $1 Trillion

WASHINGTON — In a groundbreaking study released recently by the Milken Institute, the annual economic impact on the U.S. economy of the most common chronic diseases is calculated to be more than $1 trillion, which could balloon to nearly $6 trillion by the middle of the century. Yet the news is not entirely grim because much of this cost is avoidable.

According to the study, seven chronic diseases — cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, pulmonary conditions and mental illness — have a total impact on the economy of $1.3 trillion annually. Of this amount, $1.1 trillion represents the cost of lost productivity.

The study is the first of its kind to estimate the avoidable costs if a serious effort were made to improve Americans’ health. Assuming modest improvements in preventing and treating disease, Milken Institute researchers determined that by 2023 the nation could avoid 40 million cases of chronic disease and reduce the economic impact of chronic disease by 27 percent, or $1.1 trillion annually. They report that the most important factor is obesity, which if rates declined could lead to $60 billion less in treatment costs and $254 billion in increased productivity.

Looking even further ahead, the report measures the possible cost to future generations if escalating disease leads to lower investments in education and training. In a snowball effect, the report warns, this loss of human capital and skill building could reduce the nation’s economic output by as much as $5.7 trillion in real GDP by the year 2050.

The full report is available at http://www.milkeninstitute.org/ and http://www.pfcd.org/. An interactive Web site with complete national- and state-level data for each of the chronic diseases is available at http://www.chronicdiseaseimpact.com/.

Canon U.S.A. Achieves Milestone With The Installation Of Its 2,000th Digital Radiography System

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. — Achieving a significant milestone in its illustrious history, Canon U.S.A., Inc., recently announced the installation of its 2,000th digital radiography (DR) system, also marking more than 5,000 DR system installations worldwide by the Canon family of companies. This celebrated installation took place at a large healthcare provider in Northern California.

Canon was approached with an immediate need to increase workflow productivity and enhance workplace ergonomics, while only having limited downtime. As a result of installing the Canon CXDI-40EG and CXDI-50G DR Systems, the facility was able to decrease patient wait and exam times because of the virtually instantaneous ability to view images, as well as improve workplace ergonomics for its staff by limiting lifting and reaching motions. Additionally, the office needed to shut down for only a relatively short time to install the equipment and train technologists.

The flexibility of the Canon DR solutions allows for either upgrading existing equipment with Canon DR technology or including Canon DR systems as part of a completely new system. The Canon CXDI-40EG General DR system provides a large imaging area of 17 x 17 inches, and lets users capture desired anatomical views for both large and small format X-rays in portrait or landscape orientation without having to rotate the detector unit. This system can retrofit onto almost any new or existing bucky table, upright tilting wall stand, universal or ceiling suspended multi-positioning unit.

A Nation Divided Over Health Care? Not So Fast

CHICAGO — Americans may be sharply divided in their views on many aspects of healthcare in the United States, but they are in strong agreement when it comes to one of the most important but overlooked elements — a nationwide trauma system. According to results of the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) new “On the Table” voter survey, 75 percent of voters support the establishment of a nationwide trauma system -— including strong majorities across all political parties (86 percent of Democrats; 73 percent of Independents; and 63 percent of Republicans).

According to the survey, almost half of voters (46 percent) believe their own states are prepared for an emergency situation, but half (50 percent) do not believe the nation’s trauma centers are prepared to handle large-scale medical emergencies. ACS is currently working in cooperation with other trauma experts to develop a more comprehensive set of criteria and evaluation to assess the nation’s trauma system preparedness.



November 2007