Integrated Health Care (IHC) is yet one more avenue through which community members can seek care as part of the University of Illinois Health System. IHC is a collaboration between the College of Nursing and Mile Square. The nurse managed clinics, which provide primary care, are staffed by the CON faculty Advanced Practice Nurses.

As only one of ten nurse managed centers in the country to receive funding from the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), the College of Nursing is now expanding its award winning model of care. IHC uses an innovative approach which integrates physical and mental health services.

How does it work?

By using a complete electronic prescribing system, the prescriber has the ability to receive eligibility and formulary information from the insurance company and prescription renewal requests from the pharmacy. Doctors can also receive medication histories from the insurance company and pharmacy. The communication is facilitated by an intermediary called SureScript — Rx Hub.

What are the benefits?

• Formulary Eligibility/Economic Alternatives are loaded into the system based on the patient’s insurance, saving you time
• More Complete Medication History
• Patient Safety (Legible Scripts)
• Convenience for Patients
• Increased efficiency in care (less time spent on the phone with questions and insurance issues)

Ophthalmologists at the University of Illinois Medical Center will soon offer a new minimally invasive alternative to traditional glaucoma therapies. The outpatient surgical procedure, known as Trabectome, takes about 20 minutes and is designed to decrease pressure within the eye and stabilize the vision.

“The goal of this procedure is to prevent further damage within the eye,” says ophthalmologist Thasarat Vajaranant, M.D., who notes that glaucoma can only be arrested, not cured. “While all surgeries carry some risk, this procedure can reduce the number of medications patients need and makes controlling glaucoma easier.”

Glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness, is a disease that causes irreversible damage to the optic nerve from increasing pressure within the eye. This occurs because the eye produces a clear fluid that does not drain adequately and raises the eye pressure. Experts estimate that half of the people affected by glaucoma may not know they have it.

Traditionally, ophthalmologists first prescribe eye drops to reduce the eye pressure, and if that doesn’t work, they can perform a laser procedure (trabeculoplasty) to the existing internal drainage canal around the base of the cornea. A more invasive treatment is trabeculectomy, a surgical technique to create a new drain for the eye.

The new Trabectome procedure uses a small probe that opens the eye’s drainage system through a tiny incision in the eye’s cornea.

“It removes a small portion of the eye’s natural drainage system so that it functions better,” explains Dr. Vajaranant, who directs the Glaucoma Service of the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary and was recently named one of America’s Top Doctors for Glaucoma. “This is an option when eye drops and laser trabeculoplasty fail to reduce pressure and before trabeculectomy is considered”

She likens the eyes’ drainage system to the rain gutters on a house. “If the drainage system gets clogged, and the pressure is high enough, long enough — the resulting damage to the optic nerve is called glaucoma.”

The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Cancer Center and Department of Medicine have partnered with Vanguard Health Systems to develop a clinical program affiliation for cancer care at Vanguard-owned MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn.

“This partnership positions UIC and MacNeal as the premier oncology provider and cancer center in the city and western suburbs,” says Joe G.N. “Skip” Garcia, MD, interim vice president for health affairs at the University of Illinois.

“This is an excellent example of the fruitful partnerships that the University of Illinois can foster. It’s a win-win for both of our hospitals, but most importantly, it’s a win for our patients and community,” said Michael Hogan, president of the university.

“The department of medicine at UIC is very pleased that its faculty members Dr. John Berry and Dr. Sandeep Chunduri will lead oncology services for the cancer center located on the MacNeal campus,” said Dr. Thomas Layden, Edmund F. Foley Professor of Medicine and chairman of the department.

In its first year, the Vein Center and Venous Diseases Program at the University of Illinois Medical Center has committed to the highest standards of patient-centered care, community outreach, and excellence in surgery.

Dr. Giancarlo Piano, board-certified vascular, general, and trauma surgeon, along with nursing partners, Mary S. Ware, RN, APN., and Pat Murphy-Smith, RN, MSN, have continued to raise awareness in the community on venous disease. Recently, Dr. Piano provided educational material at a well-known Chicago race, the Shamrock Shuffle.

“People aren’t aware of the enormous importance in treating venous disease. More people die yearly from DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and PE (pulmonary embolism) than from breast cancer, traffic accidents, and AIDS combined,” said Dr. Piano.

Just last month, media attention was on tennis star Serena Williams, who was diagnosed with an acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and a related pulmonary embolism. Her medical problem was related to recent foot surgery in conjunction with long distance air travel. Ultimately she was treated with early intervention therapy for DVT and pulmonary embolism (now referred to as venous thromboembolism or VTE therapy). The early intervention treatment approach is now considered the standard of care in select cases of acute VTE. Williams’ condition also highlights the fact that venous disease can affect anyone, even the most healthy and physically fit individuals.

Self Care is Good Stewardship was the theme of two community outreach events organized by Rev. Margaret C. Neal, Psy.D. Director, Pastoral Care and Clinical Pastoral Education.

In February, physicians and employees visited St. Benedict the African Church in the West Englewood neighborhood. Dr. Leslie Dean, Assistant Professor Department of Urology, presented information on Prostate Cancer education, prevention, and treatment. Dr. Divyesh Mehta, Associate Professor Department of Hematology/Oncology, provided information to the parishioners on Breast Cancer education, prevention, and treatment.

Dr. Karriem Watson, Research Specialist in Health Sciences, Neurological Surgery; Alex Guyan, Director, Patient Care Services; Maureen Hillman, RN, Project Coordinator, Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine; Melissa Lara, RN and Sharon DeVito, a student nurse, provided blood pressure checks as well as answered general questions. As a result of this event, two lives were potentially saved from the devastating effects of stroke as two individuals with dangerously high blood pressure levels were sent to the nearest Emergency Department.

Self Care is Good Stewardship continued into March at St. Kilian’s Church in the Gresham neighborhood. Maureen Hillman, Vivian D. Swibel, BSN, Care Coordinator, and Sharon DeVita, a student nurse, provided blood pressure checks and Christina P. Moy, RN, BSN, Clinical Nurse/Educator and Reinalda Bautusta, RN, BSN, CDE, Clinical Nurse/Educator provided diabetes checks.

Photo: Dr. Leslie Deane

Mary Mathisen has known David Klodd, Ph.D., head of UIMC’s Audiology Services, for nearly all of her 42 years, since she was diagnosed with a hearing impairment at just seven years old. He helped her back then by fitting her with hearing aids, and now as a single mother with two children Mathisen tracked down her doctor when she was in need of help again.

“It was great to hear from her,” Dr. Klodd said. “She was saving up money to buy a new hearing aid. She didn’t want low-end ones but wanted the best she could have.”

So last year Dr. Klodd fitted her with a single hearing aid. At the time, Mathisen was earning her certificate in massage therapy, and couldn’t believe how just one hearing aid helped improve the path to her new career.

“There is definitely a difference in what you hear with hearing aids and without them. With them, I can tell the differences in babies’ cries; without them, I can’t hear them,” she says.

Mathisen’s massage practice is expanding, and the extra profit is the sound of sweet success. Mathisen plans to eventually save enough to buy the device for her other ear.

“She was so excited about graduating from the program,” Dr. Klodd says. “When she passed her final examination, with a new career path in front of her, it was a wonderful accomplishment by an impressive, determined woman.”

Students from the Department of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services used National Poison Prevention week as an opportunity to educate kids about the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. Kids played with interactive boards and sample bottles to learn that it isn’t always so easy to tell a medicine from candy, or a fruit drink from windshield washer fluid.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every day nearly 82 people in the United States die as a result of unintentional poisoning, and almost another 2,000 are treated in emergency departments.

UIMC’s annual poison prevention awareness event was held in the Children and Adolescent Center located in 2E OCC. The Pick Your Poison Board displayed and compared some common look-a-likes, such as ex-lax and chocolate, Sweet Tarts and Coumadin, etc. Look-alike liquids also pose a big problem. Kids had to choose which bottle contained the Pine-Sol and which contained the apple juice. They also were taught about household poisons like aspirin and perfume by using a coloring sheet.

Informational brochures, magnets, stickers, and keychain flashlights, all containing the phone number to the Illinois Poison Prevention Center, 1-800-222-1222, were given out to the kids and their parents.

Photo: From Left to right Dr James Lash (Nephrologist at UIC) , Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele ( kidney transplant recipient), David Dreyfus ( UIC Transplant Education Coordinator) , Kate Grubbs-O’Connor ( Chief Executive Officer at the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois )

The University of Illinois Medical Center and our advertising agency Laughlin Constable were announced among the winners for the 2011 Aster Awards.

The Aster Awards is a medical marketing awards program allowing healthcare organizations and advertising agencies to compete against similarly sized competitors from across the nation and world.

Each year, the Aster Awards has an annual contest allowing entries designed, printed and/or distributed the previous year to be scored, judged and recognized for excellence in healthcare marketing and advertising.

In December, hospital staff from various departments graciously volunteered and helped coordinate a photo shoot throughout the hospital. The photos have since been professionally developed and retouched and are now available for you to see.

1. Visit the Marketing Toolkit conveniently located on the hospital intranet system.
2. Click on Building Branded Material
3. Click on Photos
4. Choose the desired department

Have you seen the new lobby map? What about the fact sheet & pocket guide? The Marketing Department has provided useful information for patients, visitors, and physicians to learn more about UIMC and make navigating through the building a bit easier.

UIC researchers have received a $950,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to integrate obesity-prevention strategies into programs delivered to low-income families through the University of Illinois Extension Cook County, and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program Education.

Over the past decade, the research team, led by Marian Fitzgibbon, MD, has developed an obesity intervention called “Hip-Hop to Health.” The program has been used in Head Start and Chicago Public School preschool programs and was found to be effective in reducing body mass index in 3- to 5-year-old minority, low-income children.

“By partnering with existing nutrition programs that are designed to provide information on basic nutrition, food budgeting, shopping skills and food safety to improve the health of low-income families, we will have direct access to a population of children at risk for obesity and related conditions,” says Dr. Fitzgibbon, who is principal investigator of the study and deputy director of UIC’s Institute for Health Research and Policy.

Hip-Hop to Health targets preschool children and their parents and includes programs on physical activity, television viewing, food available in the home, portion sizes, obesity prevention strategies, and contextual factors that can create barriers to healthy eating and physical activity.

UIMC is a leader in the field of brain tumor research and is committed to providing our patients access to the most innovative treatments and clinical trials. Four years ago, UIMC became the first hospital in the United States to treat a patient using the NovoTTF device, an entirely new cancer treatment approach. Daniel Torres, a UIMC patient, was able to enroll in a clinical trial to study the device against glioblastoma (GBM) tumors, the most aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer.

UIMC is now participating in a phase III clinical study of the NovoTTF device for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma tumors. This clinical study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the device when used in combination with temozolomide, an oral chemotherapy agent. The NovoTTF is a non-invasive device that creates an alternating electric field within the tumor that has the potential to inhibit cell division and slow or reverse tumor growth. The device is intended for continuous home use and is compatible with a patient’s daily activities.