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At the Hospitals
n Davidson College and CHS Launch edX was launched by Harvard University n Levine Children’s Hospital Reflects
First-Ever CME Course and MIT in 2012. Davidson joined the edX on Pediatric Surgery Group’s
Davidson College, Carolinas HealthCare consortium in 2013 as a charter member and Achievements, Future
has developed a variety of courses for high With more than seven decades of collective
System and the Charlotte Area Health school, undergraduate and now professional
Education Center (AHEC) launched development students. experience, the pediatric surgery team at
“Medical Genomics 101,” a self-paced, Levine Children’s Hospital will
online continuing medical education (CME) n Patients Sought for Heart celebrate three years of success
course designed for physicians, physician Failure Study this year. But this is just the
assistants and nurse practitioners. The course The DREAM-HF study currently is beginning for this group of
is the first CME course on edX.org — one nationally and internationally
of the world’s leading massive open online enrolling chronic heart failure patients recognized specialists, whose
course (MOOC) platforms. who have exhausted all forms of medical
treatment. Currently, there are no available Anthony Stallion, MD breadth of experience is as
Malcolm Campbell, PhD, biology professor therapies to restore the function of the diverse as the conditions they treat.
and director of the James G. Martin Genomics damaged heart muscle. Joseph Mishkin,
Program at Davidson College, leads the course, MD, the principal investigator for Carolinas Led by Anthony Stallion, MD, the team is
which is a thorough, focused overview of the HealthCare System, will study if injecting working to streamline Carolinas HealthCare
rapidly evolving field of genomics. Michael rexlemestrocel-L, which consists of System’s pediatric surgery services in
Ruhlen, MD, vice president, medical education mesenchymal precursor cells, or MPCs, with order to establish improved care protocols
and director of Charlotte AHEC, developed a special type of needle will help restore — especially for more complex cases. In
the curriculum with Campbell to ensure all heart muscle function. 2013, Stallion was named one of the “Best
clinicians, regardless of area of practice, Doctors in America.” That same year, he
will benefit from the genomics primer. Six Recently, the RENEW clinical trial used joined Carolinas Healthcare System as the
clinicians from CHS are featured in the course, stem cell therapy in select study participants, chief of pediatric surgery.
speaking about the application of genomics with the goal of reducing the frequency of chest
principles in their practices. pain through stem cell therapy. Patients who Considered a pediatric trauma expert, the
were not candidates for revascularization with former staff surgeon at Cleveland Clinic
“This partnership marks a significant at least seven episodes of chest pains per week Children’s Hospital now oversees the region’s
evolution in continuing education at Carolinas were eligible to participate. Glen Kowalchuk, only Level II pediatric trauma center, as well
HealthCare and the Charlotte Area Health MD, FACC, implanted CD34+ stem cells into as pediatric surgery throughout Carolinas
Education Center,” says Dr. Ruhlen. “Our randomly selected study patients. HealthCare System, Levine Children’s
doctors can now learn about genomics from Hospital and Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital.
Campbell, one of the finest professors in this Cardiologists at Sanger Heart & Vascular
particular academic field, while hearing from Institute are continuing to research stem cell Dr. Stallion’s position was created, in
their clinician peers. And we expect this course therapy opportunities through two on-going part, to help develop a pediatric surgery
to benefit patients, as well. The flexibility an clinical trials. In addition to the DREAM- department that spans throughout all of
online class offers will give doctors more time HF study, the ALLSTAR trial, in which Dr. Carolinas HealthCare System’s hospitals.
to devote to patients.” Kowalchuk is the principal investigator for The efforts he leads will help ensure children
Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, has 10 get the same level of care at facilities
“Medical Genomics 101” is available people enrolled and will study the impact of throughout the region and the system.
worldwide at no cost to anyone with an Internet using cardiac stem cells to regenerate heart
connection. However, doctors, physician muscle tissue. Joining him in the pediatric surgery
assistants and nurse practitioners seeking department at Levine Children’s Hospital
CME credit can complete the accompanying Patients who had a heart attack with are Jeffrey Dehmer, MD, David Fisher, MD,
assessments and receive up to two hours of difficulty to the left bottom chamber of the Michael Goretsky, MD, Eric Grossman, MD,
CME credit for $199. The course is composed heart were eligible to participate. The study and Steven Teich, MD.
of six modules that highlight new insights in will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of
the field of genomics and explores the ethical, CAP-1002 allogeneic cardiosphere-derived Among the team’s accomplishments are:
legal and social implications that they raise. cells, a biologic product consisting largely outcomes that exceed national benchmarks,
of cells grown from donated human heart treatment of chest wall deformity in
The two-hour course is the first CME muscle tissue. Researchers across multiple sites children and adults, treatment of bowel
course offered on edX.org. The nonprofit will examine if the use of CAP-1002 will motility or unusual intestinal contractions
minimize heart muscle damage and improve or paralysis, performing minimally invasive
heart function after a heart attack. lung surgeries, use of hyperthermic
intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC, a
For more information about ongoing clinical highly concentrated, heated chemotherapy
trials at Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, call treatment delivered directly to the abdomen
the clinical research office at 704-355-4794. during surgery), and participation in a
national clinical trial for use of gastric
stimulation for gastric dysmotility.
12 | February 2017 • Mecklenburg Medicine