Page 16 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_January-2018

At the Hospitals
n Cutting-Edge Cancer Therapies
Levine Cancer Institute (LCI) is home to
nearly 300 clinical trials, ranking among the
top 25 percent of hospitals in the country. A
few have been Phase I trials, bringing some
of the newest, most cutting-edge treatments
to patients.
Edward Kim, MD, says open dialogue
between patient and provider is the best way
to determine if a clinical trial is a good fit. such as walking to and from the mailbox
The two should discuss standard therapies
and available trials to review the potential
benefits and risks of each. Although some
patients have concerns about safety, Dr. Kim
says LCI clinical trials have an emphasis on
minimizing patient risk. Each patient gets
paired with a trial manager who carefully
tracks and documents all aspects of treatment,
keeping track of appointments, medications
and changes on behalf of the patient.
About 20 percent of Levine Cancer
Institute patients have the opportunity to
enter a clinical trial. While that number
is about three times the national average,
Kim’s goal is to increase that number so as
many patients as possible have clinical trials
as a treatment option.
n Pulmonary Respiratory Rehabilitation
Program Receives National Honor
Reflecting the high-quality care Carolinas
Healthcare System respiratory therapists
provide to patients on a daily basis, the
respiratory care team at the Pineville and
SouthPark Pulmonary Rehabilitation
centers has been recognized with American
Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary
Rehabilitation (AACVPR) certification.
AACVPR certification is the only peer-
reviewed accreditation process that reviews
individual pulmonary programs for adherence
to the guidelines and standards set by the
AAVPR and other professional societies.
It provides a benchmark to compare our
pulmonary rehab program to other facilities
for quality care.
Pulmonary rehabilitation includes
respiratory and functional assessments,
16 | January 2018 • Mecklenburg Medicine
exercise, education, dietary consultation and
emotional support. Eligible patients include
those with chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema,
asthma, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis,
pre/post lung transplant and pre/post lung
reduction surgery.
Respiratory therapists develop a plan of
care for each patient to help them achieve
their personal goals. Each goal is different,
without getting short of breath, being able to
dance at a daughter’s wedding or obtaining
enough strength and endurance to be listed
for a lung transplant. Class sessions include
stretching, aerobic exercise and education.
The patients exercise in a group setting with
others who have similar chronic lung disease.
This prestigious national honor is a direct
result of CHS Pulmonary Rehabilitation
program’s commitment to improving quality
of life and health by reducing hospital
readmissions, elevating hope and advancing
healing in patients with lung disease.
n 5 Marathons in 5 Days
For most people, it’s a feat to run one
marathon, but Theodore Frank, MD, ran
five marathons in five days. That’s 131
miles, roughly the distance from Center
City Charlotte to Danville, Va., or Gastonia
to Johnson City, Tenn.
Dr. Frank, director of heart failure services
at Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, ran
the back-to-back marathons to benefit heart
transplant patients with a goal of raising
$25,000 in 2017. The marathons took place
from November 12 to November 16.
Each day, at roughly the midway point
in his marathon, patients and supportors
joined him in a one-mile walk or run. Frank
recently was featured on Spectrum News
and WCNC-TV for his efforts.
n “Alexa, where is the nearest Carolinas
HealthCare hospital?”
Carolinas HealthCare System patients
now can use Amazon’s electronic personal
assistant “Alexa” to locate the nearest urgent
care or emergency department and get
current wait times.
Once patients enable the CHS skill on
Alexa, they say, “Alexa, use Carolinas
HealthCare to find the closest urgent care
or hospital.” Alexa responds with the closest
CHS location and estimated wait time.
Patients then can reserve their spot at one
of the 28 CHS urgent care locations, via the
Carolinas app on their tablet or smart phone,
or visit CarolinasHealthCare.org/urgentcare.
CHS is one of only a few healthcare
providers with an Alexa “skill” and will
be adding similar capabilities for Google
Assistant in the near future.
Over the last several years, CHS has
provided new, easier ways to access
information, from live video visits to
eVisits answered within hours, online
scheduling for doctor and urgent care visits
and MyCarolinas portal, which provides
patients with doctors’ notes, and lab and
test results. In addition, CHS pioneered
the use of palm scanning technology in
visits where patients’ medical records are
matched with them.
n Easing the Transition From Hospital
to Home
In 2015, Robin Kelley lost his wife of 48
years. The former U.S. Navy officer now
enjoys woodworking and playing with his
West Highland Terrier, Pee Wee. Things
Kelley does not enjoy are hospital stays due
to COPD complications, like the one he
endured in June 2017.
When Kelley left Carolinas HealthCare
System Cleveland after a five-day stay, the
hospital scheduled a follow-up appointment
with his primary care provider for the next
day. Thanks to his timely attention, Kelley
learned his prescriptions had been sent to the
wrong pharmacy and was able to get the care
he needed and avoid a readmission.
Carolinas HealthCare System formalized
efforts to address readmissions in 2015
by forming nine workgroups to tackle
this complex issue. Through their efforts,
readmission rates at CHS have seen a 4-
to 6-percent improvement each year and
continue to be lower than the national
average. Standardizing the schedule process
for the hospital follow-up appointments is
one of several initiatives CHS is putting
in place to lower hospital readmissions.
Teammates across the System, from acute
care caregivers and physicians to home
health nurses, play an important role and
must work together to prevent readmissions.