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At the Hospitals

n Leon Levine Foundation Commits                     for their visionary support of the resources we  this award honors and spreads successful
  $25 Million to Support Levine                      need to provide broader and deeper treatment     improvement initiatives that children’s
  Cancer Institute                                   options for patients across the region. They     hospitals can replicate to improve patient
  The Leon Levine Foundation has committed           are truly helping us to transform cancer care.”  care, financial performance and hospital
                                                                                                      culture. Five winners were named out of
$25 million to support the significant                 With this grant, The Leon Levine               76 entries.
expansion of Levine Cancer Institute,                Foundation has contributed more than $65
including $20 million for infrastructure and         million to enhance medical programs, build         The CMC Department of Pediatrics Center
$5 million in endowment challenge funding.           new facilities and bring clinical innovations    for Advancing Pediatric Excellence (CAPE)
The grant marks the Foundation’s largest to          and the brightest talent to Carolinas            developed and manages the curriculum. The
date, as well as the largest gift in the history of  HealthCare System.                               CAPE curriculum is implemented across
Carolinas HealthCare System.                                                                          the Pediatric care spectrum from Levine
                                                     n New ALS Study Flexes Its Muscle                Children’s Hospital (LCI) inpatient to
  The Institute’s unique access model                  The Carolinas Neuromuscular/ALS-MDA            affiliated ambulatory and specialty clinics.
delivers innovative treatments at facilities                                                          Curriculum highlights include:
both within the Charlotte metropolitan area          Center, part of Carolinas HealthCare System,     •	 a longitudinal, experiential program, with
and beyond, eliminating barriers to world-           currently is conducting a research trial on the
class care for patients in less-populated            impact of resistance and endurance exercise        each experience building on the previous one;
regions. Levine Cancer Institute has expanded        on the progression of ALS. This study will       •	 aheavyemphasisoninterdisciplinaryteams,
to 25 sites within the Carolinas HealthCare          help in the development of a larger national
System footprint and now treats 15,000 newly         study to understand how exercise potentially       including nurses, respiratory therapists,
diagnosed cancer patients a year — a level           can improve strength and alter the course of       child life specialists, unit secretaries, etc.;
among the most distinguished cancer centers          the disease.                                     •	 intensive QI and data coaching for the entire
in the nation.                                                                                          team and project management; and
                                                       A common perception regarding patients         •	 impact across the entire care continuum,
  The Leon Levine Foundation funding will            with neuromuscular disease such as ALS,            from ambulatory to inpatient to
support the construction of a seven-floor            is that, since the muscles won’t get stronger,     specialty care.
260,000-square-foot advanced outpatient              exercise will not help. Previous studies           Award judges commended the program for
center adjacent to the Institute’s research and      on exercise for those with neuromuscular         addressing a need for QI training upstream
administration headquarters. This will expand        disease have been controversial; however,        by instilling QI behaviors in new caregivers.
hematologic, thoracic and gastrointestinal           the most recent data collected by the team at    Judges noted the enormous potential of this
oncology programs available in the region.           Carolinas HealthCare System demonstrates         program to impact care far beyond the walls
The new facility also will enhance translational     exercise can:                                    of Levine Children’s Hospital as trainees
research capacity in several specialties and         •	 prevent joint stiffness and maintain joint    disseminate this QI culture across the
will provide space for continued growth of                                                            Carolinas HealthCare System enterprise and
survivorship programs, integrative oncology,           mobility;                                      the country upon graduation.
rehabilitation and telemedicine services.            •	 keep muscle tissue not affected by              In addition to multidisciplinary teamwork
                                                                                                      at Levine Children’s Hospital, this
  “We are very proud to be able to help bring          neuromuscular disease healthy and strong;      curriculum has benefited from extensive
world-class cancer care to this community,”          •	 maintain cardiopulmonary fitness as much      collaboration across the system, including
says Leon Levine. “Almost every week,                                                                 Quality Management, Information Services
Sandra and I are approached by someone                 as possible; and                               and medical/nursing/administration
who has been positively impacted by Levine           •	 possibly delay a decrease in muscle size.     leadership. Pieces of the curriculum have
Cancer Institute. It’s a facility which helps                                                         been adapted and used across the institution,
so many and is a real gem for Charlotte’s              Mohammed Sanjak, PhD, with the                 including for other training programs, new
medical community.”                                  Carolinas Neuromuscular ALS/MDA Center,          staff orientation and other staff trainings,
                                                     presented his work at national conferences       advanced care practitioner training, and an
  “Access to cancer treatment and research           this past year and discussed how “an adequate    intensive training course for national and
is a crucial measurement to assess cancer            amount of physical activity is needed to         international NICU fellows and junior faculty
care across the region and the country and           improve, maintain or reduce the progression      hosted by LCH. Curriculum evaluation has
is driving the expansion of Levine Cancer            of motor deficits.” Sanjak and his team          demonstrated positive outcomes for both
Institute,” says Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD,            are considered pioneers in using exercise        learners and patients.
president of Levine Cancer Institute. “I am          alongside traditional therapy for ALS patients.    The CAPE team comprises Director Laura
extremely grateful to Sandra and Leon Levine                                                          Noonan, MD; Co-director Cheryl Courtlandt,
                                                     n Levine Children’s Hospital Honored             MD; QI Coach Maureen Walsh Koricke,
                                                       With Top Pediatric Quality Award               PhD; QI Coach Mary Webster, MSN, RN,
                                                       Carolinas Medical Center’s Pediatric           CCM, CPHQ; and Program Coordinator
                                                                                                      Sarah Mabus, MLA.
                                                     Residency Quality Improvement (QI)
                                                     curriculum has been awarded the
                                                     Children’s Hospital Association Pediatric
                                                     Quality Award in the Delivery System
                                                     Transformation category. Every other year,

12 | June 2016 • Mecklenburg Medicine
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