Henry Ford News Feed - Henry Ford Hospital (Health Network)

Sobering Summer Stats

May 19, 2009

CONTACT: Liz Trudeau
ltrudea2@hfhs.org

Sobering Summer Stats

DETROIT - Memorial Day is nearly upon us and with it comes the countdown to summer. Warm weather thoughts generally consist of sandy beaches and outdoor barbeques, making it is easy to forget the dangers summer can bring as well.

Henry Ford emergency medicine physicians are available for interviews on preventive measures people can take to reduce their risk of injury or illness this summer.

Here are a few sobering statistics to consider:

430: The estimated number of lives that could have been saved if boaters had worn a life jacket.
89: The number of Michigan beach closures or advisories in Michigan that were due to poor water quality standards.
75 percent: The number of nonfatal injuries related to playground equipment that occurs on public playgrounds.
70: The estimated number of people that die each year in lawn mower accidents.
45 percent: The number of brain injuries in bicycle accidents that can be prevented by wearing a helmet.
43 percent: The number of eye injuries that are related to sports or recreational activities such as cooking and yard work.
37 percent: The effectiveness of helmets in preventing fatal injuries to motorcyclists.
25 percent: The number of all motorboat-related deaths where alcohol is involved.
19 percent: The number of drowning deaths involving children that occur in public pools with certified lifeguards present.
18: The number of bicyclists killed by motor vehicles.
15 percent: The number of people who experience heat stroke and are still at risk of dying even with treatment.
14: Children 14 years and younger sustained about half of injuries related to fireworks.
1: There is one type of poisonous snake in Michigan, the Eastern massasauga.

Moody’s: A1 Rating And Stable Outlook for HFHS

May 18, 2009

Dwight Angell
Dwight.angell@hfhs.org

Moody's: A1 Rating And Stable Outlook for Henry Ford Health System

DETROIT - Moody's Investors Service, the rating agency, reaffirmed Henry Ford Health System's A1 rating and stable outlook Wednesday.

And last month Standard and Poor's also reaffirmed it's A rating for Henry Ford with a stable outlook.

The bond rating was assigned to Henry Ford's $787 million of outstanding bonds issued by the Michigan State Hospital Finance Authority.

The agency said that Henry Ford is a "Well integrated and nationally recognized health system with seven hospitals, one of the region's largest not-for profit HMOs, the well-established Henry Ford Medical Group, and other health services."

The agency also noted the health system's, "sizable 18% growth in operating revenues across the past two years enhanced by the 2007 conversion to full ownership from equity ownership of Henry Ford Macomb Hospital and Henry Ford Cottage Hospital."

Both agencies noted the challenging regional economic factors affecting the metro Detroit area.
Henry Ford announced last week that its 2008 total revenue was $3.69 billion in 2008, an increase of $217 million from the $3.47 billion total revenues in 2007.

In addition, net income dropped to $8.5 million net income for 2008 as compared to $105 million in 2007, largely because of the losses experienced from investments. Nevertheless, admissions to Henry Ford hospitals increased 1.7 percent from while there was a slight dip in admissions for the entire region.

"These ratings confirm that we remain solidly positioned to meet the economic challenges in the next year," said James Connelly, chief financial officer for Henry Ford.

Henry Ford Health System, one of the country's largest health care systems, integrates primary and specialty care with research and education. It includes the 1,000-member Henry Ford Medical Group, seven owned hospitals, the 500,000-member Health Alliance Plan, 27 primary care centers and many other health-related entities located throughout southeastern Michigan.

Henry Ford Hospital Named ‘Top 100 Hospital’ for Nurses

Friday, Feb. 20, 2009
Maria Seyrig
(313) 876-2882

DETROIT - Henry Ford Hospital has been named one of the "100 Top Hospitals to Work For" by Nursing Professionals Magazine.

"We are honored to be considered one of the top hospitals, nationally, for nursing," says Veronica Hall, Henry Ford Hospital's chief nursing officer. "It is especially rewarding to know that the honor comes directly from nurses."

More than 25,000 randomly selected hospital nurses were surveyed in early 2008 to measure their job satisfaction. Nurses were asked about flexible work arrangements, training and development, diversity and equality, and how strong the nursing voice is within the institution's workforce.

"Our nursing leadership strives to empower nurses in decision-making and the use of evidence-based practice. This provides our more than 1,400 nurses a positive collaborative environment in which to continue to learn and grow professionally," says Hall.

Henry Ford was among five hospitals in Michigan to be selected for the list.

Henry Ford Hospital Honored for Increasing Organ Donor Rates

Dec. 22, 2008
CONTACT: David Olejarz
Dolejar1@hfhs.org

Henry Ford Hospital Honored for Increasing Organ Donor Rates

DETROIT - Henry Ford Hospital received a national Organ Donation Medal of Honor for boosting its organ donation rates.

The Medal of Honor issued by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services honors hospitals that convert at least 75 percent of eligible deaths into organ donors. Each organ and tissue donor can save the lives of up to eight people and enhance the lives of 50 people or more.

Henry Ford, one of only two hospitals in Michigan that offer a full range of organ transplantation, performs more than 250 transplants annually, including kidney, liver, pancreas, heart, lung and bone marrow.

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Protect Yourself Against the Cold

Prevention
The key to avoiding cold weather injuries is to dress appropriately. This includes layering clothing with a first layer that pulls moisture away from the skin, an outer layer that keeps the elements out and a middle layer that insulates. Hats are a must because the head is where 30 percent of the body's heat loss takes place. Gloves and face protection also are necessary in extremely cold weather.

What is frostbite?
Frostbite is caused by exposure to dry, cold temperatures below freezing. It can result in permanent damage and tissue loss. The most susceptible body parts are fingers, toes, cheeks, ear lobes and the tip of the nose because they are located at the most distant points of the circulatory system. A precursor to frostbite is frostnip, in which the skin is numb, white and firm to the touch.

What are the risk factors for frostbite?
Inadequate or poorly fitted clothing, exposure to wind, dampness, contact with cold objects, dehydration, shock and trauma, hardening of the arteries, smoking, a history of frostbite, alcohol and other substance abuse, and fatigue.

What are the symptoms of frostbite?
Early symptoms of frostbite include tingling, numbness and pain in the affected area. The skin turns white or gray, and is cold and hard to the touch. There is no feeling in the affected area. The skin may blacken and form a tough layer that eventually disappears, revealing new skin that will always be more susceptible to frostbite. Deep frostbite can involve underlying tissue, muscle, tendon and bone.

How do I treat frostbite?
Seek medical attention immediately. If transportation is delayed, rewarm the affected area in warm bath water. If a thermometer is not available, the water should feel comfortably warm to unaffected parts. Give the person warm, non-alcoholic fluids. Rewarming at the location should be avoided if medical care is available within 2 hours.

During rewarming, the affected area will become extremely painful, red and blotchy, indicating return of adequate circulation. Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. When color returns, wrap the part in sterile gauze or a clean cloth, separating the fingers and toes. Elevate the affected part after rewarming to decrease swelling and pain.

What is hypothermia?
Hypothermia occurs when the body's core temperature falls below 95 degree Fahrenheit. This happens through exposure to cool and/or damp conditions. Cardiac arrhythmia also is possible when the core body temperature falls below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The elderly, immobile and psychiatric patients are most at risk. Often times, hypothermia affects elderly people who live in poorly heated homes.

What are the symptoms of hypothermia?
These include slurred speech, decreased coordination, uncontrollable shivering, cold and pale skin, blue lips and nails, stiffening of neck and limbs, memory lapses, stumbling, abnormally slow breathing and a slow, irregular heart beat. The condition becomes grave when the shivering stops, muscles stiffen and the skin turns bluish.

How do I treat hypothermia?
Seek medical attention immediately. In mild hypothermia, give the person warm, non-alcoholic fluids and cover his or her head. When hypothermia is more severe, treatment varies based on age. A young person can be warmed in a hot bath (115 degrees Fahrenheit). However, this can be fatal for elderly people. Warming should be gradual with the elderly, at about one degree per hour. Make sure clothing is dry and wrap the person in blankets. Hypothermia patients generally have a good prognosis unless they go into cardiac arrest or complications arise from an associated illness.

Source: Henry Ford Hospital's Department of Emergency Medicine

$35 Million Henry Ford II Pavilion Expansion to Open

Monday, Dec. 8

CONTACT:
Krista Hopson, khopson1@hfhs.org (Print)
David Olejarz, dolejar1@hfhs.org (TV/Radio)
Maria Seyrig, mseyrig1@hfhs.org (Print/Internet)

REPORTERS/EDITORS:

A b-roll video package featuring the new patient rooms is available upon request.
High resolution images are available for download.
Take the virtual tour.

$35 Million Henry Ford II Pavilion Expansion to Open

DETROIT - The first phase of the two-story, $35-million Henry Ford II (West) Pavilion expansion project is set to open, offering patients and their families access to 40 new private rooms complete with wireless Internet access, patient-controlled lighting and room temperature, and space for family members to stay overnight.

The expansion is part of the $310 million investment in the Henry Ford Hospital Campus. It will house 80 private rooms including 20 intensive care rooms on two floors once complete, bringing the total number of ICU beds at Henry Ford to 162 - the largest ICU in Detroit. Phase two of the project is slated to open in the spring of 2009.

"By reinvesting in the Henry Ford Hospital Campus, we're able to maintain and sustain the flagship legacy that has been established through the decades of providing the best medical services available to the citizens of Detroit and to patients from around the world," says Nancy Schlichting, president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System.

In all, nearly $90 million has been spent in the past two years, including the expansion and renovation of the Emergency Department in 2006.

"This investment represents the single-largest investment in renovation and expansion in the hospital's history," says Anthony Armada, FACHE, president and CEO of Henry Ford Hospital and Health Network. "Our vision is to continue to renovate and update existing units to continue to meet the needs and expectations of our patients. This expansion provides for more flexibility in patient bed locations, allowing us to renovate existing units without impacting patient care."

Before being built, more than 2,000 people - medical staff, patients, families and community members - toured prototype patients rooms to test room configurations, colors, fixtures, finishes, furniture and equipment. Based on their extensive feedback, Henry Ford made hundreds of design changes. The result is the private patient rooms on the sixth floor of the Henry Ford II Pavilion. Beginning Dec. 16, general surgery patients, as well as bariatric and gynecological surgery patients, will receive care in these new rooms.

Designed with a home-like setting in mind, each room includes natural maple crown molding and chair railing, wood flooring, soothing colors and modern furniture to provide a more comfortable environment in which to receive care. Some special features of the new patient rooms are:

Privacy: Private rooms have been shown to reduce the spread of infection. Patients will check in and out of the same room, and there will be minimal patient transfers, lessening noise and sleep disruption.
A quieter stay: The new patient rooms do not share common walls or ceilings, which is unique to hospitals. This design eliminates the noise from neighboring rooms and significantly lessens hallway noise.
Space for your family: Family members have space to stay overnight in every room. This space is equipped with a sleeper sofa and a reclining chair for patients and visitors.
Smart technology at your fingertips: Patient rooms have wireless Internet access, phone, remote-controlled window treatments, and multiple, adjustable lighting options. In addition, an individual temperature controlled thermostat lets patients create a more comfortable and relaxing environment.
Flat screen TVs with bedside remote: Patients can watch educational programs about their illnesses and other health issues via the Henry Ford channel, as well as cable TV.

"The new rooms will offer our patients and their families both privacy and comfort," says Veronica Hall, R.N., chief operating officer of Henry Ford Hospital and chief nursing officer for Henry Ford Hospital & Health Network. "One of the additional benefits to adding these two floors is its close proximity to the existing intensive care units, Surgery, operating rooms and Emergency Department."

The expansion also has been designed optimize work space for health care providers. The two new floors will feature:

Work alcoves outside each patient room: These areas will be quiet, and staff can check on patients through alcove windows, leaving doors closed. Louvers inside the windows between the alcoves and the patient rooms can be controlled from both sides.
Welcoming nursing stations: With low walls, the nurses' stations have a more accessible design, allowing family members to feel welcome to approach staff. The ICU nursing station allows staff to see into all the ICU alcoves and closely watch patient areas.

Other expansion projects include:

Clinical Skill Simulation Center - $5 million: This 12,000-square-foot facility, the largest in the Midwest, has opened at Henry Ford Hospital allowing health care professionals to practice and augment their skills using state-of-the-art simulations including computers and mannequins that can simulate hundreds of different medical conditions. The facility houses two operating theaters, (one with a $1.6 million da Vinci robot system), six clinical rooms, a minimally invasive procedure lab with more than 30 stations, and two classrooms. Fully-equipped, reconfigurable rooms simulate surgery, labor and delivery, intensive care, emergency and routine hospital scenarios.
Expansion of existing operating rooms - $10 million: Three new operating rooms will be added that are designed to accommodate new technology, including robotics and additional pre-surgery and recover room capacity.
Outpatient tower redevelopment - $33 million: Major redevelopment and redesign for Oncology, Gastroenterology and Nephrology/Transplant, Urology and Orthopedics.
Research & Education development - $13 million: Expansion and relocation of a number of labs including Neurology and Neurosurgery, Hypertension-Vascular, Genetics, Urology, Epidemiology.
Infrastructure - $50 million: Redevelopment of the core heating, cooling along with electrical and emergency power distribution systems.
Ongoing imaging and medical equipment replacement - $120 million
Routine renovation and replacement capital - $100 million

Henry Ford Hospital, a 903-bed tertiary care hospital, education and research complex in Detroit's New Center Area, opened its doors to patients in 1915. Since then, it has grown to become one of the country's most respected hospitals, attracting patients from nearly every state and numerous countries. Henry Ford is the flagship hospital for Henry Ford Health System.

Demand for services downtown has significantly increased in recent years and is anticipated to grow faster over the next decade. From 2003 to 2005, Henry Ford Hospital had the highest admission growth in southeast Michigan, with an increase of 13.4 percent.

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Physicians to Provide Free Foot Screenings at Shelter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 24, 2008
CONTACT: Maria Seyrig (Print)
David Olejarz (Radio/TV)
(313) 876-2882

MEDIA ALERT

Henry Ford Hospital Physicians to Provide Free Foot Screenings, Shoes and Socks at Detroit Shelter

WHAT: Henry Ford Hospital orthopedic foot specialists will provide free foot screenings and hand out new shoes and socks to the homeless during the Our Hearts to Your Soles charity event at the Neighborhood Service Organization's 24-hour Walk-in Center in Detroit.

The Our Hearts to Your Soles event is part of the national event to distribute new and gently worn shoes to needy people in 35 states.

Nashville-based Soles4Souls^TM facilitates the donations of both new and used shoes, which are used to aid people worldwide. Since its inception, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 3.5 million pairs (or one pair every 23 seconds) to people in 61 countries, including Honduras, Romania, Thailand, and the Sudan.

WHO:
■ David Katcherian, M.D., division head of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Henry Ford Hospital

■ Henry Ford Hospital Orthopaedic staff

WHEN: 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25

WHERE: Neighborhood Service Organization 24-hour Tumaini Center
3430 Third Street near Martin Luther King Blvd.
Detroit, 48201

Rapid HIV Testing in the ER Boosts Diagnoses, Screening

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 25, 2008 CONTACT: Zoila Brown, zbrown1@hfhs.org David Olejarz, dolejar1@hfhs.org Maria Seyrig, mseyrig1@hfhs.org (313) 876-2882 DETROIT – One in every 50 people screened for a suspected sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the Emergency Department at Henry Ford Hospital was found to be infected with HIV using a rapid blood sample screening test. Henry Ford researchers hope their study heightens awareness and directs more focus on implementing future prevention strategies in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. They say testing in the ED could diagnose new HIV infections, expand the reach of screening, and help get patients into counseling and treatment programs. The study comes on the heels of a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that showed an estimated 56,300 HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2006, up by more than 16,000 from a previous estimate earlier this year. The CDC said the difference was due to the use of a more precise method of technology for estimating HIV incidence. The report was published in the Aug. 5 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The CDC noted that while the new estimate did not represent an actual increase in new infections, it showed that the HIV epidemic is worse than previously known. An estimated 275,000 U.S. adults were living with undiagnosed HIV infection in 2006. “This sobering news should underscore a need to look at new ways of expanding the reach of HIV testing,” says Indira Brar, M.D., an Infectious Disease specialist at Henry Ford and lead author of the study. “We know that people are more likely to modify risk behaviors and less likely to transmit or acquire infection if they know whether they are HIV positive or not. By offering more testing resources, as our study reflected, we can boost ways to diagnose infections and accelerate progress in reducing the HIV epidemic.” The study will be presented at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Oct 25-28 in Washington D.C. Hoping to increase efforts to better track HIV/AIDS prevalence and incidence, the CDC is working with states to implement a national system for estimating HIV incidence based on direct measurement of new HIV infections, closing a previous loophole for tracking the epidemic. The agency also says the new system, when available, will provide the “clearest picture to date” of HIV infections in the country. The new system, the CDC says, will allow better target prevention and measure progress in high-risk populations. HIV prevalence, defined as people living with HIV/AIDS, increased from 2003-06 nationally, while HIV incidence, defined as new HIV infections, remained stable. According to the Henry Ford study, patients who sought treatment for a STI in Henry Ford’s Emergency Department from 2004-08 were screened for HIV using a rapid antibody test. The test, administered with a finger-stick for a blood sample, provides results for HIV infection in 20 minutes. Of the 2,575 patients tested for a STI, 56 were newly diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and a majority of them also tested positive for gonorrhea, chlamydia or syphilis. Patients received counseling with their results, and were given access to follow-up care within three days. According to national and state figures, the rate of new HIV infection among African Americans is eight times that of other ethnic groups. In the Henry Ford study, 90 percent of the new diagnoses occurred in African Americans and 75 percent were in men. The Henry Ford study also found that 55 percent of the ER patients were infected through high-risk heterosexual sex and 35 percent were infected through male-to-male sex, in contrast to 2006 Michigan and national figures in which nearly half of all people diagnosed with HIV in the United States in 2006 were infected through male-to-male sexual contact. The study was funded by the Michigan Department of Community Health and Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion. ###

Henry Ford Hospital Physician Honored

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Dwight Angell
(313) 876-2882
dangell1@hfhs.org
Oct. 27, 2008

Henry Ford Hospital Physician Honored

DETROIT - Jan Rival, M.D., FACP, a senior staff internist at Henry Ford Hospital, received the annual Fred W. Whitehouse Distinguished Service Award.

To be honored with the award, a physician with the Henry Ford Medical Group must have exemplary clinical practice and/or clinical research; contribute significantly to teaching; earn a national reputation in his field; represent distinguished principles of professionalism; and provide service on medical group committees.

The award is named after Dr. Whitehouse, a long-time physician at Henry Ford Hospital who is nationally recognized for his substantial contributions to the understanding of diabetes.

Dr. Rival has held such positions as:

Governor of the Michigan Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP). The college is the largest society of internists in the world, with more than 90,000 members and 76 chapters. The Michigan Chapter is one of the most active associations nationally, with about 4,000 members.
President of the Henry Ford Medical Association. The association was established in 1950 as an alumni organization to foster professional and social relationships for current and former medical and research staff and those who have trained at Henry Ford Hospital. There are currently more than 6,500 members.

In addition, Michigan Chapter of ACP has bestowed on Dr. Rival the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Laureate Award - both for his years of contributions to the College.

Dr. Rival earned a medical degree from Komenski University in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. He completed a fellowship in cardiology at Philadelphia General Hospitals and Wayne State University School of Medicine. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology.

He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and earned the outstanding teacher award at Henry Ford Hospital in 1993-94.

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Henry Ford Hospital 1st in Michigan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 16, 2008 CONTACT: Zoila Brown, zbrown1@hfhs.org David Olejarz, dolejar1@hfhs.org Maria Seyrig, mseyrig1@hfhs.org (313) 876-2882 DETROIT – Henry Ford Hospital has performed Michigan’s first incisionless surgical procedure for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a common, exasperating condition that affects men, women and children worldwide. The new procedure could become the treatment of choice for the millions of patients with GERD, which is often accompanied by chronic heartburn and regurgitation of acid. “I feel terrific. It’s an easy procedure,” says Betty Jones, 65, of Rochester Hills who underwent the procedure Sept. 16. Her symptoms went undiagnosed for 20 years until she saw a Henry Ford specialist five years ago. Many patients rely on over-the-counter medicine or prescribed medications like Pepcid or Prilosec OTC for daily relief. Open or laparoscopy surgery provides effective, long-term solutions if medication does not bring relief. Jones had been taking seven different medications for the past 20 years, including Prilosec for seven. She has been since weaned off the medication. Vic Velanovich, M.D., division head of General Surgery at Henry Ford who performed the procedure, says the incisionless technique is a viable option for improving the quality of life for patients. “Patients who undergo this procedure recover faster and experience less post-operative pain compared to the open or laparoscopy techniques,” Dr. Velanovich says. “Patients also can resume consuming many of the foods they previously avoided without the fear of stomach acid and juices refluxing from the stomach back into the esophagus.” The procedure, which takes about 45 to 60 minutes, is performed under general anesthesia and requires an over-night hospital stay. During surgery, an endoscope is inserted through the mouth and esophagus to access the stomach. Using an EsophyX device attached to the endoscope, the surgeon pulls tissue from the top of the stomach to create a new valve between the stomach and esophagus, preventing acid from backing up into the esophagus. The manufacturer of the EsophyX device says 80 percent of its patients in recent studies reported improved quality of life and saw their heartburn symptoms either reduced or eliminated. All of its patients stopped their daily medication and 80 percent were still medication-free one year after surgery. ### EDITOR'S NOTE: Animation is available.