Henry Ford News Feed - Primary Care

Special Conference: Women and Neurological Diseases

CONTACT: Dwight Angell (313) 876-8709 dangell1@hfhs.org A free educational conference focusing on women and neurological diseases - and staffed primarily by women physicians from Henry Ford Hospital - will take place from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Troy Marriott, 200 W. Big Beaver Rd. The conference will focus on coping with diseases such as headache, back pain, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and stroke. The woman-to-woman program will include female physicians from Henry Ford Hospital, and other specialists, to present the most current clinical and research information in neurological disorders to women of all ages. The keynote speaker will be Kimberlydawn Wisdom, M.D., Michigan Surgeon General and vice president of Community Health for Henry Ford Health System. There will be concurrent breakout sessions in the following areas: • Epilepsy/sleep • Dementia/Movement disorders • Multiple sclerosis/ALS • Headache/back pain • Stroke/low vision /caregiver support The conference is free though prior registration is required. To register, call 1-800-746-9473.

Henry Ford Hospital’s Bariatric Program Designated Center of Excellence by Two Organizations

Oct. 30, 2006 CONTACT: Dwight Angell (313) 876-8709 dangell1@hfhs.org Henry Ford Hospital’s Bariatric Surgery Center has been recognized for its quality of care by two prominent organizations. The center has been designated a Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS). The ASBS’s Center of Excellence recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes in bariatric surgery. It is the largest society for this specialty in the world. According to a study released in July 2005 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the number of U.S. bariatric surgeries more than quadrupled between 1998 and 2002 – from 13,386 to 71,733. Faced with clinical evidence that the most experienced and best-run bariatric surgery programs have by far the lowest rates of complications, the ASBS Centers of Excellence program was created to recognize bariatric surgery centers that perform well and to help surgeons and hospitals continue to improve the quality and safety of care provided. Blue Care Network (BCN) also awarded the program the BCN Bariatric Center of Excellence designation. BCN determined that Henry Ford Hospital meets its specified quality criteria for bariatric surgery services including that: the hospital is an acute care inpatient facility that includes intensive care and emergency room services; performance of bariatric surgeries for the most recent 18 to 24-month period, and an average of more than 100 bariatric surgeries annually; data management systems, patient education and patient management plans, and a patient follow-up rate of at least 70 percent. Henry Ford’s Bariatric Surgery Center opened in 2002 and has performed more than 1,000 surgeries. This includes Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, both open and laparoscopic, as well as laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. About 96 percent of bariatric surgeries performed at Henry Ford Hospital are done laparoscopically.

Minds of Medicine: Silencing Tinnitus

It can be a buzz, a bell, a hum or a ring – otherwise harmless sounds we may be exposed to hundreds of times each day. But imagine if these sounds became inescapable. They could make every day life miserable – affecting jobs, relationships and even our health. Known medically as tinnitus, ringing of the ears can be as quiet as a whisper or as loud as a jackhammer. Worse yet, doctors rarely can pinpoint the cause. Finding a solution can be just as challenging. Using an experimental procedure that had only been done one other time in the United States, professional musician Steve Hobbs from North Carolina underwent brain surgery in an attempt to cure his tinnitus. The procedure, filmed at Henry Ford Hospital, is the second time it has ever been done in the United States and can be viewed on Minds of Medicine: Silencing Tinnitus, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, on WXYZ-TV/Channel 7. The program is the latest in a series of medical shows locally produced in cooperation with WXYZ-TV/Channel 7 and Henry Ford Health System. Hosted by Paul W. Smith, morning radio personality for WJR AM 760, the program provides an inside look at the doctors and nurses at one of the nation’s top-rated hospitals. Hobbs’ ear ringing has been a constant and frustrating part of his life for the last 20 years. And although most people with this disorder can live without it adversely affecting their daily life, for up to 4 percent of sufferers tinnitus can be debilitating. After years of trying to block out the noise of his tinnitus, Hobbs found himself at the point of desperation. As a musician, the disorder made playing or even listening to music an extremely miserable and sometimes maddening experience. In the experimental 4-hour brain surgery planned over the last eight months, doctors find Hobbs’ auditory cortex and then place the electrical stimulator on the surface of his brain. Once the stimulator is placed, doctors create a small pathway for wires to travel under his skin to an electronic controller that is placed near the collarbone. Once connected the surgeons test the device. Because of the risks of swelling and infection they won’t set it up completely until several days after surgery. The surgery was performed by otolaryngologist Michael Seidman, M.D., and neurosurgeon Kost Elisevich, M.D., both from the Henry Ford Medical Group. In addition to the affect on their hearing, people with severe tinnitus often struggle with sleeping, being in loud places and carrying on a normal life. Because it is often impossible to escape, those with it can suffer from depression. Randy Patee of Indiana became the first in the country to receive this revolutionary surgery in 2004. For Patee, a mental health professional from Indianapolis, the quick onset of the disorder had a sudden and drastic affect on his health. Patee has to alter many of the normal activities in his life. To prevent the ringing from getting worse, he wears hearing protection and avoids loud environments. Today, with his tinnitus virtually eliminated, Patee can get back to a normal life. Because this new procedure is completely experimental, doctors at Henry Ford are careful to exhaust all traditional and often very effective tinnitus treatments. Certain kinds of drugs, dietary changes such as the elimination of salt - even specialized masking devices are recommended. Only when these methods are unsuccessful will doctors recommend solutions as extreme as brain surgery. The recovery for patients like Patee and Hobbs can be long. Recently Hobbs returned to Henry Ford, this time without any sign of tinnitus in one ear, yet still needing improvement in the other. He will continue working with Henry Ford Medical Group doctors to find the settings that provide a solution. An encore presentation of Minds of Medicine: Silencing the Tinnitus, will be aired at 12:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 25.

After Hours Medical Care Available in Livonia

LIVONIA – The Henry Ford After Hours Care service is now available for consumers with medical situations that aren’t quite emergencies, but can’t wait either. Patients can walk-in and see a primary care physician from 5 - 9 p.m. weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at the Henry Ford Medical Center –Livonia, 29200 Schoolcraft. No appointment is necessary. After Hours Care can handle: • Sprains • Cuts • Cold or flu symptoms. After Hours Care offers the same evaluation and treatment available at a doctor’s office. If additional care from a surgeon or specialist is required, Henry Ford will help make an appointment for follow-up. If immediate, intensive care is needed, the clinic will arrange transportation to an emergency department. In addition, the treating physicians are board-certified, treatment is available for all ages and most insurance plans are accepted. For additional information, please call (734) 523-1740.

Henry Ford Health System Launches Online Doctor Visits

Aug. 10, 2006 Dwight Angell (313) 876-2882 dangell1@hfhs.org Henry Ford Health System Launches Online Doctor Visits DETROIT— For the first time in Michigan, patients can now consult with their physicians online. Henry Ford Health System has launched eVisits, a computerized service that allows Henry Ford patients to describe their non-urgent health and medical issues to doctors and receive instructions for treatment without leaving their computers. Henry Ford is launching this pilot service to explore how technology can make health care easier for patients to navigate and increase convenience. The eVisits pilot project is aimed at patients with chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart failure and depression. “Using the eVisit, Henry Ford physicians can stay in closer contact with their patients and make more frequent adjustments in their treatment regimen to achieve clinical goals,” says Bruce Muma, M.D., Henry Ford’s Northern Region medical director and a consultant on the project. “That will result in better health care.” Not all doctors and patients would benefit from online consultations; Henry Ford is only making eVisits available with primary care physicians. eVisits will be available for all primary care doctors at Henry Ford’s Harbortown, Southland and Novi medical centers and some doctors at the Troy and Lakeside medical centers. If the service is found to be successful in increasing patient and doctor satisfaction as well as clinical quality, it will be implemented for all Henry Ford patients in 2007. “We plan on enrolling 100,000 patients in eVisits by the end of the year,” says Pamela Landis, Henry Ford’s director of Web Services. Henry Ford currently has one of the largest patient portals in the country and the largest in the state, with 50,000 patients using MyHealth on henryford.com to view customized health information, obtain lab test results and renew prescriptions online. “We always worked to gain experience and get technology in place so when the world did change, Henry Ford was ready and ahead of the curve,” says Landis. To use eVisit, Henry Ford patients will be assigned a username and password to log into the system and describe their health problem. The health issue the patient enters into the computer triggers a series of questions. The patient’s answers, along with additional comments, are sent to the doctor. The doctor checks his or her inbox frequently and the eVisit appears like an email with the patient’s answers and comments organized as if the physician had actually asked the questions and recorded the answers. Doctors respond to patient eVisits within one business day. The doctor may respond in various ways such as ordering lab tests or prescriptions, instructing the patient to take action at home or advising him or her to come in for an office visit. Each eVisit costs $20. Patients are not charged if they have HAP insurance or if the doctor recommends an outpatient visit.

Lunch & Learn and the Epidemic of Diabetes

June 6, 2006 Dwight Angell (313) 876-2882 dangell1@hfhs.org Lunch & Learn and the Epidemic of Diabetes Diabetes is an epidemic in Detroit. Nearly 77,000 adults have been diagnosed with diabetes; an estimated 27,000 have the condition but are not aware of it and another 120,000 have pre-diabetes. In addition, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health, diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death in Detroit in 2002. And diabetes is a major reason for hospitalizations in Detroit. Join Drs. Tatwig Guirguis and Darshana Tawde from the Henry Ford Medical Group, noon - 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 27 to learn about diabetes. The free event will cover how to recognize the signs and symptoms of diabetes, as well as helpful tips if one is diabetic. There will be opportunity for questions and answers. A free lunch will be provided. The event takes place at Henry Ford Medical Center - New Center One, 3031 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit. To RSVP, call 1-800-HenryFord (1-800-436-7936). Space is limited.

Control minor nosebleeds with a Trip to the Pharmacy, Not the ER

April 19, 2006 David Olejarz (313) 876-2882 dolejar1@hfhs.org Control Minor Nosebleeds With a Trip to the Pharmacy Instead of the ER DETROIT – It is estimated that one of every 7 people in the United States will develop a minor, recurrent nosebleed, a common disorder in which sufferers have to rely on often embarrassing ways to control the bleeding – sticking pieces of tissue up their nostrils or running to the bathroom with their head tilted backward. Now sufferers have a quick, more convenient method to stop the bleeding by inserting NasalCEASE packing strips into the nostrils for 20-30 minutes. The packing absorbs up to 20 times its weight and removes easily without sticking to newly formed clots. Michael Benninger, M.D., chair of Otolaryngology at Henry Ford Hospital, says most minor nosebleeds now can be managed with a visit to the corner pharmacy rather than the emergency room. Dr. Benninger says nosebleeds can be caused by trauma to the nose – such as nose picking or forceful nose blowing. Nasal congestion due to a nasal allergy, strep throat, a sinus infection or a cold also are common causes, he says. Children may stick objects up their nose. Older adults may have high blood pressure, blood clotting disorders or infections that may trigger nosebleeds. To prevent nosebleeds Dr. Benninger offers these helpful tips: • Avoid picking the nose. • Use a humidifier while sleeping to reduce the drying effects of indoor heated air. • Avoid medications, like aspirin, that thin the blood.

Minds of Medicine: The Future is Now Airs Oct. 22 on WXYZ-TV 7

Since its primitive beginnings, medicine has been used to extend and save lives. It also has helped to preserve quality of life. And although medical advances occurred before 1900, the following 100 years would prove to be a spectacular leap in knowledge, technology and skill.

Minds of Medicine: The Future is Now airs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, on WXYZ-TV/Channel 7. Viewers will see surgeons make surgical procedures less invasion, watch medical technology go into space and get a glimpse into the hospital of the future.

The program is the latest in a series of medical shows locally produced in cooperation with WXYZ-TV/Channel 7 and Henry Ford Health System. Hosted by Paul W. Smith, morning radio personality for WJR AM 760, the programs provide an inside look at the doctors and nurses at one of the nation’s top-rated hospitals.

The program focuses on:

Scott Dulchavsky, M.D., chair of surgery at Henry Ford Hospital, a partner with NASA in a research project using ultrasound equipment to develop medical diagnostic skills that could help future space travelers. This technology also has many applications here on Earth – taking medical imaging and expertise into rural and even international destinations. Detroit Tigers trainer Kevin Rand uses the equipment when the team is on the road and a player needs an immediate medical opinion.
Judith Lin, M.D., is a vascular surgeon at Henry Ford Hospital. Her training has taken her across the Atlantic Ocean to Germany to learn new laparoscopic ways of repairing difficult aneurisms through tiny incisions. This innovation is helping to once again revolutionize vascular surgery at Henry Ford.
Jouzas Orentas of Novi is a past Henry Ford aneurism patient. And although a graft was successfully placed to repair the aortic aneurism in his abdomen, blood vessels outside the graft are creating a new problem area that could rupture. He is the fourth patient in the country to receive a laparoscopic repair for this problem. Using a small camera and miniature surgical tools, Dr. Lin cuts off blood flow to the aneurism, eliminating the risk of rupture. This approach, although more challenging for the physician, often results in a much-improved recovery for the patient.
The Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. Henry Ford and the architectural firm, Albert Kahn, are looking to dramatically improve the patient experience. Hospital rooms will look more like exclusive hotel rooms where family members can stay comfortably in the patient’s room. Each of the 300 private rooms will overlook a pond and landscaped courtyards, presenting a calm, healing environment for patients. The principals of Feng Shui will be incorporated in the room design.

To create the ideal patient experience, Albert Kahn will create digital simulations and a prototype of patient and operating rooms within the hospital, giving doctors and planners a true-to-life walk-through of the final design. Built first in a warehouse near the new site, this life-size mock-up will allow doctors and nurses to touch, feel and experience the rooms while giving the architects important modification information. Next, these rooms will be built inside Henry Ford Hospital’s Detroit campus for further improvement and feedback and finally developed in the new West Bloomfield hospital.

The show will be repeated 12:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 24.

Posted 10/17/05

New Visual Rehab Center Opens in Livonia

Henry Ford Eye Care Services has opened a new Visual Rehabilitation Center in Livonia to serve patients with low vision. The Visual Rehabilitation Center is located at the Henry Ford Medical Center—Livonia, 29200 Schoolcraft.

People who have low vision experience impaired sight due to macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetes, or other causes. While there are treatments that can slow the progression, these conditions are usually irreversible and there is no cure. Patients treated at the center learn how to continue living fully in spite of their vision impairment.

“Our therapists help people with vision loss achieve their maximum level of independence, using excellent magnifying tools, lighting and other practical solutions,” says Lylas Mogk, M.D., Henry Ford physician and founder of Henry Ford Health System’s first Visual Rehabilitation and Research Center located in Grosse Pointe Park. Dr. Mogk, who also serves as director of the new center in Livonia, is recognized nationally as an authority on macular degeneration and coping with vision loss and has helped thousands of visually impaired people live full lives.

The Visual Rehabilitation Center assesses the residual vision in each patient by using state-of-the-art equipment including a retinal mapping device called a scanning laser ophthalmoscope that identifies exactly which part of the retina can be best used as a substitute for damaged macula. Using this information, patients are taught to use the stronger parts of their vision to maximize their sight.

Patients also are taught subtle ways to make life with low vision easier on a daily basis. Therapists simulate a home atmosphere at the center or administer sessions at home to give patients pointers on how to carry out activities with limited sight. Some examples include labeling their stoves and other appliances with bright colors or having contrasting tablecloths and plates to avoid confusion.

These simple adjustments can be the difference between living fully with low vision and constantly battling it.

The therapy usually consists of one to two sessions at the center and one to two sessions at the patient’s home. Due to heavy lobbying by Dr. Mogk and others on the state and national level, Medicare began to pay for such sessions in Michigan in 1997 and nationally in 2002.

The opening of the new rehabilitation center is accompanied by the release of the second edition of Dr. Mogk’s book, “Macular Degeneration: The Complete Guide to Saving and Maximizing Your Sight.” The book, which Dr. Mogk co-authored with her daughter Marja Mogk, explains the effects of macular degeneration, discusses coping emotionally with vision loss, shares patient stories, and offers a home rehabilitation program.

Dr. Mogk’s motives for writing her book were both personal and professional. “Many people with macular degeneration don’t know where to turn for help,” says Mogk.

“When my father’s eye sight deteriorated, we realized the great need for easy-to-reference information. So we wrote the book that we would have wanted our own family to have.”

The idea of giving people a place to turn who are afflicted with macular degeneration also is what prompted Dr. Mogk to open the original visual rehabilitation center in Grosse Pointe. The center’s goal was to provide people with low vision the necessary information and occupational therapy techniques to allow them to cope with their debilitating condition.

The practices and philosophies of the rehabilitation center in Grosse Pointe are unique and effective, and the opening of a second location in Livonia makes therapy more accessible to people living in other parts of Southeast Michigan. For more information call (734) 523-1070 or visit henryford.com/eyes.

New Eye Procedure Diminishes Need for Reading Glasses

Ray Chappelle had reading glasses in every part of the house – in the bedroom, family room and office. He even kept them on his boat and in the garage. Chappelle, 56, of Trenton, had good distance vision. But like most people over the age of 40, he had presbyopia, commonly known as aging eyes. The condition makes it difficult to perform life’s most mundane tasks such as reading, sewing and working on the computer without the aid of reading glasses.

To correct the condition, Chappelle underwent a new, painless procedure called Conductive Keratoplasty, or CK, at Henry Ford Medical Center-Troy. After the procedure, he went home seeing 20-15 without further need of reading glasses. “This eliminated a big nuisance for me,” says Chappelle, an auto industry consultant. “I don’t need reading glasses anymore and I’m now self-sufficient in that area. It’s a big relief.”

Kevin Everett, M.D., a Henry Ford ophthalmologist who performed Chappelle’s procedure, says CK is the fastest-growing new refractive procedure since the introduction of LASIK, a laser surgery that reduces a person’s dependency on glasses or contact lenses.

“CK is a safe, effective procedure for restoring vision and patients can return to their normal routine the next day,” Dr. Everett says.

An estimated 90 million people in the United States suffer from presbyopia, which occurs when the lens of the eye loses flexibility, making near vision difficult. Patients then have to rely on reading glasses.

CK is performed using a probe as thin as a human hair, which releases radio frequency energy to shrink the tissue to reshape the cornea. It is an outpatient procedure performed with only eye drop anesthesia and takes about three minutes.

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“I was surprised how convenient the procedure is,” Chappelle says. “You go in and several minutes later, I’m shaking Dr. Everett’s hand and thanking him.”

CK is an elective procedure not covered by insurance. The cost is $1,500 per eye, although most patients will only need correction in one eye.

Patients may obtain more information about CK from their Henry Ford ophthalmologist or at any Henry Ford OptimEyes center.