February 2012
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Emergency Care Team Receives
Barnet Fain Quality Award |
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Video Feature
Without any warning signs, Deb Koziol’s heart stopped. Hear her story of surviving sudden cardiac arrest. |
Add information about your clinical
department or service to Lifespan.org.
E-mail webteam@lifespan.org. |
Video/Audio News
Television and Radio News Highlights
General News
- Anthony Appointed New Pathology Chief
- Emergency Care Team Receives Barnet Fain Quality
Award
- Riding ’Round Rhody Raises Funds for Cancer Care
- February is Heart Month
- Save the Date: Primary Care Faculty Development
- MyHealth Program 2012
Rhode Island Hospital / Hasbro Children's Hospital
- First in the World to Acquire Portable CT Body Scanner
- Studies Uncover Keys In Sudden Cardiac Death
- Injury Prevention Center Urges Increased Ice Safety
- National Guard Presents Hasbro Children's Hospital
with $115,000
- National Pancake Day at IHOP to Benefit Hasbro
Children's Hospital
The Miriam Hospital
- Reducing Radiation
- New Physicians Join Urology
- Nursing Leaders Visited by Netherlands University
- Can Exercise Video Games Improve Your Health?
Bradley Hospital
- Running the Boston Marathon for a Great Cause
- Bradley Hospital Offers New Parent Group
- Adopt a Family
Newport Hospital
- Newport Hospital’s Extraordinary Nurse
- New Year Newborn
Lifespan Corporate Services
- Feed a Family, Warm a Heart
- Volunteering at the Food Bank
Video and Audio News
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Copyright Notice These video clips are intended for the exclusive use of Marketing and Communications and may not be copied or rebroadcast in any form. Each news station retains the copyright for its respective footage. |
Lifespan hospitals and their services are frequently featured in the news. Following are some highlights of recent television news coverage of our hospitals.
Editor's note: These videos are optimized for employee viewing on the Lifespan network and for home viewers with cable/DSL access. Viewing these videos requires Windows Media Player for Windows or Mac operating systems. If you do not have it installed or need an updated version, you can download it now for free.
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Rhode
Island Hospital/ |
The
Miriam Hospital |
Go-Cam Videos
To give more context and exposure to selected research, patient stories and other hospital news, media relations staff members have begun shooting interviews and other events with small cameras, dubbed “Go-Cams.” The videos are available for viewing on our websites and YouTube.
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 Shirley Spater, DMD discusses the need for access to dental care for children and the annual Give Kids a Smile event at the Samuels Sinclair Dental Center. |
 Vincent Pera, MD introduces a couple who lost weight through The Miriam Hospital’s weight management program. |
General News
Anthony Appointed New Pathology Chief
Rhode
Island and The Miriam hospitals are pleased to announce the appointment
of Douglas Anthony, MD, PhD, to chief of pathology. In this role, which
is effective February 1, Anthony will lead the clinical, educational and
research pathology programs for Lifespan. Additionally, he will help
bridge pathology and the neurosciences through the Norman Prince
Neurosciences Institute, and will help to further develop the
personalized medicine model.
Anthony comes to Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals from University of Missouri Health Care, where he served as chief of pathology and medical director of pathology clinical laboratories. He has served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and as a neuropathologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Anthony was a neuropathology consultant to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Anthony earned both his medical degree and his doctoral degree (in experimental pathology) from Duke University in North Carolina. He completed his residency in pathology and a fellowship in neuropathology at Duke University Medical Center. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Association of Neuropathologists, and has served on several editorial boards for professional publications such as Advances in Anatomic Pathology.
Emergency Care Team Receives Barnet Fain Quality Award
The
emergency department sepsis team and the emergency department personnel
of the Andrew F. Anderson Emergency Center at Rhode Island Hospital and
of The Miriam Hospital emergency department have been honored with the
2011 Barnet Fain Quality Award. The team was chosen for its work on
improving survival rates in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock
through the use of early antibiotic administration.
The Barnet Fain Quality Award recognizes outstanding efforts by teams or individuals to improve the quality of care provided by Lifespan’s partner hospitals, either within an affiliate or across the entire system. The Lifespan Quality Oversight Committee reviews many excellent applications each year, but chooses only one winner.
“Early and appropriate antibiotics have been associated with improved survival in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. Through the efforts of front line ED and ICU personnel, we have not only improved antibiotic administration time but also saved an estimated 44 lives across the two campuses,” says David Portelli, MD, emergency medicine physician at The Miriam and Rhode Island hospitals.
Congratulations to the emergency department personnel on both campuses and to team members: Nadeem Anis, MD; Robert Boss, RN; Denise Brennan, RN, MSN; Marchae Campbell, RN; Gerardo Carino, MD; Michelle Gaudreau, RN; Sarah Freelove, RN, MPH; Jessica Janeiro; Mitchell Levy, MD; Teri Linton, RN, MS; Dana Palka, RN, MSN; Amy Palmisciano, RN; David Portelli, MD; Melissa Skoutas; and Diana Wantoch, RN, MBA.
Riding ’Round Rhody Raises Funds for Cancer Care
Jacob
and Dani Brier, co-founders of LIFEcycle, Inc., recently presented a
check for $29,000 to Timothy J. Babineau, MD, president and chief
executive officer of Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital, for
funds raised through LIFEcycle’s annual Ride ’Round Rhody events.
The funds will support clinical oncology services and the purchase of equipment at Rhode Island and Hasbro Children’s hospitals and clinical trials at The Miriam Hospital.
Several caregivers from the hospitals were among the 111 cyclists and numerous volunteers at the third annual event, held in Wakefield in August.
The Briers, both avid cyclists and fundraisers, founded LIFEcycle in 2008 and its signature fundraising event, Ride ’Round Rhody, to provide an opportunity for cyclists of all levels from Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts to support cancer treatment locally. LIFEcycle, run entirely by volunteers, promotes healthy, active living and provides many direct services to the community.
Photo credit: Al Weems
February is Heart Month
Lifespan
is supporting the following upcoming American Heart Association
initiatives:
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Friday, February 3:
- National "Wear Red Day": Wear red to support the fight against heart disease in women. Lifespan is selling red dress pins for $5.00 to support Heart Walk teams. Please contact Pat Calci at 444-4059 or pcalci@lifespan.org to purchase a pin.
- Blood Pressure Screenings: Lifespan Community Health Services nurses will provide blood pressure screenings at Whole Foods Market in North Providence.
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Friday, February 10:
- Go Red for Women Luncheon: Lifespan is a sponsor for this day of lifesaving education and awareness at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence; by invitation only.
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Wednesday, February 15:
- “Building a Foundation for a Stroke System of Care”: Medical staff from Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals will serve as panelists at this second annual Stroke Care in Rhode Island Conference. Presented by the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association, the conference will be held from 7:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel Providence Airport in Warwick. Learn more.
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Thursday, February 16:
- Healthy Start to Home Cooking Program: Lifespan's working healthy program is offering a free healthy cooking demonstration series the third Thursday of each month through June. The "Cooking Basics" class will take place on February 16 at noon in the West River suite 4A conference room.The program is sponsored by the American Heart Association in conjunction with Princess House. To register or for more information, please contact Jeanette Nessett, RD, LDN at 793-3106 or jnessett@lifespan.org.
Save the Date: Primary Care Faculty Development
The Rhode Island Foundation, Lifespan and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University are sponsoring the primary care faculty development event, "Medical Education: Strategies for Working with Medical Students in Outpatient Clinical Settings," on March 12. For more information, see the flyer.
MyHealth Program 2012
The myHealth improvement program will launch for the third year on Thursday, March 1. Benefit-eligible employees who participate by taking the online health risk assessment and complete a work site screening will receive a personal health report and $200. Our goal is 50% of the workforce or 5,154 employees.
MyHealth can help you:
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Eat healthier
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Become more fit
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Alleviate stress
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Eliminate tobacco use
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Manage health risk
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Set goals for you and your family
Your privacy is ensured in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The only information Lifespan will receive is collective data about its population as a whole, not any individual health information. Your personal health information is held in strict confidence between you and Healthways, our third party vendor. Additional incentives will be offered for high and low risk employees. Questions? Call Working Healthy of Lifespan Health and Benefits at 793-3157.
Rhode Island Hospital / Hasbro Children's Hospital
First in the World to Acquire Portable CT Body Scanner
Rhode
Island Hospital is the first hospital in the world to acquire the
BodyTom CT scanner, a portable, intra-operative, multi-slice CT body
scanner.
The new technology, developed by NeuroLogica of Massachusetts, will be used in the surgical treatment of patients with neurological disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, cerebral palsy, brain and spine tumors.
The first of its kind, the scanner will allow imaging to be performed in the operating room, thereby reducing the need to transport patients to and from the radiology department. Unlike other CT- or MRI-guided surgical systems, this device will provide real-time updates as the surgical procedure unfolds, while the patient is still on the operating table. Additionally, the portable CT body scanner will allow advanced intra-operative imaging of the brain and spine for image-guided surgery, and will increase accuracy of a wide range of neurological and spinal procedures.
“The BodyTom’s ground-breaking technology will allow our surgical teams to collaborate with radiology in ways not seen before, and will provide our neurosurgeons with the tools to perform more intricate and precise image-guided surgical procedures,” says G. Rees Cosgrove, MD, chief of neurosurgery at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital, and clinical director of the Norman Prince Neurosciences Institute. “The real-time radiology updates will allow Rhode Island Hospital to provide the highest quality care, and will serve to enhance patient safety and improve surgical outcomes.”
The BodyTom is a 32-slice portable CT scanner that provides high-quality imaging of bone and soft tissue, and boasts an 85 cm gantry and 60 cm field of view – one of the largest bore and field of view combinations in the world. It includes advanced visualization software that allows for two-dimensional, three-dimensional and multiplanar reconstructed viewing. Radiation shielding is built into the scanner, reducing scatter radiation in the room.
The BodyTom can obtain images of the entire spine in one pass, providing high-quality three-dimensional images of both bone and soft tissue. It is battery powered, plugs into a standard wall outlet and has wireless communications capabilities which enable the BodyTom to interface with modern hospital information systems. The BodyTom also comes with two Apple iPads with a secure application, allowing physicians to transfer images directly to the iPad to share with other clinicians, the patient or family members. Images also can be retrieved with a USB port, wireless transmission, or direct connect.
This unique portable unit has an internal drive system that allows a single operator to move the scanner easily in and out of elevators, over doorway thresholds and on any type of flooring, and can fit in rooms as small as 10’x10’. The BodyTom will be shared among three operating rooms at Rhode Island Hospital, providing real-time results during surgery.
The purchase of the BodyTom inter-operative portable CT scanner was made possible by a Champlin Foundations grant awarded to Rhode Island Hospital in January 2011.
Studies Uncover Keys In Sudden Cardiac Death
Researchers
in Rhode Island Hospital’s Cardiovascular Research Center have published
two new studies focusing on the causes of arrhythmia and sudden cardiac
death (SCD) when a genetic disorder is present. The studies use a
first-ever genetic animal model the researchers developed in 2008 to
further their understanding of a genetic disorder known as Long QT
Syndrome (LQTS).
The first study identified differential conditions and cellular mechanisms that can trigger SCD when LQTS is a factor, and the second study, for the first time, directly links sex hormones to the incidence of arrhythmia and SCD. Their findings are published in the Journal of Physiology and the HeartRhythm Journal.
It is known that genetic mutations can predispose individuals to arrhythmia and/or SCD, a leading cause of death in the United States. Between one in 2,500 and one in 5,000 individuals are born with mutations that cause LQTS, a disorder of the heart’s electric system, and a determining factor in the development of arrhythmia and/or SCD. Ninety percent of the known mutations cause loss of function of ion channels responsible for LQTS types 1 and 2 (LQT1 and LQT2).
LQTS leads to a prolonged “QT interval” on electrocardiograms. The QT interval refers to the time it takes the chambers of the heart to “repolarize” themselves so that the heart is ready for another contraction cycle. When this timeframe is lengthened, it is associated with triggering irregular arrhythmia that can cause sudden cardiac arrest.
In 2008, Gideon Koren, MD, a physician researcher and director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at Rhode Island Hospital, and his colleagues developed a first-of-its-kind genetic rabbit model to study arrhythmia and SCD that mirrors what happens in individuals who have mutations of the LQT1 or LQT2 genes.
In a new study published in the Journal of Physiology, the researchers used this animal model to identify differential conditions and cellular mechanisms that trigger arrhythmia in LQT1 or in LQT2 syndrome. In this study, Koren and the researchers studied early afterdepolarizations (EADs), an abnormal depolarization during the plateau phase of the heart electrical activity (action potential) that can initiate arrhythmia, and is a hallmark of LQTS. The focus was on mechanisms underlying different high-risk conditions that trigger EADs.
Their findings indicate that the conditions required for EAD to occur in the animal models are genotype specific. For LQT2, the researchers found that conditions such as a slow heart rate or a slightly lower potassium ion concentration outside the heart cells (as seen in hypokalemia) can cause a dramatic prolongation of action potential and produce EADs. In LQT1, however, these conditions result in relatively limited prolongation and no EADs. In contrast, isoproterenol that mimics cardiac stimulation by the sympathetic nervous system causes arrhythmias in single cells only in LQT1 heart cells.
Koren summarizes, “This study takes single cells out of the heart and reveals how arrhythmias are being initiated. What we are showing in this study is that single cells are responsible for generating an arrhythmia. Further, we found that different types of increased autonomic nervous system activity play a critical role in the cause of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, but it differs based on genotype.”
The autonomic nervous system is what controls “fight or flight” response. In their research, Koren and his colleagues found that sympathetic “surge” activity was responsible for triggering arrhythmia in LQT2. In LQT1, however, an increased steady sympathetic tone was associated with arrhythmias.
Surge is a sudden rise of the sympathetic tone. That surge is very important in triggering arrhythmia in LQT2. As Koren explains, “In LQT2, you need the startle response — like an alarm clock. However, in LQT1, we found the increased steady sympathetic tone is very important in inducing arrhythmia, like in patients swimming for an extended period of time. So there are different ways that arrhythmia will be induced depending on the genotype.”
In a second study, published in the HeartRhythm Journal, Koren and his colleagues furthered their understanding of arrhythmias by studying the impact of sex hormones, and confirming for the first time a direct link between the hormones and SCD.
Koren explains, “Quite simply, we demonstrate that estrogen promotes major cardiac events – such as polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (pVT) and SCD – while progesterone prevents them when LQT2 is a factor. Estrogen has a pro-arrhythmic effect.”
That men and women differ when it comes to long-QT-related arrhythmias with a higher risk of pVT and SCD has been well-documented in the clinical setting, and the risk is higher in women than in men, particularly during the postpartum period. In this study, Koren says, “We show for the first time a direct link between sex hormones and the incidence of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Through our research in our animal models, we have demonstrated that progesterone significantly reduces triggers for polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. At the same time, we were able to show that progesterone is protective and prevents SCD when LQT2 is present.”
Koren explains that this finding suggests that high progesterone levels during pregnancy likely account for the reduced risk of SCD in LQT2 patients during pregnancy. The marked reduction in progesterone during the postpartum period, however, likely promotes arrhythmias and SCD in these patients. Their findings also indicate that estrogen increases both trigger and sustainability of pVT, and thereby promotes major cardiac events.
He concludes that while further studies are needed in clinical trials, the clinical implications of this study will impact on the standard treatment of patients who are diagnosed with LQT2. Specific hormone-based therapies may be prescribed to protect them from arrhythmia and potentially avoid sudden cardiac death.
The National Institutes of Health provided funding for these studies. Koren’s principal affiliation is Rhode Island Hospital. He is also a professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Other researchers involved in the study include Gong-Xin Liu, Bum-Rak Choi, Ohad Ziv, Weiyan Li (also of Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School) as well as Enno de Lange and Zhilin Qu of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California. Other researchers involved in the study in HeartRhythm Journal include Katja Odening, Bum-Rak Choi, Gong-Xin Liu, Kathryn Hartmann, Ohad Ziv, Leonard Chaves, Lorraine Schofield and Jason Centracchio, all of Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School; Manfred Zehender and Michael Brunner of the University Medical Center Freiburg, in Germany; and Xuwen Peng of the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine.
Injury Prevention Center Urges Increased Ice Safety
The
cold winter weather marks the start of what can a season of increased
injuries for children. In fact, since January 1, two young children,
neither of whom was wearing a helmet, required admission to Hasbro
Children’s Hospital for treatment of head injuries sustained while ice
skating. And, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics,
approximately 10,000 children are treated in emergency departments each
year for ice skating-related injuries.
Ice-related injuries can include everything from scrapes, bruises, concussions and broken bones while ice skating, to hypothermia and drowning when using unsafe outdoor ice, such as lakes and ponds. Studies published in the journal Pediatrics have found that head injuries and concussions are more common among ice skaters when compared with in-line skating and roller skating. These incidents have led the Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital to urge parents and children to use increased caution and safety tactics to avoid these preventable ice-related injuries.
“Rhode Island law requires that all children fifteen and under wear a helmet when roller skating or rollerblading. Since head injuries and concussions are actually more common while ice skating compared with these sports, wouldn’t it make sense to wear a helmet while ice skating as well?” says Dina Morrissey, MD, program coordinator for the Injury Prevention Center.
The Injury Prevention Center offers the following safety tips to help prevent ice-related injuries:
- Make sure ice skates fit comfortably and provide ankle support. Poor fitting skates can cause blisters. Lack of ankle support makes ankles wobbly and can lead to injuries.
- Inexperienced skaters should learn some ice skating basics, including how to stop and fall safely, as well as basic safety rules. Always look where you are going, even when skating backward.
- Always obey rink rules, such as skating in the same direction as other skaters.
- Always be alert and aware of surroundings. Never wear earphones or talk on a cell phone while ice skating.
- Wear a helmet. This is especially important for young children or beginner skaters.
- Consider wearing other safety equipment such as knee pads and wrist guards; this is especially good advice for young children and inexperienced skaters.
- Dress appropriately to avoid cold-related injury.
- Make sure you rest when you become tired or cold. More skating accidents happen when you’re tired.
If skating on an outdoor pond or lake you should also take the following precautions:
- Never skate on an untested lake or pond.
- The ice should be a minimum of six inches thick.
- Never skate alone. Children should always be supervised by an adult.
- Only skate during the day or if the area is lit.
- Have a cell phone available to call for help if necessary.
- Never cross a frozen pond as a shortcut.
- Never go out on a frozen pond after an animal.
The Hasbro Children’s Hospital trauma registry collects data on all children admitted to the hospital as a result of a traumatic event. The trauma registry is a crucial tool used to track injury trends seen in the hospital’s emergency room, which can then be used to guide injury prevention efforts. Any parents with questions about ice safety, or other accidental injury topics, can call the Injury Prevention Center at 401-444-5018.
National Guard Presents Hasbro Children's Hospital with $115,000
On
January 17, Hasbro Children’s Hospital welcomed personnel from the Rhode
Island National Guard, who presented the hospital with a check for
$115,000. The funds were raised during the 2011 Rhode Island National
Guard Open House Air Show.
The air show was established in 1991 as a major community event that offers aerial and static displays along with activities for people of all ages.
This year’s event will take place on June 16 and 17 at Quonset Point in North Kingstown and will feature the USAF Thunderbirds.
L-R: Captain Michael Martin, 143d Force Support Squadron operations officer; Robert B. Klein, MD pediatrician-in-chief of Hasbro Children's Hospital; and Colonel Robert Germani, Jr., 143d Airlift Wing vice commander, Air Show director.
National Pancake Day at IHOP to Benefit Hasbro Children's Hospital
IHOP will celebrate National Pancake Day on Tuesday, February 28 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Customers will be able to stop in for a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes and make a donation to help Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Funds raised locally will be donated to Hasbro Children's Hospital.
Participating Rhode Island IHOP locations:
- 45 Pleasant Valley Parkway, Providence
- 1802 Post Road, Warwick
- 159 West Main Road, Middletown
The Miriam Hospital
Reducing Radiation
The Miriam Hospital has acquired new imaging technology that greatly reduces radiation exposure: the GE Brightspeed 16-slice computed tomography (CT) scanner. The imaging unit utilizes radiation dose reduction software called ASIR (adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction), which lessens the radiation dosage through a complex retrospective noise reduction technique. This combination of leading edge technology and state-of-the-art software reduces radiation for neurological exams by 20 percent and body scans by 30 percent.
The scanner offers several patient and staff benefits; one of the most important is speed. The 16-slice unit scans and cools at an accelerated pace while still attaining outstanding clarity, allowing more patients to be scanned per day. The weight limit on the table is now 500 pounds, an increase of 150 pounds, allowing patients to be scanned with ease and comfort.
“We’ve gotten great feedback from patients and have even received new referrals because of the dose reduction technology. We can now do a much wider range of examinations that we couldn’t in the past, such as CTA exams and specialty exams,” says Chris Monteiro, manager of nuclear medicine and The Miriam Hospital Diagnostic Imaging Center. “Staff satisfaction has definitely improved. The imaging console is much nicer and ergonomic, and the unit doesn’t take up a lot of space. We’re excited to have the scanner here.”
New Physicians Join Urology
The urology team at The Miriam Hospital recently welcomed two new urologic physicians. As the new director of surgical urologic oncology, Dragan Golijanin, MD will lead the effort to broaden the hospital’s robotic surgical capabilities to include cystectomy and partial nephrectomy. Golijanin, who is board certified and a urologic surgeon skilled in robotic surgery, received his medical degree from the University of Belgrade’s School of Medicine in Yugoslavia. He completed his residency at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York, where he also completed a surgical internship. Golijanin received fellowship training in urologic oncology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and prior to joining The Miriam, he served as director of genitourinary oncology at the University of Rochester.
Board-certified surgeon Kathleen Hwang, MD will support the Men’s Health Center and will conduct basic research at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where she is an assistant professor of surgery (urology). She attended medical school at New York Medical College and completed her urology residency as well as a surgical internship at the University of Virginia Health System in Virginia. She received fellowship training in male reproductive medicine and surgery at the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. Prior to joining The Miriam Hospital, Hwang was an attending urologist at the Providence VA Medical Center.
Nursing Leaders Visited by Netherlands University
In
November, nursing leadership at The Miriam Hospital hosted visiting
lecturers from Hanze University Groningen, University of Applied
Sciences, in the Netherlands. Faculty members from the university were
touring the country to gain insight into the health care system in the
United States. As part of their tour—which included visits to Harvard,
Massachusetts General Hospital and Yale—the group wanted to spend a day
at The Miriam specifically to learn about the nursing practice model and
engagement strategies at a Magnet hospital.
The visiting faculty came from the university’s undergraduate program in health care administration, which is open to health care professionals who are seeking management experience. The group was especially interested in The Miriam’s leadership development and structures, and staff prepared presentations to showcase these areas. Following the presentations, there was an informal round table discussion with nursing representatives from all levels and a tour of 3 North.
Miriam Wolters, the university representative who coordinated the visit, says, “All of our visits were really interesting but we were most impressed by the visit to The Miriam Hospital. To see what can be accomplished organization-wide with the Magnet recognition and how proud employees can be was wonderful! In our evaluation we asked ourselves, ‘What can we as lecturers teach our students (managers in health care) to get results like this, create such an attitude?’”
Maria Ducharme, senior vice president and chief nursing for The Miriam, says, “It was quite a compliment to be chosen as a site that could lend our international colleagues insight into the health care system and more specifically, insight on Magnet accreditation and the framework that supports our own standards of nursing excellence. It was enlightening to hear their perspectives on health care, both as academicians and individuals who work within a very different care delivery system. All in all it was a very beneficial exchange of information, perspectives and thought-provoking dialogue.”
Can Exercise Video Games Improve Your Health?
Daily
exercise, whether it’s going for a jog or taking a fitness class at the
local gym, is still a difficult chore for many Americans, even though
the health benefits of physical activity are widely known. Yet many
adults and children have embraced popular exercise video games –
including tennis, bowling and boxing – that feature player movement. But
can these so-called “exergames” offer the same fitness benefits as
traditional or more structured forms of exercise?
That’s the focus of a new $2.6 million National, Heart, Lung and Blood Institute grant awarded to researchers with The Miriam Hospital’s Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine. According to principal investigator Beth Bock, PhD, emerging research indicates that a single session of exercise video games can produce significant increases in energy expenditure and increase heart rate to levels equaling moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; both outcomes could lead to overall physical and fitness improvements. However, it is unclear whether adults will participate in “exergames” regularly enough to reap these rewards.
“We know that regular physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and certain forms of cancer, yet more than a quarter of U.S. adults do not devote any time to physical activity,” says Bock. “We must develop innovative approaches to promoting increased physical activity that are engaging enough to be sustained.”
Bock and colleagues plan to build on the success of their recent pilot program, in which adults participating in a 12-week exergame program showed improvements in physical and cardiovascular fitness. In this new trial, researchers will compare whether participants in a supervised exercise video game program are more likely to increase their weekly physical activity time compared to adults in a supervised standard aerobic exercise program and adults in a control group. They also will look at changes in physical fitness and cardiovascular health among the three groups.
In addition, the team will examine whether adults who participate in a six-month, home-based exergame program are more likely to adopt and maintain those efforts compared to a standard aerobic exercise program. All participants will be tested for physical fitness, including body composition, cholesterol and cardiovascular fitness, at the start and end of the study.
The study is open to men and women, 18 years and older, who are generally healthy and are not exercising regularly. Participants will be randomly assigned to a supervised aerobic exercise program, a supervised exercise videogame program or a wait list for a gym membership. There is no cost to participate and participants will be compensated for their time. For more information about the study, please call 401-578-9268.
Bradley Hospital
Running the Boston Marathon for a Great Cause
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| From left: Sarah Tammelleo and Amy Malo |
Amy Malo and Sarah Tammelleo have been friends for many years, first meeting in the seventh grade and then remaining good friends throughout high school. After high school their lives took different paths and the friends drifted apart. This past August, after nearly a decade, the two reconnected through Facebook and learned that they were both training to compete in their first triathlon. The two soon began running together and have completed numerous 5K and 10K races, as well as their first half marathon. A significant accomplishment for two women who only started running in August!
Malo and Tammelleo have a unique friendship and have always stood out from the crowd. Whether wearing “flower power” headbands or running in tutus, their goal remains the same: finish what they set out to accomplish and have fun while doing it. These women never dreamed they would become runners, never mind run a marathon. But they have learned that with each other’s support, hard work, and dedication they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.
In addition to sharing a unique friendship, Malo and Tammelleo also share a connection to Bradley Hospital. As a teenager, Tammelleo suffered from depression and received treatment from Bradley Hospital. She has long kept that part of her life private, but now believes it is time to raise awareness for mental health and break the stigma associated with it.
Bradley has been a part of Malo’s life for the past 10 years. She has two children, both of whom suffer from mental health issues. They have been treated at Bradley, both inpatient and outpatient, and Malo’s son has attended Bradley School for many years. Malo says that the help and support that Bradley has provided to her and her family has been nothing less than life saving. Over the years she and her family have gotten to know many of the staff at Bradley, who offered comfort and support to them during very difficult times, and have always been caring and compassionate—something for which Malo is thankful.
Knowing that Bradley has touched the lives of many families as it has theirs, Malo and Tammelleo want to give back to the community and to Bradley. They also want to raise awareness about mental illness and break the stigma and stereotypes associated with it. They believe no child should suffer in silence and no family should feel isolated.
In order to continue its mission and provide family-focused treatment for children suffering from emotional and developmental disorders, Bradley must raise awareness, support, and funds. Malo and Tammelleo were chosen by Bradley Hospital and Rhode Runner to run the Boston Marathon on April 16–their first marathon! Their goal is to raise $3,000 to benefit Bradley Hospital.
Bradley Hospital Offers New Parent Group
Bradley Hospital is launching a new weekly group to help parents deal with their children’s difficult or challenging behavior. Incredible Years is a group for parents of children between the ages of 6 and 12 who become easily frustrated when things do not go their way, have trouble regulating their emotions and often refuse to do what adults ask. Parents, who will be divided into two groups (those with children 6 to 8 years old and those with children 9 to 12 years old), will learn strategies to not only reduce unwanted behaviors but also increase desired behaviors, such as following directions and tolerating frustration.
“It can be very frustrating as a parent when your child does not do what you want and has trouble controlling his or her emotions, and many parents find spending time with their child is often unpleasant and difficult,” says Angela Stewart, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Bradley Hospital, who will facilitate the groups. “Our goal is to provide parents with strategies to manage challenging behaviors and encourage good behavior in order to help their child learn and grow emotionally and socially and to build positive relationships between parents and their children."
The groups will meet weekly for three months, and children do not need to be patients at Bradley Hospital for parents to participate. All parents and/or parental figures are invited. For more information about Incredible Years, please call the Bradley Hospital outpatient department at 401-432-1119 or email bradleygroups@lifespan.org.
Adopt a Family
Bradley Hospital staff and board members, friends of Bradley, and staff from other Lifespan affiliates once again helped to make the holidays more enjoyable for families in the area. Through their donations to Bradley’s Adopt a Family program, we were able to provide gift cards totaling nearly $8,000, toys and clothing to 101 families, which included 246 children.
Thank you to Lifespan and hospital employees and friends who helped to make the season brighter for our children and their families.
Newport Hospital
Newport Hospital’s Extraordinary Nurse
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| ICU assistant clinical manager Stacey Novak, Vicki Sullivan, and vice president for nursing and patient care services Paula Gillette. |
Victoria Sullivan, BSN, RN, of the intensive care unit, was selected as the recipient of The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses for the quarter ending in December 2011. The DAISY Award honors the compassion and care that bedside nurses bring to their patients every day. A national program, the award was created by the family of a patient who wanted to honor nurses “for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patients’ families.”
Co-workers who nominated Sullivan mentioned her “phenomenal work ethic” and said she is “an expert critical care nurse.”
“Vicki takes her work very seriously,” says one nominator, “but she doesn’t take herself too seriously.” Co-workers point out that Sullivan’s sense of humor and positive attitude create a little fun even on difficult days.
Newport Hospital is the first and only hospital in Rhode Island to participate in The DAISY Award program, joining the ranks of more than 1,000 organizations committed to honoring their nurses throughout the year with The DAISY Award. The program was implemented by Newport Hospital’s Staff Nurse Council.
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| Ava Noelle with parents Ryan and Arielle Replogle. |
New Year Newborn
Newport Hospital’s first baby of 2012 is the new daughter of one of our nurses, Arielle Replogle.
Ava Noelle Replogle weighed 7 pounds, 1⁄4 ounce at birth and was 20 inches long.
Although she was the first Newport baby of the year, she waited until January 2 at 3:01 p.m. to make her appearance.
Ava is the Replogles’ first child.
Lifespan Corporate Services
Feed a Family, Warm a Heart
Lifespan's marketing and communications department will sponsor a food drive at LCS offices from February 6 to 10 to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.
Donation boxes will be available at the following LCS office locations:
- 167 Point Street
- 45 Baker Street
- 17 Virginia Street
- 117 Ellenfield Street
Food donations can be made through the end of the business day on Friday, February 10. Whether you work in an LCS office, or have occasion to visit one, please consider making a donation. Anyone who makes a donation will be included in a post drive raffle for the chance to win a "heartwarming basket." To see a complete list of most needed non-perishable items, go to www.rifoodbank.org.
Volunteering at the Food Bank
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| Pictured from left are Robin Zaman, Janis Furlong, Jean Grover, Julie Rawlings, Bonnie Braga and Rosa DeCastillo. |
For the seventh year, Lifespan Community Health Services staff volunteered at the Rhode Island Community Food bank during the holiday season.
The staff sorted through food donations and helped pack shelves for food distribution.
It was a great team effort for a great cause!
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| Lifelines Digest is published on the last business day of each month. The deadline for submitting items is one week prior to the publication date. Send items to Michele Duff. |
Director of Communications: Susan
Ryan |
