Navicent Health invites the community to observe National Stroke Month during May by learning to recognize and react to the signs of stroke.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stroke takes the lives of approximately 140,000 American each year, or an estimated 1 in 20 deaths. It is also the leading cause of serious, long-term disability. On average, 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year, and stroke prevalence is projected to increase by 20.5 percent by 2030.
“On average, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds, and only 38 percent of Americans are aware of all major symptoms and know to call 9-1-1 when someone is having a stroke. Central Georgians are at an increased risk for stroke due to the prevalence of common risk factors that include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and tobacco use. At Navicent Health, our desire is to educate the public so that they minimize their risk for stroke, and also recognize a stroke when it occurs,” said Denise Goings, MSN, RN, SCRN, Stroke Coordinator for The Medical Center, Navicent Health (MCNH).
Clinicians at Navicent Health remind the public to act FAST if they experience any of these signs or symptoms.
· F – Facial weakness (Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?)
· A – Arm or leg weakness (Can the person raise both arms?)
· S – Speech difficulty (Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?)
· T – Time to act (Seek medical attention immediately!)
MCNH, along with other American Heart Association (AHA) designated stroke centers throughout Georgia, is committed to reducing strokes impact by 20 percent by 2020.
MCNH is an eight-time recipient of AHA’s “Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus” Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes MCNH’s commitment to quality care for stroke patients, and success in implementing an exemplary standard of care for stroke patients, according to evidence-based guidelines. In addition, MCNH has also achieved AHA’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus for increasing the number of eligible ischemic stroke patients who receive tissue plasminogen activatorin in 45 minutes or less from arriving at the hospital (known as ‘door-to-needle’ time).
“The number of acute ischemic stroke patients eligible for treatment is expected to grow over the next decade due to increasing stroke incidence and a large aging population. At Navicent Health, we will continue to educate the public in order to minimize stroke’s threat, and we will continue to quickly and efficiently treat stroke patients with evidence-based protocols,” said Tom Oliver, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for MCNH.
About Navicent Health
Navicent Health, the leading provider of healthcare in central and south Georgia, is committed to its mission of elevating health and wellbeing through compassionate care. Providing more than 1,000 beds and offering care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region, Navicent Health provides care for healthcare consumers’ through an academic medical center; community, pediatric and rehabilitation hospitals; urgent care centers; physician practices; diagnostic centers; home health; hospice and palliative care; and a life plan community. Navicent Health is dedicated enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally-recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. For more information, please visitwww.navicenthealth.org.
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Pacemaker procedures now available at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital 5:16 pmA pacemaker can be a lifesaver for people with dangerously slow heart rates, Now, pacemaker implantation and follow-up is available at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital in partnership with cardiologist John Layher, MD, of Oconee Heart and Vascular Center.
“This is a great day for our entire community,” said Tanya Adcock, President of Good Samaritan Hospital. “Patients can now receive life-changing pacemaker implantation and follow-up care right here, rather than having to travel an hour or more to a hospital in Athens, Atlanta or Augusta.”
“It’s extremely rare for a hospital in a rural community to be able to provide a service like this,” said Brittainy Horne, St. Mary’s Vice President of Strategy and Ambulatory Services. “We have made it possible through a partnership between St. Mary’s Medical Group and Good Samaritan Hospital. That partnership has brought Dr. Layher to Greene County full-time, and equipped the hospital and trained the staff for this major new service line.”
A pacemaker is a device that is used to treat patients with abnormally slow heart rates. Slow heart rates can cause problems that range from uncomfortable to dangerous. Symptoms include fainting, fatigue, shortness of breath, and confusion. Pacemakers are often used to help people who have heart damage from a past heart attack improve their quality of life.
An implantable pacemaker, which includes an internal computer and miniature battery, is tucked into a pouch just under the skin on the side of the chest. Tiny wires or, in some cases, “leadless” transmitters, carry information about the heart’s activity to the pacemaker and electrical signals from the pacemaker back to the heart. The unit sends electrical pulses to stimulate the heart when the heart rate becomes too slow.
The unit also records its activity and can transmit those records wirelessly so that Dr. Layher can evaluate how well the pacemaker is performing. He can then use a wireless system to adjust the pacemaker’s settings so that it continues to meet the patient’s needs as their condition changes.
“Our first case was a success that provided substantial benefit to the patient,” said Kimberly Tyler, director of nursing. “Our patient went from having a sustained heartrate of only 20-30 beats per minute to 70-80 beats per minute.”
Tyler noted that preparation and training has been intensive.
“Preliminary training involved members of our Operating Room going to St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens to shadow pacemaker cases there,” she said. “Dr. Layher played a key role in continued training as we prepared the teams in our Operating Room and Medical/Surgical Unit who would provide care during and after the procedure. Diane Bracewell, OR Nurse, served as a team lead to make sure all other staff members were comfortable with the work flow and equipment that would be utilized. A great team effort from all involved.”
Dr. Layher provides outpatient care and consultations in the Oconee Heart & Vascular Center office at 1110 Commerce Drive, Suite 108, located off Ga. 44 just a few miles from Good Samaritan Hospital. For information, please visit www.oconeeheart.com. For new patient appointments, please call 706.389.3440. As part of St. Mary’s Medical Group, OHVC accepts most major insurance plans and Medicare.
In addition to pacemaker implantation, St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital offers a wide range of cardiac services, including stress testing, nuclear medicine, echocardiography, high-speed CT imaging, EKG, Holter monitoring, inpatient cardiac consultations with Dr. Layher or, at night, via telemedicine, and evaluation and treatment of arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, heart failure and vascular heart disease. For information, please visit www.stmarysgoodsam.org.
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Off-duty Nurse Saves Life and Is Recognized as Hospital Hero 2:41 pmNurses are heroes to many people, but to Howard Duval, SGMC Registered Nurse Janice Oliver is his guardian angel.
Several weeks ago, Janice and her husband, Gary, were taking a stroll around the golf course near their Lake Park home. They noticed two golfers, one of the golfers collapsed and was being eased to the ground by the other.
As a nurse, you never bypass someone in medical distress. Janice rushed over to the man, who was later identified as Howard Duval, and felt for his pulse. When she could not find a pulse, she quickly began CPR.
As Janice did chest compressions and the second golfer administered rescue breathing. First responders were called. Law enforcement and EMS arrived quickly. Mr. Duval was transferred by ambulance to SGMC where Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Sid Staton took over his care and performed timely interventions.
A few weeks later, Mr. Duval is home and doing things he enjoys. He is very thankful that Janice Oliver was nearby in his time of need.
For Janice’s exemplary actions, her employer, SGMC, recognized her as a Hospital Hero at the Hospital Authority meeting on April 17.
Janice has worked for SGMC since 2001. She is a patient care coordinator on 2-T, the cardiac progressive unit.
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The Medical Center, Navicent Health Recognized as Top Hospital by Newsweek 1:58 pmMacon Hospital Earns Top Billing in “World’s Best Hospitals 2019”
The Medical Center, Navicent Health (MCNH) has been recognized as a top Georgia hospital and as one of the best hospitals in the nation by Newsweek.
MCNH ranked second in the state in this year’s ranking and is the only top performer in central Georgia. Nationally, the Macon hospital ranked 110 in the entire U.S. Ten of The Medical Center’s treatments for adult conditions were recognized, including:
“Being recognized on Newsweek’s ‘World’s Best Hospitals’ ranking and as one of Georgia’s top two providers in care is an incredible testimony to the extraordinary dedication of our staff to providing high quality, personalized care to our patients. We also congratulate Carolinas Medical Center for their outstanding recognition. Our commitment to delivering the best care to those who depend on us and trust us is reaffirmed by Newsweek’s recognition,” said Dr. Ninfa M. Saunders, president and CEO of Navicent Health.
Newsweek’s “World’s Best Hospitals 2019” ranking lists the best hospitals in 11 countries, including the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Australia and Israel. Rankings are based on three data sources, including recommendations from medical experts, results from patient surveys and medical key performance indicators from hospitals.
Emory University Hospital (Atlanta) was the top-ranked Georgia hospital in Newsweek’s 2019 listing, followed by The Medical Center, Navicent Health (Macon, Ga.) and then Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital (Atlanta), Emory Johns Creek (Johns Creek, Ga.), Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center (Athens, Ga.), Northeast Georgia Medical Center )Gainesville, Ga.), and Gwinnett Medical Center (Lawrenceville, Ga.).
This is the latest national recognition for The Medical Center, Navicent Health, which has also been recognized nationally for world-class cardiac, stroke and trauma care, and is also internationally recognized as a Magnet hospital for nursing excellence. Navicent Health recently brought national attention to central Georgia with the opening of Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health in February.
Carolinas Medical Center, the flagship of Atrium Health, was ranked 103 in the U.S. This is the latest recognition for Carolinas Medical Center, which has been ranked in the top 50 nationally for its orthopedics and cardiology programs, as well as Levine Children’s Hospital receiving numerous Top 50 rankings for its pediatrics programs. In December 2018, Atrium Health and Navicent Health signed a definitive agreement to finalize their strategic combination, which became effective January 1, 2019. As a result of this strategic combination, Navicent Health and Atrium Health will enhance Macon-Bibb County’s position as one of Georgia’s leading centers for healthcare. This combination will keep the physician community strong and enable patients to access advanced medical services locally. It will also allow Atrium Health to expand its world-class services and economic benefit to central and south Georgia and beyond.
About Navicent Health
Navicent Health, the leading provider of healthcare in central and south Georgia, is committed to its mission of elevating health and wellbeing through compassionate care. Providing more than 1,000 beds and offering care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region, Navicent Health provides care for healthcare consumers’ through an academic medical center; community, pediatric and rehabilitation hospitals; urgent care centers; physician practices; diagnostic centers; home health; hospice and palliative care; and a life plan community. Navicent Health is dedicated enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally-recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. For more information, please visitwww.navicenthealth.org.
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Rehabilitation Hospital, Navicent Health is Raising Awareness of Parkinson’s Disease 1:00 pmMany Central Georgians May Be Undiagnosed
April is recognized as Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month in the U.S., and Rehabilitation Hospital, Navicent Health is calling attention to this chronic condition, and variety of available services that can help those with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and their loved ones.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. Symptoms start gradually, and progress differently in each individual, but the most common symptoms include tremors, limb rigidity, loss of smell, trouble sleeping, small handwriting, and gait and balance issues. Nearly one million Americans are living with PD, and many cases go undetected and undiagnosed.
Although the cause of PD is unknown and there is currently no cure, therapies and support can assist and empower patients and their loved ones, allowing them to enjoy the highest quality of life while living with PD. Rehabilitation Hospital, Navicent Health offers those living with PD a wide variety of treatment options to help overcome the effects of the disease.
Power Over Parkinson’s is a 12-week exercise and education program for those recently diagnosed with PD. Power over Parkinson’s participants and caregivers will receive an initial assessment and orientation with the program coordinator and fitness trainer. The coordinator and trainer will develop a series of exercise programs, nutrition, and education sessions designed to help people affected by PD and their caregivers during and after the 12 week session. Activities include chair exercises, stretching, aerobic activity and resistance training. The class meets each Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at Wellness Center, Navicent Health (3797 Northside Drive, Macon).
In addition, Rehabilitation Hospital, Navicent Health – in partnership with Macon-Bibb County Parks and Recreation – now offers Rock Steady Boxing, a PD-specific therapeutic exercise program. PD participants and their loved ones warm up with a series of exercises, then practice boxing with bags and sparing with trainers.
“Exercise is a vital component to maintaining balance, mobility and daily living activities for those affected by Parkinson’s disease. Exercise can improve gait, balance, tremors, flexibility, grip strength and motor coordination. Boxing is a fun way – and often a new means of exercise – that those with PD really enjoy,” said Jennifer Peth, OT with Rehabilitation Hospital, Navicent Health.
Classes are offered Monday and Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., and Monday and Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., at Freedom Center, 3301 Roff Ave. in Macon. For more information, call 478-201-6500.
Rehabilitation Hospital, Navicent Health also offers BIG and LOUD physical therapies to help those with PD improve motor skills. BIG therapy is an exercise therapy that uses exaggerated movement to improve balance, trunk rotation and faster walking speed with larger steps, to avoid the shuffling and falling risk common for those with PD. Patients in the program learn to use bigger movements and exert more effort to produce the normal movements used for everyday activities. Similarly, LOUD voice training improves voice and speech for those with PD, who may become soft-spoken as the condition progresses.
Monthly PD support groups meet at Rehabilitation Hospital, Navicent Health (3351 Northside Drive, Macon) on the third Thursday of each month at 2:00 p.m. Those with PD and their caregivers are able to find support and build a community with others facing similar challenges, while also learning about new therapies, breakthroughs in treatment, exercise and nutrition tailored specifically for those with PD.
For more information on options available for those with PD, please visit www.navicenthealth.org.
In the attached photo – Rock Steady Boxing participants combat Parkinson’s disease through boxing training, which helps maintain balance and mobility.
About Navicent Health
Navicent Health, the leading provider of healthcare in central and south Georgia, is committed to its mission of elevating health and wellbeing through compassionate care. Providing more than 1,000 beds and offering care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region, Navicent Health provides care for healthcare consumers’ through an academic medical center; community, pediatric and rehabilitation hospitals; urgent care centers; physician practices; diagnostic centers; home health; hospice and palliative care; and a life plan community. Navicent Health is dedicated enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally-recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. For more information, please visitwww.navicenthealth.org.
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Community Partners Host Seventh Annual Child Abuse Prevention Symposium 2:03 pmSymposium Promoting End of Abuse and Neglect to Be Held April 10
Each April – in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month – Crescent House, Navicent Health encourages discussion of this important issue through an annual Child Abuse Prevention Symposium.
The seventh annual Child Abuse Prevention Symposium, scheduled Wednesday, April 10 from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., will take place at The Medical Center, Navicent Health’s Peyton Anderson Health Education Center, located at 877 Hemlock Street in Macon.
Topics at this year’s symposium include the human trafficking of child abuse victims in central Georgia, interviewing techniques that will not traumatize a child, age appropriate sexual abuse education, among other topics. Keynote speaker C. David Moody will speak on “Trauma Into Triumph.” .
This event is open to the public. Law enforcement, social workers, healthcare professionals and educators are particularly encouraged to attend. Participants may register at www.navicenthealth.org ($30 registration fee, $15 for students with student ID).
In support of the fight to end abuse and neglect, the Hon. Robert A.B. Reichert, Mayor of Macon-Bibb County, will present a proclamation at 8:45 a.m. declaring the consolidated government’s commitment to support children and families by ending the cycle of abuse and neglect.
“April is a time to recognize that each member of the community has a role in promoting the social and emotional wellbeing of children and families. Ending the cycle of abuse and neglect is an effort that requires the vigilance of all members of our community. Crescent House and Navicent Health are pleased to partner with Macon-Bibb County, as well as the Board of Education, Division of Family and Children’s Services, District Attorney’s Office, local law enforcement and public safety agencies and healthcare organizations to address this issue,” said Kemberlie Sanderson, Manager of Crescent House, Navicent Health.
Since beginning services in 1997, Crescent House, Navicent Health – a children’s advocacy center designed to meet the needs of children who have made allegations of abuse – has cared for approximately 12,300 children. Crescent House is not a shelter but a facility supplied with state-of-the-art equipment that enables specially trained professionals to conduct effective, consistent, non-threatening interviews and examinations of children who have made these allegations. It is a “one-stop shop,” utilizing a multidisciplinary team approach to the investigation, treatment and prevention of child abuse.
Exchange Club of Macon and Crescent House, Navicent Health have partnered annually to sponsor the Child Abuse Prevention Symposium. This year marks the seventh year of this symposium and the partners are pleased to lead the community discussion and efforts to combat abuse and neglect.
About Navicent Health
Navicent Health, the leading provider of healthcare in central and south Georgia, is committed to its mission of elevating health and wellbeing through compassionate care. Providing more than 1,000 beds and offering care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region, Navicent Health provides care for healthcare consumers’ through an academic medical center; community, pediatric and rehabilitation hospitals; urgent care centers; physician practices; diagnostic centers; home health; hospice and palliative care; and a life plan community. Navicent Health is dedicated enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally-recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. For more information, please visitwww.navicenthealth.org.
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Northside Hospital wins award for Best Company Outlook 3:24 pmATLANTA– Northside Hospital employees are overwhelmingly optimistic about Northside’s future. The hospital has won an award for Best Company Outlook for 2019 from workplace culture and compensation monitoring site Comparably.
Northside ranked 17th on the list of top large companies (more than 500 employees) across the United States, was the 2nd highest Georgia company ranked and the only hospital. In addition to Northside, five other Georgia companies made the list including Insight Global, The Home Depot, Delta Air Lines, Aflac and Chick-fil-A. SalesLoft made the list for top small/mid-size companies.
“Northside strongly believes in creating an environment where our employees are empowered, appreciated and supported so they can provide the best health care to our patients,” said Bob Quattrocchi, president and CEO of Northside Hospital. “That we rank among such highly respected companies across all industries is no surprise to me; I am honored by and proud of the work that we do.”
Comparably’s annual “Best” lists showcase companies that receive the highest ratings on Comparably.com throughout the year based on anonymous feedback from employees about work environment, compensation, leadership and more.
Winners of Best Outlook were determined based on a combination of scores measured by responses to questions such as: How confident are you about the future success of your company? Are you typically excited about going to work each day? How likely are you to recommend working at your company to a friend?
This is the third award Northside has received from Comparably in recent months. The hospital previously was recognized with awards for Company Culture and Company for Women.
“Comparably’s Best Outlook Award is a measure of how employees positively rate the future success of their company,” said Jason Nazar, Comparably CEO. “Northside employees rank their organization in the top five percent of similarly-sized companies which is an indication of the bright future ahead. The overwhelming response is how excited they are to work for a secure company with a strong future so that they can continue to provide high quality care for patients.”
Northside Hospital is one of the fastest growing health care organizations in the Southeast and currently employs more than 16,000 employees, including physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, administrative and support services personnel throughout the Atlanta Region and many parts of Georgia.
For more information about Comparably’s Best Places to Work lists and a complete list of winners, visit:https://www.comparably.com/blog/best-outlook-2019/
About Northside Hospital (www.northside.com)
The Northside Hospital health care system is one of Georgia’s leading health care providers with more than 240 locations across the state, including three acute care, state-of-the-art hospitals in Atlanta, Cherokee County and Forsyth County. Northside Hospital leads the U.S. in newborn deliveries and is among the state’s top providers of cancer care and surgical services. Northside has 3,000 physicians and 16,000 employees who serve more than 3 million patient visits annually across a full range of medical services.
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Southeast Georgia Health System Mammograms in Motion Program Receives Komen Coastal Georgia Affiliate Grant 7:33 pmEach year, the Coastal Georgia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen awards grants to nonprofit organizations that provide direct community care for breast health services such as cancer screening, education, diagnostic exams and patient navigation.
In March 2019, during its annual awards banquet, Komen awarded the Southeast Georgia Health System Mammograms in Motion program with a grant for the ninth consecutive year. This year’s $50,000 grant brings the total received to $465,000.
Led by the Health System, Mammograms in Motion is a collaboration with area physicians, community health centers and county health departments to provide breast health education and outreach, screening mammograms and diagnostic breast work-up services to uninsured and low income individuals residing in Brantley, Camden, Glynn and McIntosh counties. While each of the Health System’s three breast imaging locations participate in the program, what makesMammograms in Motion unique is the use of its Wellness on Wheels (WOW) vehicle. A custom designed, self-contained mobile health vehicle, the WOW travels to rural communities to provide screening mammograms and other outreach services to patients who have limited access to care.
“We are extremely grateful to once again receive a grant in support of our mammography program,” says DelRia Baisden, vice president, Southeast Georgia Health System. “Because of Komen’s continued support, individuals who qualify for Mammograms in Motion have no out of pocket costs for their care.”
Services vary per patient, and may include advanced diagnostic studies and biopsies based on the results of the patient’s screening mammogram. Since inception in 2011, Mammograms in Motion has provided care to more than 1,800 individuals, including mammograms, ultrasounds, physician visits and biopsies.
Baisden explains, “These are patients who otherwise may not have received care for a host of reasons, including out of pocket costs, transportation and lack of access to services.”
“In the last five years, our affiliate has provided support for over 8,000 screenings,” shared Julie Schwartz, community engagement manager, Coastal Georgia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen. “We stress mammograms and diagnostics for underserved women in our community because early detection saves lives.”
Funding for the community grants is generated through Komen Coastal Georgia Affiliate fundraising, with the majority from its signature event, the annual Savannah Race for the Cure®, and third party community events like the On Par golf tournament held at the Brunswick Country Club. The 2019 Savannah Race for the Cure will be April 27 in historic Savannah’s Ellis Square. For more information about the race, visit komencoastalgeorgia.org.
For more information about the Southeast Georgia Health System Breast Care Center or the Mammograms in Motion grant, call 912-466-5235 or visit sghs.org.
About Southeast Georgia Health System
Southeast Georgia Health System is a not-for-profit health system comprised of two acute care hospitals, two long term care facilities, three immediate care centers, five family medicine centers and numerous employed physician practices. The Health System has multiple outpatient specialty care centers, including the only CyberKnife® Program in the region and one of only four in Georgia, and a Cancer Care Center accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. In 2018, the Health System’s Brunswick and Camden Campus hospitals were recognized in Georgia Trend magazine’s “Top Georgia Hospitals” in the medium-sized and small-sized categories, respectively. For more information, visit sghs.org.
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Health System Hosts “Breastfeeding: The Gift of Life” Seminar For Health Care Professionals and Community 1:20 pmBreastfeeding has been proven the best source of nutrition for babies to grow and stay healthy. Southeast Georgia Health System is committed to being a resource to mothers choosing to breastfeed, as well as helping health care professionals and the community understand the importance of breastfeeding. Nursing professionals and community members are invited to attend acontinuing education seminar, “Breastfeeding: The Gift for Life,” on Friday, April 12, 2019. The event takes place 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the Linda S. Pinson Conference Center on the Brunswick Campus, 2415 Parkwood Drive.
The all-day conference fee is $75 (plus a $6.20 convenience fee for online registration) and includes conference materials and lunch. This activity has been submitted to Alabama State Nurses Association for approval to award contact hours. Alabama State Nurses Association is accredited as an approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Guest speaker and health care professional, Lisa Marasco, MA, IBCLC, will discuss various breastfeeding topics, including “making of a milk factory,” “recognizing when things are headed south,” “thinking outside of the box” and “top five traits of a great lactation consultant.” Marasco has worked with breastfeeding mothers for more than 30 years and has been Internationally Board Certified since 1993. She holds a Master’s degree in Human Development with specialization in Lactation Consulting and was designated a Fellow of ILCA in 2009. Marasco is co-author of The Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to Making More Milk, a contributing author to the Core Curriculum for Interdisciplinary Lactation Care, and a new Cochrane Collaborative author. She is employed by WIC of Santa Barbara County while she continues to research, write and speak. In addition, Marasco is an Associate Area Professional Liaison for La Leche League of Southern California/Nevada, and serves on the Breastfeeding Coalition of Santa Barbara County.
About Southeast Georgia Health System
Southeast Georgia Health System is a not-for-profit health system comprised of two acute care hospitals, two long term care facilities, three immediate care centers, five family medicine centers and numerous employed physician practices. The Health System has multiple outpatient specialty care centers, including the only CyberKnife® Program in the region and one of only four in Georgia, and a Cancer Care Center accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. In 2018, the Health System’s Brunswick and Camden Campus hospitals were recognized in Georgia Trend magazine’s “Top Georgia Hospitals” in the medium-sized and small-sized categories, respectively. For more information, visit sghs.org.
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Northside Hospital Cancer Institute expands its immunotherapy treatment for patients with certain cancers 3:53 pmATLANTA— Northside Hospital Cancer Institute (NHCI) Immunotherapy Program now offers access to another chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy for treatment of adult acute lymphoid leukemia and certain types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Kymriah® CAR T-cell therapy is made from a patient’s own white blood cells, the prescription cancer treatment is used in patients up to 25 years old who have acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that is either relapsing (went into remission, then came back) or is refractory (did not go into remission after receiving other leukemia treatments). It is also used in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma that has relapsed or is refractory after having at least two other kinds of treatment.
“We’re targeting CAR T-cell therapy now to patients who have failed multiple rounds of conventional therapy,” said Scott Solomon, medical director of Northside’s Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Matched Unrelated Donor Program and Stem Cell Processing Laboratory. “These patients historically have had very poor outcomes, very low chances of even brief remissions and certainly no chances of a cure prior to CAR T-cell therapy. And now many of them are alive months or years after therapy.”
Immunotherapy works by taking immune cells, genetically modifying them to be better tumor-fighting immune cells, multiplying them to great numbers (tens of thousands), and then infusing them into the patient where they can find and attack cancer.
In 2018, NHCI became one of a select group of centers in the country to offer Yescarta™ CAR T-cell therapy for adult patients with certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In addition to the two CAR T-cell therapies, NHCI participates in innovative clinical trials for CAR T-cell therapy in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Immunotherapy trials are available for patients with AML and other hematologic malignancies utilizing technologies such as checkpoint inhibitors, bispecific T-cell engaging antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates.
NHCI has been doing immunotherapy for decades in the form of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, in which a donor’s bone marrow or blood is engineered and transplanted into a patient to cure aggressive blood cancers. Northside Hospital is nationally recognized for leukemia treatment and stem cell transplantation. For 10 consecutive years, the BMT Program at Northside has exceeded expected one-year survival outcomes for allogeneic transplants and is one of only two centers in the country (the only center in the Southeast) to do that.
Such transplants represented the first definitive proof of the human immune system’s capacity to cure cancer. Now, through studying CAR T-cells, cancer researchers are developing new ways to strengthen and empower a patient’s own immune system.
For more information about the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute Immunotherapy Program, visit northside.com/immunotherapy.
About Northside Hospital
The Northside Hospital health care system is one of Georgia’s leading health care providers with more than 240 locations across the state, including three acute care, state-of-the-art hospitals in Atlanta, Cherokee County and Forsyth County. Northside Hospital leads the U.S. in newborn deliveries and is among the state’s top providers of cancer care and surgical services. Northside has 3,000 physicians and 16,000 employees who serve more than 3 million patient visits annually across a full range of medical services.
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