/ en Tue, 29 Apr 2025 04:17:16 -0500 Mon, 14 Apr 25 12:57:08 -0500 /role-hospitals-massachusetts-general-hospital-team-performs-second-xenotransplant-genetically-edited-pig-kidney-living <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="col-md-7"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-mass-general-pig-kidney-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Massachusetts General Hospital. Tatsuo Kawai, M.D., Tim Andrews, Leonardo Riella, M.D. (left to right)" width="700" height="532"></p><p><small class="sm">Tatsuo Kawai, M.D., Tim Andrews, Leonardo Riella, M.D. (L to R)</small><br><small class="sm">Photo courtesy of Kate Flock/Massachusetts General Hospital</small></p></div><p>Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston performed its second successful transplant of a genetically edited pig kidney into a living recipient in January 2025. MGH surgeons performed the world’s first such transplant in March 2024. Xenotransplantation, the term for the transplantation of organs from one species to another, is an experimental treatment being researched as a “potential solution” to the global organ shortage.</p><p>The patient in the second transplantation surgery, 66-year-old Tim Andrews, was discharged from the hospital about a week after the transplant and is doing well. Andrews had been on dialysis for more than two years due to end-stage kidney disease. His blood type is group O, and people with O positive and O negative blood types typically wait five to 10 years for a donor organ, compared to three to five years for most patients.</p><p>Advancements in the field of transplantation have helped address a worldwide organ shortage. According to the <a href="https://www.organdonor.gov/learn/organ-donation-statistics" target="_blank">Health Resources & Services Administration</a>, more than 103,000 people in the U.S. await an organ for transplant, and 17 people die each day waiting for an organ. MGH received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to proceed with this surgery and plans to perform two more xenotransplants in 2025.</p><p>Andrews said he awoke from the transplant surgery feeling “reenergized and revitalized,” noting that “the magnitude of what these doctors and nurses accomplished is unbelievable.”</p><p>Leonardo Riella, M.D., medical director for kidney transplantation at MGH and Andrews’ nephrologist, observed that the milestone operation “reminds us of the transformative potential” of xenotransplantation. “We remain committed to learning from this experience to make it a safe, viable option for every patient in need. Together, we are working toward a future where no one has to die waiting for a kidney,” Riella said.</p><p> </p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.massgeneral.org/news/press-release/mgh-performs-second-xenotransplant-of-genetically-edited-pig-kidney-into-living-recipient" target="_blank">READ MORE</a></p><p> </p></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/innovation">Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Mon, 14 Apr 2025 12:57:08 -0500 Care Delivery /role-hospitals-st-joseph-hospital-safe-nurses-maine-hospital-provide-specialized-care-sexual-assault-survivors <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-5"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-st-joes-saft-700x532.jpg" alt="St. Joseph Hospital. A female nurse in scrubs talks with a female patient sitting in a hospital bed" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>More than half of women and nearly one in three men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetime, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/about/index.html#:~:text=Over%20half%20of%20women%20and,1" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>. In the state of Maine each year, more than 19,000 people will experience sexual violence, according to a <a href="https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/wpsites.maine.edu/dist/2/115/files/2023/01/2022-Maine-Crime-Victimization-Report_Final.pdf" target="_blank">2022 report</a>.</p><p>The emergency department at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor, Maine, has Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) nurses ready to care for any person who has been sexually assaulted. SAFE nurses have received specialized training and clinical preparation to provide trauma-informed care for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child or dependent adult abuse or neglect. These nurses perform a comprehensive medical examination and provide treatment for injuries and sexually transmitted infections, and if requested, can document injuries and collect evidence that can be used later in a trial.</p><p>The medical screening is confidential, and adults can receive this specialized care with or without reporting the sexual assault to police — or they may choose to file a police report at a later date. If requested and needed, a SAFE nurse can act as a factual or expert witness in court.</p><p>All the services provided by SAFE nurses are patient driven, and “everything is a personal choice,” emphasizes the hospital team. “We realize you have just been through a traumatic experience. We are here to care for you and do what is best for each individual.”</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://stjosephbangor.org/services/emergency-department/safe-nurses" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/center/population-health">Improving Health and Wellness</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Tue, 08 Apr 2025 16:17:46 -0500 Care Delivery /role-hospitals-kent-hospitals-spaulding-rehabilitation-teams-offer-life-changing-health-care-patients-all-ages <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-5"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-rhode-island-rehab-700x532.jpg" alt="Kent Hospital’s Spaulding Rehabilitation teams offer life-changing health care to patients of all ages - image of young female physical therapist working with a middle aged man who is holding light dumbells" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>Involved in many sports and athletic activities, David played semipro football for six years but experienced several injuries and faced major health challenges beginning in 2010. He weighed 400-plus pounds and struggled walking. After having both hips replaced (eight weeks apart) in 2024, he started physical therapy at Spaulding Outpatient Centers at Kent Hospital in Rhode Island, part of Care New England. David says physical therapy has “completely changed” his life: “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOEllEWXC6g" target="_blank">It’s bright now</a> — before it was dark.”</p><p>Kent Hospital’s Spaulding Rehabilitation teams offer inpatient and outpatient services, caring for patients recovering from sports injuries, stroke, traumatic brain injury, amputations, concussions, Lyme disease, Parkinson’s disease and more. A multidisciplinary team is led by a physiatrist — a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation — and includes health professionals from physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, rehabilitation nursing, social work, neuropsychology, nutrition and respiratory therapy, depending on a patient’s needs. The team works to help patients regain strength, mobility and independence and considers patients and their family members as an integral part of the journey.</p><p>In addition, the Pawtucket, R.I., location provides a range of physical, occupational and speech therapy services for children, from newborns to teens. Therapists work closely with parents or guardians and the child’s primary care physician to assess a child’s needs and goals and create a specialized treatment program. Christine Brewster, an occupational therapist at Spaulding Pediatric Rehabilitation, says <a href="https://www.kentri.org/services/spaulding-rehab/pediatric-specialty-services" target="_blank">pediatric occupational therapy services</a> may include helping infants with feeding issues, working with toddlers to improve and refine their motor skills, and helping older children develop more sophisticated interpersonal skills to foster friendships and participation in groups and on sports teams.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.kentri.org/services/spaulding-rehab" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/center/population-health">Improving Health and Wellness</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Mon, 07 Apr 2025 15:17:08 -0500 Care Delivery /news/headline/2025-04-04-study-finds-ai-screening-oud-led-fewer-hospital-readmissions <p>The National Institutes of Health April 3 released a <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/ai-screening-opioid-use-disorder-associated-fewer-hospital-readmissions">study</a> that found an artificial intelligence screening tool was as effective as health care providers in identifying hospitalized adults at risk for opioid use disorder and referring them to inpatient addiction specialists. When compared with patients who received consultations with providers, patients screened by AI had 47% lower odds of hospital readmission within 30 days after their initial discharge, saving nearly $109,000 in care costs. <br> </p> Fri, 04 Apr 2025 16:04:14 -0500 Care Delivery /baby-thriving-after-innovative-procedure-shrivel-lemon-sized-cyst <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="col-md-6"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-03/image-telling-the-hospital-story-yale-new-haven-childrens-hospital-700x532-3-18-2025-3.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Yale New Haven. Stock image bouncing baby" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>Cutting-edge medical advancements are saving and transforming lives, including minimally invasive procedures in the smallest patients: newborns and infants. </p><p>A team at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital in Connecticut performed a minimally invasive procedure on a 3-day-old baby who had been diagnosed with a lymphatic malformation in utero. A procedure called sclerotherapy was used to shrink a lemon-sized cyst in the newborn, who is now doing well. </p><p>The lymphatic malformation — a rare, nonmalignant, congenital condition — was identified during a prenatal ultrasound during the mother’s third trimester. The mother had follow-up appointments with clinicians, pediatric surgeons and other team members at YNHCH’s Fetal Care Center and neonatal intensive care unit. After ruling out other “anatomical abnormalities” that could affect the newborn’s head and neck region and compromise breathing, the mother was monitored through the rest of her pregnancy and delivered a healthy baby girl. </p><p>Stacey Bass, M.D., medical director of pediatric interventional radiology at YNHCH, and her team performed sclerotherapy when the baby was 3 days old, due to concerns about how the cyst might affect the baby’s development and breathing. The procedure involved accessing the cyst with a needle and placing a catheter, which instilled medicine into the cyst to help stop it from accumulating fluid and then eventually shrivel. The catheter was removed after two days, and the baby went home. </p><p>The young patient is doing well and reaching her developmental milestones. She has a tiny scar from the procedure, which will eventually fade. Her mother praised the YNHCH team that provided care throughout this medical journey. “They connected me to the experts, and the experience was very reassuring despite all the uncertainty. I was impressed by the evidence-based approach, collaborative conversations, and empathy.”</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.ynhh.org/articles/lymphatic-malformation">LEARN MORE</a></p><p> </p></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/innovation">Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Tue, 18 Mar 2025 13:40:43 -0500 Care Delivery /news/headline/2025-02-13-new-infographic-shows-hospitals-massive-economic-and-community-impact <p>The AHA released an <a href="/infographics/2024-06-13-hospitals-are-cornerstones-their-communities-infographic">infographic</a> Feb. 13 highlighting the many ways hospitals and health systems advance health and support their communities. In 2023, U.S. hospitals directly employed 6.6 million people and supported nearly one in six jobs across the country. Hospitals also purchased over $1.3 trillion in goods and services, fueling $4.8 trillion in total economic activity. </p> Thu, 13 Feb 2025 17:13:53 -0600 Care Delivery /news/headline/2025-02-13-white-house-eo-establishes-make-america-healthy-again-commission <p>President Trump Feb. 13 signed an executive order establishing the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/establishing-the-presidents-make-america-healthy-again-commission/">Make America Healthy Again Commission</a>, to be chaired by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The commission is tasked with “investigating and addressing the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis, with an initial focus on childhood chronic diseases.” <br> <br>The commission has four main policy directives to reverse chronic disease:  <br><br>•    Empower Americans through transparency and open-source data and avoid conflicts of interest in all federally funded health research. <br>•    Prioritize gold-standard research on why Americans are getting sick in all health-related research funded by the federal government. <br>•    Work with farmers to ensure that U.S. food is healthy, abundant and affordable. <br>•    Ensure expanded treatment options and health coverage flexibility for beneficial lifestyle changes and disease prevention. <br><br>Within 100 days, the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-the-make-america-healthy-again-commission/">said</a> the commission will produce an assessment that summarizes what is known and what questions remain regarding the childhood chronic disease crisis, and within 180 days, the commission will produce a strategy, based on the findings of the assessment, to improve the health of America’s children.</p> Thu, 13 Feb 2025 17:09:54 -0600 Care Delivery /role-hospitals-hartford-healthcare-enhances-translation-services-deaf-and-hard-hearing-patients <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-7"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-02/ths-hartford-asl-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Hartford HealthCare. A female doctor gestures with hands while consulting with a male patient." width="700" height="532" class="align-left"></p></div><p>Better communication between patient and provider translates into better care. Hartford HealthCare in Connecticut is partnering with the American School for the Deaf to offer in-person American Sign Language services and other translation services for deaf and hard-of-hearing patients and their companions. The health system is adding a full-time ASL/English medical interpreter to its team so that patients can understand their providers and fully participate in conversations, including asking questions and requesting advice.</p><p>Interpretation services for Hartford HealthCare patients and their companions who are deaf or hard of hearing are available in person or on video. Patients also have access to assistive listening devices or qualified notetakers, depending on their communication preferences.</p><p>Announcing the partnership, Ajay Kumar, M.D., Hartford HealthCare executive vice president and chief clinical officer, observed, “It is our privilege — and responsibility — to meet the communication needs of those who rely on us as part of our work to promote the health and healing of all. Clear communication is essential for quality and safe care.”</p><p>In addition to ASL services, Hartford HealthCare provides <a href="https://hartfordhealthcare.org/patients-visitors/patients/interpretive-services">other interpretive services</a>, as needed or requested, for all patients, designated caregivers, families and loved ones — at no cost, 24/7/365. These services include a voice remote interpreter in more than a dozen languages, over-the-phone interpreter, qualified bilingual staff and in-person certified interpreters.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://charlottehungerford.org/about-us/news-press/news-detail?articleid=60005" target="_blank" title="Learn More">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/advocacy/access-and-health-coverage">Access to Care</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:18:53 -0600 Care Delivery /news/headline/2025-02-03-aha-podcast-caring-our-kids-how-ohsu-addressing-psychosocial-needs-complex-pediatric-patients <p>In this new “Caring for Our Kids” episode, David Wagner, pediatric psychologist at Oregon Health and Science University, discusses the Novel Interventions in Children's Healthcare program and how this innovative approach is transforming care for vulnerable children. <a href="/advancing-health-podcast/2025-02-03-caring-our-kids-how-ohsu-addressing-psychosocial-needs-complex-pediatric-patients"><strong>LISTEN NOW</strong></a></p><div></div> Mon, 03 Feb 2025 15:53:37 -0600 Care Delivery /2025-01-28-how-unlock-your-health-care-teams-potential <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/How-to-Unlock-Your-Health-Care-Teams-Potential.png" data-entity-uuid="7b29ec6d-0b81-4cd0-b283-f97bc0fc7622" data-entity-type="file" alt="How to Unlock Your Health Care Team’s Potential. YouTube video screencap of Laura Stone, author, Team Purpose to Performance, from the video What Are the Three Key Questions Your Team Should Ask to Improve Performance and Impact?" width="100%" height="100%"></p><p>The demands on health care leadership teams have never been greater. Addressing these challenges head-on, Laura J. Stone's latest offering in her three-volume series “A Pocket Guide to Purpose” provides a road map for driving team performance and efficiency.</p><p>With more than 30 years of experience in learning, testing, research and client engagements, Stone introduces the Team Purpose to Performance™ process in Volume 3, a methodology employed by Fortune 500 companies and the ���������� Association. This pressure-tested approach aims to help teams unlock their potential and drive meaningful change.</p><p>Stone highlights several organizations that have implemented the process with notable results. At CVS, it played a key role in the company's decision to eliminate the sale of tobacco products — a move that, while financially impactful, aligned with their broader health mission. Global food giant Danone used the approach to streamline its operations and achieve a "Best in Class" Gartner ranking. IBM leveraged it to simplify its outsourcing division's operations, coining the phrase "HR Easy."</p><h2><span>What are the three key questions your team should ask to improve performance and impact?</span></h2><p>In this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD7JBvXBvW0" target="_blank" title="YouTube: What Are the Three Key Questions Your Team Should Ask to Improve Performance and Impact?">video</a>, Stone shares insights into what makes a highly effective team.</p><p></p><p>Health care organizations can apply these same principles to enhance team alignment, improve communication and build a lasting organizational legacy. According to Stone, this process helps teams:</p><ul><li><strong>Define the highest level of work that only the team can do together.</strong></li><li><strong>Clarify the work that leaders should focus on at the highest strategic level possible.</strong></li><li><strong>Encourage all team members to realize their strengths and become more decisive and effective.</strong></li></ul><p>“Efforts and courage are no substitutes for purpose and direction. ‘Team Purpose to Performance’ is the ideal guide for what it takes to embed both into your culture,” said Paul Polman, former Unilever CEO.</p><p>Stone’s <a href="https://laurastone.com/" target="_blank" title="Laura Stone homepage">website</a> provides additional resources for health care leaders.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" width="721" height="130" data-entity- type="file" class="align-center"></a></p><p><a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type alt width="360" height="300"></a></p></div></div></div>.field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } h2 { color: #9d2235; } Tue, 28 Jan 2025 06:00:00 -0600 Care Delivery