/ en Sat, 26 Apr 2025 07:41:05 -0500 Tue, 22 Apr 25 14:44:08 -0500 /role-hospitals-providence-alaska-medical-center-innovative-therapy-prostate-cancer <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="col-md-6"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-providence-alaska-prostate-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Providence Alaska. A male physician sits talking with an older male patient" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>In 2025, researchers predict about 313,780 new diagnoses of prostate cancer and 34,770 deaths across the United States. But those cases aren’t evenly spread across the country. Mortality rates for Alaskans, for example, are typically higher than the general population due to a range of factors including limited access to treatment. For Alaska Native men, the number is even higher. Study findings show that overall prostate cancer rates for American Indian and Alaska Native men are 12% lower than white men, but mortality rates are 31% higher. For Alaska Native men, the number is even higher. Study findings show that overall prostate cancer rates for American Indian and Alaska Native men are 12% lower than white men, but mortality rates are 31% higher.</p><p>In Anchorage, Providence Alaska Medical Center has become the first facility in the state to offer an innovative treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. In March, the hospital began administering Pluvicto, a targeted therapy designed to identify and kill prostate cancer cells that express a protein known as prostate-specific membrane antigen. Pluvicto is different from traditional chemotherapy and radiation treatments because it specifically targets these cancer cells, minimizing damage to healthy cells. </p><p>“Pluvicto is one of the only treatments that improves overall survival in men with prostate cancer that has spread elsewhere in the body and is no longer responding to hormonal treatments,” said Dr. John Halligan, radiation oncologist and medical director of Radiation Oncology at Providence Cancer Center. </p><p>Treatment data shows that combining Pluvicto with standard chemotherapy and radiation led to 30% of men experiencing tumor reduction or disappearance. In contrast, those who received standard therapy alone saw a 2% reduction. Thanks to this new therapy, Alaskans no longer need to travel to the Lower 48 to receive this care.<br><br><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.nnbw.com/news/2025/mar/06/healthcare-industry-focus-conrad-breast-center-expected-to-open-this-summer/" target="_blank">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, 22 Apr 2025 14:44:08 -0500 Stories /role-hospitals-renown-healths-comprehensive-hub-breast-cancer-care <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="col-md-6"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-renown-breast-cancer-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Renown Health. A female physician holds a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon " width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>This spring, the Renown Specialty Care Center at Renown Health in Reno, Nev., will open the <a href="https://www.renown.org/Health-Services/Cancer-Care/Breast-Health" target="_blank">Conrad Breast Center</a>, a multidisciplinary, one-stop shop for breast health and wellness.</p><p>The center, which will open on the third floor of the hospital, will feature state-of-the-art diagnostic medical equipment such as 3D mammography, breast MRI and breast ultrasound. It will also feature a breast wellness center for patients with a high genetic risk of developing breast and other types of cancers. These services will be available in one place, reducing travel requirements for patients and setting the facility apart from other care centers in the community.</p><p>“It was very fragmented, but now it will all be under one roof,” said Madeline Hardacre, oncology wellness physician at Renown Health. “It allows us to treat patients in a more collaborative and comprehensive way, which is better for our community since everything will all be located in one center.”</p><p>Certain cancer-related services, like medical oncology and chemotherapy infusion services, will remain at the main hospital campus. But most breast-specific services will be housed in the new center.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.nnbw.com/news/2025/mar/06/healthcare-industry-focus-conrad-breast-center-expected-to-open-this-summer/" target="_blank">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, 22 Apr 2025 13:49:45 -0500 Stories /role-hospitals-uconn-health-community-outreach-program-improves-access-mammograms <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/2025-04/ths-uconn-mammogram-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="UCONN Health. A patient is escorted to a mammogram screening" width="700" height="532" class="align-left"></p></div><p>The benefits of screening for breast cancer are well documented; for example, having regular mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. Saving lives is the impetus behind a community outreach and engagement program led by UConn Health, based in Farmington, Conn.</p><p>As part of this UConn Health program, community health workers attend events in the community and at other UConn Health offices to share educational information about prevention and screening for breast cancer. They also help people who are uninsured or underinsured schedule mammogram screenings and follow-up appointments.</p><p>During a presentation at a local YWCA literacy group in New Britain, Conn., community health worker Rosa Agosto spoke with Vanessa Neira, a New Britain resident with a history of breast cancer in her family. At the time, Neira did not have insurance, so Agosto helped Neira connect with the UConn Health free mammogram program. Neira’s mammogram detected a “concerning spot,” but follow-up testing ruled out cancer. Neira remains grateful for support from the UConn Health team.</p><p>Agosto emphasizes that lack of insurance “should not be a barrier to mammograms, and here at UConn Health we are proud to be able to provide assistance to those who need mammograms, so they have access to early diagnosis, interventions and treatment.”</p><p>“To tell a woman with no insurance we can offer her a free mammogram can be life changing,” adds Kim Hamilton, program coordinator, community outreach and engagement, at UConn Health.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://today.uconn.edu/2024/10/uconn-health-community-programs-helping-under-insured-and-uninsured-with-breast-cancer-screenings" 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> Mon, 21 Apr 2025 13:50:56 -0500 Stories /role-hospitals-arkansas-childrens-hospital-celebrates-30-years-nutrition-research-and-innovation <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-arkansas-childrens-nutrition-2-700x532.jpg" alt="Arkansas Children’s Hospital. A smiling young girl sits at a school dining table eating a nutritious meal" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC) is celebrating three decades of groundbreaking research that has significantly improved the health and development of children worldwide. Established in 1994, ACNC has become a leader in pediatric and maternal nutrition research through its large-scale studies exploring how maternal diet, physical activity and early feeding practices influence a child's growth and development. "The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center plays a critical role in defining and delivering unprecedented care for children," said Dr. Pete Mourani, senior vice president and chief research officer of ACNC.</p><p>ACNC's research approach is translational, meaning their scientists oversee studies within traditional scientific labs as well as clinical studies and trials among children and mothers. This comprehensive approach expanded understanding of the impact of different feeding types on infants’ cognition, growth and development. Additionally, ACNC has explored how nutrition and physical activity influence maternal and child metabolism and brain function during critical periods of development, including pregnancy, early childhood and pre-adolescence.</p><p>"We are proud to host community-based studies that take the best evidence we know from the lab and the clinic to real-world settings where families live, learn and play," Mourani said.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.archildrens.org/news/releases/2024/acnc-celebrates-30-years-of-research" 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> Wed, 16 Apr 2025 14:54:45 -0500 Stories /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 Stories /role-hospitals-queens-health-systems-collaborate-provide-enlightened-cancer-care-hawaiians <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="col-md-6"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-queens-medical-cancer-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="The Queen’s Health Systems. An older woman wearing a scarf on her head sits in a chair receiving cancer treatment from a nurse" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>The Queen’s Health Systems, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, joined a new collaborative initiative — called Ka Umeke Lama, or “Bowl of Enlightenment” in Hawaiian — that aims to transform cancer care across the islands.</p><p>In Hawaii, over 7,000 residents are diagnosed with invasive cancer annually, and 2,000 residents die each year of cancer. As the population continues to age and the need for cancer care grows, the <a href="https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2024/12/17/new-initiative-aims-transform-cancer-care-hawaii/" target="_blank">Ka Umeke Lama initiative</a> aims to improve access to care and cancer outcomes through research, workforce development and culturally informed practices.</p><p>Specific plans include the creation of a centralized clinical research database; the launch of clinical trials that address cancer disparities among different populations; deployment of oncology providers and early detection units to rural and underserved areas; the development of telehealth systems; and use of artificial intelligence-based clinical trial screening and monitoring tools.</p><p>Additionally, Queen’s Health Systems has partnered with the University of Hawaii Cancer Center to provide oncology care in a newly constructed hospital wing — a collaborative project with the Hawaii Cancer Consortium, the members of which also form the Ka Umeke Lama Initiative. This partnership offers early-phase clinical trial treatments, so patients won’t have to travel to other states to receive cutting-edge care options.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.queens.org/the-queens-health-systems-and-uh-cancer-center-parnter-to-develop-hawaiis-first-on-campus-cancer-clinical-center/" target="_blank">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> Fri, 11 Apr 2025 15:34:51 -0500 Stories /role-hospitals-virtual-singing-walking-groups-dartmouth-healths-programs-older-adults-enhance-health <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/stc-dartmouth-aging-resource-center-700x532.png" alt="Dartmouth Health. A female art teacher stands talking to an older woman seated at a craft table" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>Food for Your Soul: Reading Poetry Together. Get Hooked on Walking. Virtual Morning Sing. How to Eat to Improve Our Resilience to Stress. These classes are among hundreds offered by the Dartmouth Health Aging Resource Center in Lebanon, N.H., each year.</p><p>The Aging Resource Center, part of the health system’s Geriatric Center of Excellence, offers free educational classes, support and services to improve the minds, bodies and spirits of older adults and their families. Programs and support groups are held in person and virtually.</p><p>Older adults can take a class or series of classes to improve their balance, get help using their iPhone, participate in a morning virtual sing or in-person singing group, write poetry, learn strategies for coping with symptoms of chronic disease and get tips for eating healthy when money is tight — and much more. In addition, they can access the Aging Resource Center to simply relax, read, browse the internet or enjoy exhibits by local artists who also are older adults.</p><p>The center also hosts a Memory Café for individuals with dementia and their caregivers, which is organized by Dartmouth medical students and an attending physician. The café provides social, cognitive and physical activities for patients, including live music, arts and crafts, and chair exercises, and offers informational sessions for caregivers.</p><p>One older adult with Parkinson’s disease noted, “We often feel like we’re on our own fighting the progression of this disease. We’re excited to have access to this support group and are looking forward to attending future sessions.”</p><p>A Food for Your Soul program participant observed, “Reading and discussing poetry biweekly lifts our spirits and engages our minds and emotions in new, challenging and inspiring ways.”</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/aging-resource-center" 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> Fri, 11 Apr 2025 13:10:53 -0500 Stories /role-hospitals-our-lady-lake-ascension-works-improve-early-sepsis-detection <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="col-md-6"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-lady-of-lake-ascension-sepsis-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Our Lady of the Lake Ascension. Composite image shows a physician in white coat typing on a laptop, overlaid with futuristic tech symbols." width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>At Our Lady of the Lake Ascension, a community hospital in Gonzales, La., that’s part of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (FMOLHS), a groundbreaking technology is making waves in sepsis detection. The hospital has recently implemented the only Food and Drug Administration-cleared sepsis test, IntelliSep, a blood test that can detect sepsis in its early stages. Test results are available in under 10 minutes, allowing health care providers to act swiftly. "Early detection is a matter of life and death," said Chuck Spicer, president of Our Lady of the Lake Ascension.</p><p>The new sepsis test has already shown promising results. In its first year of use, the hospital reported a 30% reduction in mortality among septic patients, due to being able to diagnose and treat the infection more quickly. The hospital's emergency department, which sees a high volume of critically ill patients, has integrated the test into its routine workflows, ensuring that every patient suspected of sepsis is tested promptly. FMOLHS is one of only two health systems using the test.</p><p>The impact extends beyond patient outcomes. By reducing the time spent in the hospital and minimizing unnecessary patient transfers, the technology also helps lower medical costs and improve overall health care delivery for patients. "The addition of a proven, innovative technology gives us an accurate tool for ensuring our patients receive the most appropriate treatments locally," Spicer added.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.fmolhs.org/news/our-lady-of-the-lake-ascension-implements-new-life-saving-technology-in-emergency-department" target="_blank">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> Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:22:48 -0500 Stories /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 Stories /role-hospitals-intermountain-health-partners-ad-council-address-firearm-injuries-among-youth <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-agree-to-agree-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Intermountain Health partners with Ad Council to address firearm injuries among youth. Agree to Agree poster shows two men talking" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>For the past three years, firearm injuries have been the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 17 in the United States. In response, the Ad Council, in partnership with Intermountain Health and a coalition of health care and business leaders, launched the social impact program "<a href="https://agreetoagree.org/" target="_blank">Agree to Agree</a>," an initiative to reduce gun-related tragedies affecting children and teens. The program focuses on the full spectrum of firearm injuries, including suicides, intentional and unintentional shootings.</p><p>“Over the past year, Intermountain caregivers have done extensive work in the areas of suicide prevention and gun safety,” said Rob Allen, president and chief executive officer of Intermountain Health. “By raising awareness and offering training and resources, we help to both save lives and remove the stigma around conversations on gun safety and mental health.”</p><p>Intermountain Health has been actively working to protect communities by distributing nearly 67,000 free firearm locks and increasing access to mental health resources. The "Agree to Agree" campaign focuses on the idea that gun owners and non-gun owners can agree that firearms should not be the leading cause of death for children and teens. The campaign includes public safety announcements for parents and health care professionals, directing them to resources on how to prevent firearm injuries and have supportive conversations about gun safety and mental health.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://news.intermountainhealth.org/intermountain-health-joins-initiative-to-curb-impact-of-firearm-injuries-and-deaths-on-americas-youth/">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/community-benefit">Benefiting Communities</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Tue, 08 Apr 2025 15:43:46 -0500 Stories