Grand Rounds June
Susan Shuster Joins St. Louis Medical News
Professional relations director perfect fit for B2B publishing team
Susan Shuster brings a lot of heart to the St. Louis Medical News publishing team.
Two years after her son, Sgt. Michael Shuster, 82nd Airborne, 3rd Brdg 5-73 CAV Bravo Troop, was injured in Iraq, she put her career on hold to care for her family.
Before that, Shuster had served most recently as a professional relations director for Clinical Products LLC, makers of unique medical food products for diabetes and weight management, where she was responsible for developing from the ground up the physician and specialty retail markets for a hunger and glucose program. She also co-developed, sold and implemented a comprehensive Diet & Lifestyle Program for the physician market and implemented a new business segment for the physician market that included customized protocol – development and implementation, patient acquisition, patient retention, profitability improvement plans, marketing strategies, customized plans – for each practice.
Then, with the injury of her son, now a Wounded Warrior at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, “I determined that family was more important than my career so I took time off to care for family,” said Shuster, a media communications graduate from Webster University who has also sold online advertising for River City Internet Group, and marketed a host of Internet and telecommunications services.
Also, Shuster was a video specialist and an adult basic education coordinator and case manager at Barnes Jewish Hospital’s Independence Center, a highly unique program that serves as a “psychosocial rehabilitation program where our volunteers (clients) were ‘wanted, needed and expected’ as a mantra to the clubhouse model,” explained Shuster, part of the employment services team tasked with assisting adults with mental illnesses obtain meaningful employment.
In addition, she and her husband, Tony Shuster, are principals of St. Louis Sewer and Drain Cleaning Services LLC, their second small business, established in 2006. Her adult daughter, Brittany, is in advanced individual training in security for the U.S. Air Force and will be stationed in Georgia. The Shusters’ younger daughter, Sofia, is an outgoing nine-year-old, who loves to entertain and is an active Girl Scout. Nine-month-old twin grandsons, Wyatt and Tristen, round out the family.
“Susan brings a wealth of varied healthcare experiences, as well as marketing savvy, to the new St. Louis Medical News. I look forward to working with her to build a successful publication for physicians and healthcare providers in the St. Louis market,” said St. Louis Medical News market publisher Larry Henry.
To connect with Shuster, email sshuster@medicalnewsinc.com.
New Technology at St. Louis Children’s Hospital Limits Radiation Exposure for Patients
St. Louis Children’s Hospital is the first pediatric hospital in Missouri to acquire new FLASH CT scanner technology that will make scans safer for even the smallest of patients.
The number of CT scans performed on children has increased five-fold over the last 15 years. Ninety percent of those scans were performed at non-pediatric hospitals, often exposing children to unnecessary radiation.
While nationwide the statistics show an upward trend in the volume of CT scans performed on pediatric patients, the number of CT scans ordered at Children’s has decreased by half since 2005.
The FLASH CT, expected to be available to patients by mid-summer, helps ensure the hospital’s radiology team acquires a high image quality scan while minimizing the amount of radiation exposure for the child. Children, whose cells, organs and tissues are still developing, are more susceptible to the dangers of radiation. St. Louis Children’s Hospital has long manually customized the dosage of CT scans for patients, cutting dosage by about half and thereby minimizing a child’s risk.
FLASH will require far fewer manual dosing steps, and further improve patient care by automatically adjusting the dosage to fit the size and needs of each individual patient. Studies show the technology cuts the amount of radiation emitted by a standard CT scanner by 75%. Additionally, it will virtually eliminate the need to sedate a child because of the speed at which it captures images. Faster scans mean that children need to remain still for far less time, reducing prep time and anxiety, and improving their experience.
Barnes-Jewish Expands Stroke Network to St. Charles County
St. Charles County residents will now have even faster access to nationally recognized acute stroke care as the Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital Stroke Network enhances its ties with Progress West Medical Center and Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital.
A new telemedicine robot housed at Progress West HealthCare Center in O’Fallon, MO, lets Washington University stroke specialists be “remotely present” when a patient with a suspected stroke comes to the Progress West emergency department.
The robot lets stroke specialists located at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, 26 miles east of Progress West, work collaboratively and in real time with the Progress West physicians to diagnose stroke patients, begin treatment with the clot-busting drug tPA, and arrange for transport to Barnes-Jewish, if needed.
Progress West is a stroke-ready hospital, and the affiliation with Barnes-Jewish Hospital provides access to one of the nation’s best stroke teams.
For acute stroke care, this may mean faster, more accurate onsite treatment of patients presenting to our partner hospitals says Peter Panagos, MD, co-director of the stroke-care team who also says this can be especially critical at hospitals where transporting the patient to Barnes-Jewish could potentially put the patient outside of the window for treatment with tPA.
The Progress West robot, manufactured by In Touch Health, connects to Barnes-Jewish via wireless internet. It is the second robot in use by a Washington University/Barnes-Jewish stroke network hospital. Parkland Health Center in Farmington, MO, about 60 miles south of St. Louis, started using a robot in its emergency department in January.
SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center and Kohl’s Department Stores partner for kids
Thanks to a $123,478 grant from Kohl’s Department Stores to fund the Kohl’s Passenger Safety Program at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, local families in need will receive 850 car seats and 532 bike helmets, free of charge, this year..
\Each week, Kohl’s Passenger Safety Program partners with SSM Cardinal Glennon to give car seats away at three or more community sites. Their nationally certified car-seat technicians install the seats to ensure optimal fit. The technicians are also on hand to check for proper installation of car seats that families currently own.
\In addition to car seats, SSM Cardinal Glennon distributes and fits bike helmets at area events, where they use an interactive display to teach bike safety. The display, or Safety Town, is a street grid lined with typical town buildings. Children navigate peddle carts through the streets while being coached to observe street signs and safety rules. Kohl’s helped fund new Safety Town buildings, which were unveiled May 12 at the Optimist Kick-Off Cook-Off BBQ Contest for Childhood Cancer `Research. A portion of the Cook-Off proceeds will benefit the Bob Costas Cancer Center at SSM Cardinal Glennon.
Since their partnership began in 2006, Kohl’s has provided a total of $621,195 in grants to SSM Cardinal Glennon. For more information, visit kohlspassengersafetyprogram.org.
Medical West to Open New Location
Medical West announces plans to move its South County location from St. Anthony’s Medical Building to 19 Ronnies Plaza at Lindbergh and Baptist Church Roads. This new space will allow Medical West to expand the scope of its products and services to better serve St. Louis physicians and their patients. June 4 is the expected opening.
Medical West has been serving the St. Louis community for 57 years. Medical West began as a pharmacy in 1955 and has evolved into a full service medical equipment company with the addition of respiratory services in 2003.
Clayton and St. Peter’s locations along with the South County retail healthcare facility will serve the medical community and patients in the entire metropolitan area.
SSM Health Care - St. Louis Names Wayne Laramie Vice President of Emergency Services
SSM Health Care – St. Louis has named veteran emergency/trauma nurse and administrator Wayne Laramie, R.N., B.S.N., M.B.A., to the position of vice president of emergency services. In this new position, Laramie will have executive oversight over emergency department and trauma center services offered at SSM Health Care – St. Louis’ seven hospitals.
Laramie most recently served as executive director of emergency services for the health care network’s northern hospitals, which include SSM DePaul Health Center, SSM St. Joseph Health Center, SSM St. Joseph Health Center – Wentzville and SSM St. Joseph Hospital West. Prior to that, Laramie spent eight years as emergency department director at SSM St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake Saint Louis, after starting his career at the hospital as an ICU and emergency department staff nurse in 1993.
Laramie has master’s degree in business administration from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. and a bachelor’s degree of nursing from Maryville University in St. Louis.
Mercy Children’s Hospital Doctor Elected to American Academy of Pediatrics
Sandra McKay, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician with Mercy Children’s Hospital and Mercy Clinic in O’Fallon, was recently elected secretary/treasurer of the Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Her roles include advocating for children at the local and state level, along with helping to coordinate the group’s Annual Advocacy Day, which brings providers from across the State of Missouri together to educate legislators on a variety of topics. McKay is also a member of the executive council for the Missouri AAP and a board member of the Maternal Child and Family Health Coalition. She has been active on several committees to promote advocacy and quality improvement within the Mercy system.
St. Louis Senior Care Company Relocates Operational Headquarters
Home Care Assistance of St. Louis, a provider of in-home care for seniors, is proud to announce the relocation of its operational headquarters to the Creve Coeur area in West St. Louis County. The new location is conveniently located near the intersection of I-270 and Olive Boulevard adjacent to Kohl’s at 12125 Woodcrest Executive Drive – Suite 210, St. Louis, MO. This location was selected due to its close proximity to some of the metro area’s leading medical centers including Mercy Hospital St. Louis, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Barnes Jewish West County Medical Center, St. Luke’s Hospital and SSM – De Paul Health Center and the affiliated physician offices that serve each center.
Home Care Assistance of St. Louis specializes in providing clients with in-home assisted living services featuring its proprietary Balanced Care Method™ approach. The company recently launched a Hospital to Home Care offering which is focused on ensuring clients receive the proper care post-hospitalization in the comfort of home with the support they need to fully recover. Since 2006, Home Care Assistance of St. Louis has served hundreds of clients across the greater St. Louis area.
Dr. John Farrell Joins Mercy Clinic
John S. Farrell, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist who has been on staff at Mercy Hospital St. Louis for many years as an independent physician, has joined Mercy Clinic, effective April 2, 2012. Dr. Farrell has been division chief of gastroenterology at Mercy since 2009.
Dr. Farrell received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from St. Louis University in 1970 and his medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine in May 1973. He completed his internship at St. Louis University Hospital in 1974 and his internal medicine residency at St. Louis University Hospital in 1976. He completed his fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, in 1978.
Bergamini Named Medical Director for Mercy Palliative Care Services
Dr. Bob Bergamini was recently named medical director for Mercy Palliative Care services. As a pediatric oncologist with Mercy for more than 25 years, Bergamini is passionate about palliative care, comprehensive in his views about its value in the care process and an extraordinary patient advocate.
In this role, Bergamini will lead the implementation of a comprehensive palliative care program across Mercy and across the continuum of care. Bergamini will serve in this role half time while still providing care to oncology patients through the Cardinals Kids Cancer Center in St. Louis.
Mercy Clinic is actively recruiting a third pediatric oncologist to continue the programs that are in place, to allow for additional growth in patient volumes and to create new services to be offered at the Cardinals Kids Cancer Center.
SSM Health Care – St. Louis names Mindy Manley vice president of surgical services
SSM Health Care – St. Louis has named Mindy Manley as vice president of surgical services.
Manley has served in surgical services leadership positions since 1991, and has been with SSM Health Care – St. Louis since 2001. She most recently served as executive director for surgery and cardiac services for the health care network, and previously served as director of surgical services at SSM DePaul Health Center.
Manley has a master’s degree in management and leadership from Webster University in St. Louis and a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management from Maryville University in St. Louis.
In her new position, Manley will oversee the management and function of all hospital-related surgical operations at SSM Health Care – St. Louis hospitals.
Polsinelli Shughart Attorney Honored with Justice Award
More than 300 legal professionals from throughout the state of Missouri gathered for the 14th annual “Women’s Justice Awards,” an event celebrating Missouri’s leading women professionals. Joan B. Killgore, shareholder at Polsinelli Shughart and adjunct professor at her alma mater Saint Louis University School of Law, received the “Business Practitioner” award in
Killgore maintains a general transactional and regulatory health law practice, focusing on the representation of academic medical centers, hospitals, physicians, long term care facilities, ancillary medical service providers and other health care clients. With her background as a registered nurse and an adjunct professor for the Center for Health Care Studies at Saint Louis University School of Law, Killgore brings specialized clinical and technical experience to her health law practice.
She received her law degree, magna cum laude, from Saint Louis University in 2000 and was health law symposium editor of the law journal. Killgore graduated from the University of Virginia in 1986 with a bachelor of arts and received a nursing diploma from Missouri Baptist Medical Center School of Nursing.
Endovascular Therapies Offer Minimally Invasive Alternative for PAD
While multiple treatment options exist to treat PAD, new therapies at the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Heart & Vascular Center are giving patients a minimally-invasive option.
Endovascular therapy, using balloons and stents, is being used in a growing number of patients.
The endovascular procedure, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of the femoral arteries opens the blocked or narrowed femoral artery to restore blood flow to the lower leg without open vascular surgery. A special catheter is inserted with a tiny balloon at its tip and is inflated once the catheter has been placed into the narrowed area of the artery. The inflation of the balloon compresses the fatty tissue in the artery and makes a larger opening for the blood to flow through. Then a stent (a tiny, expandable metal coil) is inserted into the newly opened area of the artery to help keep it from narrowing or closing again.
Typically, stents are used in patients who have less severe, less extensive disease, whereas a more invasive bypass surgery is recommended for patients with more extensive blockages.
For more information, visit www.barnesjewish.org/heart-vascular/peripheral-artery-disease.
Jaffe named president of pediatric association
David M. Jaffe, MD, was elected president of the Academic Pediatric Association at its recent annual meeting in Boston.
Jaffe is the Dana Brown Professor of Pediatrics and director of the Division of Emergency Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and medical director of emergency services at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Jaffe was chosen to lead the association for the 2012-13 term in recognition of his numerous professional achievements and dedication to the field. He was named president-elect and joined the association’s board of directors in May 2011.
Jaffe is considered a pioneer in the field of pediatric emergency medicine. He was the first pediatric emergency medicine fellow in the United States, participated in writing the first textbook and published an article in the first volume of Pediatric Emergency Care. In addition, he was a founding member of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Collaborative Research Consortium and the federally funded Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network, both multi-institutional research networks. He has long been involved in leadership and strategic planning with national pediatric emergency organizations. He has served as a mentor and faculty adviser to residents and fellows since 1985.
Jaffe’s research focuses on young children with fever, spine and brain injuries and multi-center collaborative research.
He has been named among the Best Doctors in America by Best Doctors Inc.
SSM Health Care – St. Louis Names Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services VP
SSM Health Care – St. Louis has named Jerry Rumph as vice president of diagnostic imaging and therapeutic services. In his new position, Rumph is responsible for the coordination of standards and for patient safety, clinical outcomes and patient, employee and physician satisfaction across all seven SSM Health Care – St. Louis hospitals for radiology, respiratory, vascular, neuro-diagnostic lab, pharmacy and laboratory services.
A senior healthcare executive for more than 26 years, Rumph most recently served as a regional executive director for diagnostic services for SSM Health Care – St. Louis. He joined SSM Health Care – St. Louis in 2005 as director of inpatient and outpatient diagnostic services for SSM DePaul Health Center. He previously served in administrative health care positions at U.S. Army medical care facilities, including General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital in Missouri, where he was chief operating officer.
Rumph has a master’s degree in health care administration from Baylor University, and is a fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives.