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The Reading Hospital to Offer Nasal Mist Vaccine at Two Locations

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Reading Hospital and Medical Center will begin its public influenza vaccine campaign with two events. The first event will be held on Saturday, November 21, from 8 a.m. – noon in the lobby of The Reading Hospital Regional Cancer Center (N-Lobby). The second event will take place on Sunday, November 22, from noon – 3 p.m., at the Reading Health Dispensary, 838 Penn Street, Reading. Appointments are required, and can be made by calling 610-988-HELP (4357) during the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. There is a limited amount of vaccine available for both days.

The influenza vaccine that will be available is the live, attenuated, H1N1 nasal mist vaccine.

Potential recipients will be asked to sign a consent form and complete a state-required information sheet. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or adult relative.

You should not get the H1N1 nasal mist vaccine if you have a severe (life-threatening) allergy to eggs, or to any other substance in the vaccine. Tell the person giving you the vaccine if you have any severe allergies.

The live vaccine should not be given to the following groups.

• children younger than 2 and adults 50 years and older
• pregnant women,
• anyone with a weakened immune system,
• anyone with a long-term health problem such as
   o asthma
o lung disease
   o kidney or liver disease
o metabolic disease such as diabetes
o heart disease
   o anemia and other blood disorders
• children younger than 5 years with asthma or one or more episodes of wheezing during the last year,
• anyone with certain muscle or nerve disorders (such as
cerebral palsy) that can lead to breathing or swallowing
problems,
• anyone in close contact with a person with a severely
weakened immune system (requiring care in a protected
environment, such as a bone marrow transplant unit),
• children or adolescents on long-term aspirin treatment.

If you are moderately or severely ill, you might be advised to wait until you recover before getting the vaccine. If you have a mild cold or other illness, there is usually no need to wait.

Tell your doctor if you ever had:
• a life-threatening allergic reaction after a dose of seasonal
flu vaccine,
• Guillain-Barré syndrome (a severe paralytic illness also
called GBS).

These may not be reasons to avoid the vaccine, but the medical staff can help you decide.

For more information about the H1N1 vaccine, please review the attached Vaccine Information Statement, or visit www.readinghospital.org/flu.

Miller Elected President of Mid-Atlantic Section of American Urological Association

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Jay B. Miller, MD, of Shillington, has been elected President of the Mid-Atlantic Section of the American Urological Association. The Mid-Atlantic Section is comprised of Eastern Pennsylvania, South New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

The MA-AUA supports the study of urological medicine and maintains the highest standards for urological education, practice, and research.

Dr. Miller has been a member of the Hospital's Active Medical Staff for the past three decades, and is currently in the Section of Urology, Department of Surgery. He's in private practice with the Center for Urologic Care of Berks County, Wyomissing.

Board-certified in Urology, Dr. Miller received his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College (formerly Cornell University Medical College), NY, and completed his residency at University of Virginia Hospital.

Regional Cancer Center Accredited for Three Years

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The McGlinn Family Regional Cancer Center at The Reading Hospital has received a Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS). A facility receives a Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation following the on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor during which the facility demonstrates a Commendation level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement).

The Accreditation Program, a component of the CoC, sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those standards. Accreditation by the CoC is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. To maintain accreditation, facilities with CoC-accredited cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years.

Receiving care at a CoC-accredited cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to:

o comprehensive care, including state-of-the-art services and equipment
o a multispecialty, team approach to coordinate best treatment options
o information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options
o access to cancer-related information, education, and support
o a cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results, and offers lifelong patient follow-up
o Quality care close to home.

Cancer patient data are reported by each CoC-accredited cancer program to the CoC's National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint CoC/American Cancer Society program. The NCDB currently contains patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment and outcomes information for more than 18 million cancer patients diagnosed and treated at hospital cancer programs in the US between 1985 and 2004. These data account for approximately two-thirds of newly diagnosed cancer cases in the US each year.

NCDB data is regularly used to monitor and improve the quality of patient care delivered in CoC-accredited cancer programs. The CoC requires programs to implement quality improvement initiatives that promote the delivery of quality, multidisciplinary cancer care and lead to ongoing educational interventions with local providers in the CoC-accredited cancer programs.

Through an exclusive partnership with the American Cancer Society, the CoC provides the public with information on the resources, services, and cancer treatment experience for each CoC-accredited cancer program. The information is shared with the public on the American Cancer Society's web site at www.cancer.org and through the American Cancer Society's National Cancer Information Center at 800-ACS-2345.

Barbera Honored by Alvernia University

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Charles F. Barbera, MD, Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine at The Reading Hospital, was recently honored by Alvernia University with the Distinguished Alumni Award. A 2001 graduate of Alvernia's Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, Barbera was recognized for the valuable contributions he's made to the University, his community, his profession, and the nation.

Dr. Barbera extended his reach beyond the nation's border by traveling to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia earlier this year to help establish the nation's first trauma center. He was part of at 10-person team sponsored by Medical Teams International.

A resident of Wyomissing, Dr. Barbera has been a member of the Hospital's Active Medical Staff since 1996. He graduated from Temple University School of Medicine and is board-certified in Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Barbera is the first Healthcare MBA graduate to receive the award.

The Reading Hospital for Post-Acute Rehabilitation Now Open

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

After two years of visionary planning and careful construction, The Reading Hospital for Post-Acute Rehabilitation is moving patients towards greater independence after opening on October 20. Designed for patients and families by a team of physicians, clinicians, specialists, nurses, therapists, radiologists, and technicians on staff at The Reading Hospital, the facility was built for the sole purpose of supporting inpatient and outpatient post-acute care. Its opening brings the only secured brain injury rehabilitation unit into the region and is one of only a few in the entire state.

The facility features 112 private rooms, therapy garden, sweeping balcony to take in the beautiful landscaping, and flat screen televisions in the patient lounges. The purposeful Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Suite is designed for practicing everyday activities, and the Residential Transition Room will provide patients with the confidence to return home and live independently.

As the only program in the region accredited by both the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and The Joint Commission, patients are assured high-level care and safety. The facility boasts three times the national average of Certified Rehabilitation Nurses, an on-staff neuropsychologist, and a team of licensed psychologists specializing in trauma and post-acute rehab care.

Four state of the art gyms include next-wave equipment such as BALANCE MASTER for balance and weight-bearing, LiteGait System for mobility therapy, and ReoGo, which provides robotic movement assistance to support rehabilitation therapies.

A roving telemedicine robot is available for 24/7 physician access, and can be controlled from two base stations within The Reading Hospital's main West Reading campus.

There's also a 40,000-gallon therapeutic pool which was custom-designed with four separate staged therapies and a lift system for patient safety.

The Reading Hospital Responds to Patient Surge

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The large number of patients visiting the Hospital's Emergency Department (ED) and downtown Reading Urgent Care Center has prompted officials to segregate patients entering the ED with flu-like symptoms, and expand the number of ED and inpatient beds.

Flu Management Center
The Hospital opened a Flu Management Center on its main campus to accommodate the more than 150 patients entering the ED daily complaining of flu-like symptoms. Individuals without other health complications are masked and escorted to the Flu Management Center for further evaluation and treatment.

The Flu Management Center opened late last week in anticipation of increased patient volume and will remain open until further notice.

Patients are not receiving the H1N1 vaccine.

Hospital Expands Number of Beds
On Thursday, October 22, the ED's 21-bed Observation Unit was relocated to the third floor of R-Building, east wing. The vacated area in the ED is being used to accommodate the large number of patients entering the ED.

On Tuesday, October 20, nearly 60 patients were relocated from the Hospital's Post-Acute Continuum – E-Building, floors 2 & 3 – to The Reading Hospital for Post-Acute Rehabilitation. The north wing of E2 has been prepared to reopen immediately should additional beds be needed. The current occupancy rate of medical/surgical beds Hospital-wide exceeds 95%.

Visitor Restrictions
Effective immediately, visitors to nursing units must be at least 14 years old. This restriction does not affect Beginnings Maternity Center.

Individuals experiencing flu-like symptoms should not visit Hospital patients, and all visitors are asked to practice proper hand-hygiene and cough etiquette.

Urgent Care Center
The Reading Hospital's Urgent Care Center (UCC) located at 838 Penn Street, Reading, has seen its daily average of patients more than double within the last few days. The UCC is now seeing approximately 150 patients daily with flu-like symptoms. Usually open weekdays from 5 - 10 p.m., the UCC will expand its hours beginning Friday, October 23, from 3 - 10 p.m.

H1N1 Vaccine
To date, The Reading Hospital received 500 doses of the H1N1 vaccine. All 500 doses are the live, attenuated, nasal spray vaccine. The vaccine is being administered to patients and healthcare workers according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

The Reading Hospital Medical Group received 4,400 doses of the H1N1 nasal spray vaccine. The vaccine is being administered at its Family Medicine and QuickCare locations.

The Hospital does not know when additional vaccine will be distributed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH). Initial plans are to conduct a public campaign, but that will be determined by PA DOH deliveries.

Multidisciplinary Cancer Clinics

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Reading Hospital Regional Cancer Center's Multidisciplinary Clinics were featured in an October article in the Reading Eagle.

Multidisciplinary Cancer Clinics - 10/13/09

Motorcycle deaths rise as gas prices go up

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:17:08 EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - As gas prices rise, more people switch to motorcycles -- and more people die in motorcycle accidents, results of a new study indicate.

Is it safe to treat glaucoma in pregnant women?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:00:36 EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Eye drops containing a prescription drug called a beta-blocker, which lowers blood pressure, can be used in pregnant women with glaucoma, according to researchers from Taiwan.

Experts study thriving HIV "controllers" in vaccine search

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:19:38 EDT

PARIS (Reuters) - AIDS researchers want to expand their study of a rare group of HIV-infected people, whose immune systems naturally and mysteriously prevent the virus thriving in their bodies.

Shellfish may raise diabetes risk: study

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:00:54 EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Eating white and oily fish regularly may provide protection against type 2 diabetes, but eating shellfish may have the opposite effect, a study from the UK hints.

Tests show flu spreads from schools

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:13:37 EDT

* Most positive tests are among school-aged children

Global immunizations hit record but miss millions

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:01:13 EDT

* 24 million children unprotected despite gains

People with schizophrenia rarely kill strangers

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:01:03 EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite some highly publicized incidents in recent years, people with schizophrenia rarely commit random homicide, research shows.

Toyota philosophy works in the ER

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:54 EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Emergency rooms may be able to give patients faster and better care by applying some of the same principles that have worked in Japanese car manufacturing, a new study suggests.