OneWest Foundation Grant Helps Launch Project to Help Low-Income Patients Obtain Medical Care Through UCLA, Venice Family Clinic. - Biotech Week

Thanks to a generous three-year, $300,000 grant from the OneWest Foundation - matched by funds from the UCLA Health System - qualified Venice Family Clinic patients who need hospitalization or specialized medical care may now be helped by a pilot project launched by the foundation, the clinic and the UCLA Health System (see also OneWest Foundation).

'Currently, there is a fragmented system in place to ensure access to specialty and inpatient care for low-income patients seen at Venice Family Clinic,' said Dr. David Feinberg, CEO of the UCLA Hospital System and associate vice chancellor. 'As a result, complex medical conditions are often only partially diagnosed, and interventional care is frequently delayed until it becomes critical or life-threatening. Patients end up in the Los Angeles County health system, where medical resources and the expertise to deal with the underlying causes are in very limited supply, or they are treated in the emergency room, which is the most expensive form of health care.

'This pilot project's goal is to provide integrated primary care, specialty care and tertiary care at the right time and in the right medical setting - and to make a true difference in people's lives.'

The Pasadena, Calif.-based OneWest Foundation is committed to investing in organizations that help build stronger communities. This grant will support low- to moderate-income patients who lack private insurance and do not qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare coverage through the pilot project by making a gift pledge through The UCLA Foundation.

'It gives me great satisfaction to know that OneWest is playing a vital role in advancing the UCLA Health Sciences' mission of research, education, patient care and public service, as well as the Venice Family Clinic's commitment to patient care,' said Steven T. Mnuchin, chairman of the OneWest Foundation. 'We are proud to help make a difference in the lives of those in our community.'

The pilot project will help those patients seen at Venice Family Clinic's new Colen Family Health Center in Mar Vista who do not have private insurance or qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare coverage, and who require specialty care and hospitalization, to secure ongoing treatment at the UCLA Health System. The Colen Family Health Center will open in March 2010 and will serve 4,000 people annually. Roughly 74 percent of the Colen Family Health Center's patients are expected to meet the criteria for this initiative.

'The health systems that work best are those that are integrated and located in the community where patients live,' said Liz Forer, CEO of Venice Family Clinic. 'This collaboration between Venice Family Clinic and the UCLA Health System will expand the options available to our patients, reduce health care treatment costs and improve health outcomes.'

The joint venture is intended to establish the value and efficacy of providing coordinated inpatient and outpatient care to low-income patients. UCLA and Venice Family Clinic will assess the impact of the program annually. At the conclusion of the initial three-year period, UCLA and the clinic will explore the viability of pursuing a more permanent solution. UCLA Health System For more than half a century, the UCLA Health System has provided the best in health care and the latest in medical technology to the people of Los Angeles and the world. Comprising Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital, the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA, Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA and the UCLA Medical Group, with its wide-reaching system of primary care and specialty care offices throughout the region, the UCLA Health System is among the most comprehensive and advanced health systems in the world. For more information, visit www.uclahealth.org. Venice Family Clinic The mission of Venice Family Clinic is to provide free, quality health care to people in need. Launched in 1970 by volunteer physicians Dr. Philip Rossman, founder, and Dr. Mayer B. Davidson, co-founder, the clinic first operated at night in space borrowed from a small storefront dental office. Today, it is the largest free clinic in the country, providing comprehensive primary health care and a range of specialty care and supportive services to nearly 24,500 low-income, uninsured and homeless men, women and children. The clinic provides more than 86,500 medical, 2,100 vision, 2,100 dental and 8,700 mental health visits annually, as well as auxiliary visits, like case management and health education, through its eight locations on the west side of Los Angeles County.

Venice Family Clinic also enjoys a formal affiliation with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. UCLA provides human resource services, while the clinic provides training in community primary and specialty care to more than 350 residents and medical students each year. For more information on Venice Family Clinic, visit www.venicefamilyclinic.org. OneWest Foundation The OneWest Foundation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation established in 2009 with a $10 million contribution from OneWest Bank, FSB. The foundation's priorities include the provision of affordable housing, health care, education and financial literacy, as well as other important community development efforts that develop, stabilize or rehabilitate underserved communities. OneWest Bank, FSB is a regional bank focused on delivering personalized, relationship-based banking to its customers. It has 81 retail branches in Southern California, with approximately $14 billion in deposits and total assets of $27 billion, including a loan portfolio, a securities portfolio, a servicing platform representing more than $150 billion of loans serviced for third-party investors, and Financial Freedom, a reverse mortgage platform. OneWest is an FDIC-insured institution and funds deposited in the bank are insured up to the FDIC's insurance limit of $250,000 per depositor. For more information, visit www.onewestbank.com.

Keywords: Banking, Finance, Financial, Foundation, Health, Health Policy, Hospitals, Insurance, Investing, Investment, Marketing and Licensing Agreements, Medical Technology, Medicare, Medicare and Medicaid, Mortgage, Mortgages, Pediatrics, Philanthropy, Professional Services, Real Estate, Reverse Mortgage, Technology, OneWest Foundation.

RONALD REAGAN UCLA MEDICAL CENTER RATED ONE OF TOP HOSPITALS IN THE U.S. RANKED 'BEST IN WEST' FOR 22ND CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN ANNUAL SURVEY. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES -- The following information was released by the University of California Los Angeles:

By Roxanne Moster

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center ranks among the top five American hospitals, according to a U.S. News and World Report survey that reviewed patient-outcomes data, reputation among physicians and other care-related factors. The medical center also was rated the best hospital in the western United States for the 22nd consecutive year and the No. 1 hospital in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

'Our purpose is to heal humankind, one patient at a time,' said Dr. David Feinberg, president of the UCLA Health System and UCLA associate vice chancellor for health sciences. 'Every day, every night and every holiday, our team of incredible doctors, nurses and staff comes to work to make sure that every patient we see is treated like a member of our own family. While we are pleased with this recognition, what really drives us is ensuring that every patient that comes through our doors gets care that is compassionate, safe, of the highest quality, and delivered with dignity and respect.'

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is also the only hospital in Los Angeles and the Southern California region that appears on the magazine's 'Honor Roll.' The latest rankings showcase 720 hospitals out of about 5,000 nationwide. Each is ranked among the country's top hospitals in at least one medical specialty and/or is ranked among the best hospitals in its metropolitan area. Just 17 hospitals made the national honor roll, a distinction that signals both rare breadth and depth of medical excellence.

The rankings can be found online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and will be featured in the U.S. News 'Best Hospitals' guidebook, which will go on sale Aug. 30.

The goal of U.S. News' 'Best Hospitals' is to help guide patients who need an especially high level of care because of a difficult surgery, a challenging condition or added risks because of other health problems or age.

'These are referral centers where other hospitals send their sickest patients,' said Avery Comarow, U.S. News' health rankings editor. 'Hospitals like these are ones you or those close to you should consider when the stakes are high.'

'This honor confirms, once again, that the UCLA Health System is one of the premier health care providers in the nation,' said Dr. A. Eugene Washington, UCLA vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. 'We take tremendous pride in receiving this prestigious recognition of our high-quality, exemplary patient-centered care. I commend and congratulate each member of our UCLA Health System team for putting patients first and helping us earn this distinction.'

Covering 94 metro areas in the U.S., the metropolitan region hospital rankings complement the national rankings by including hospitals with solid performance, nearly at the level of nationally ranked institutions. The regional rankings are aimed primarily at consumers whose care may not demand the special expertise found only at a nationally ranked 'best hospital' or who may not be willing or able to travel long distances for medical care. The U.S. News metro rankings give many such patients and their families more options of hospitals within their community and in their health insurance network.

Hard numbers stand behind the rankings in most areas -- death rates, patient safety, procedure volume and other objective data. Responses to a national survey, in which physicians were asked to name hospitals they consider the best in their specialty for the toughest cases, also were factored in.

The rankings cover 16 medical specialties and include all 94 metro areas that have at least 500,000 residents and at least one hospital that performed well enough to be ranked.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center was rated one of the top five hospitals in the nation, along with Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, which ranked first; Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, which was second; the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., which was third; and the Cleveland Clinic, which was fourth.

The 'Best Hospitals' honor roll highlights the medical centers that were ranked at or near the top in at least six specialties. Nationally, UCLA ranked in the top 20 in 15 of the 16 specialty areas. In each of the following specialties, UCLA's national rankings are indicated: cancer at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (10); cardiology and heart surgery (9); diabetes and endocrinology (7); ear, nose and throat (11); gastroenterology (6); geriatrics (2); gynecology (13); kidney disorders/nephrology (7); neurology and neurosurgery (7); ophthalmology at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute (5); orthopaedics (19); psychiatry at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA (7); pulmonology (13); rheumatology (6); and urology (4).

In addition, the UCLA Health System's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA was ranked No. 8 and its Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital was ranked No. 15, both designated as high-performing hospitals in the Los Angeles metro area.

'These are hospitals we call 'high performers,'' Comarow said. 'They are fully capable of giving most patients first-rate care, even if they have serious conditions or need demanding procedures. Almost every major metro area has at least one of these hospitals.'

Recently, the UCLA Health System was the focus of 'Prescription for Excellence,' a book focusing on leadership lessons from the UCLA Health System for creating a world-class customer experience.

View videos featuring the stories of patients treated at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

UCLA joins forces with White House to meet unique needs of veterans, families. - Defense & Aerospace Week

As part of a White House effort to ensure that America's military heroes receive care worthy of their service, the UCLA Health System and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have pledged to mobilize their uniquely integrated missions in education, research and clinical care to help train physicians to meet the special needs of veterans, active service members and their families.

Joining Forces, an initiative launched by first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, announced that UCLA and a number of other renowned institutions, along with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), have partnered to help create a new generation of doctors, medical schools and research facilities that can deliver first-rate care to current and former military members, including treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.

The commitment is the latest in a series of ongoing efforts by the UCLA Health System and the Geffen School of Medicine to provide cutting-edge medical and mental health care to wounded warriors and their loved ones.

'We are honored to participate in the White House Joining Forces initiative to address the health care needs of military service members, veterans and their families,' said Dr. A. Eugene Washington, UCLA's vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the Geffen School of Medicine. 'We launched Operation Mend in 2007, a program that provides reconstructive surgery and medical services to service members wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. This unique medical program combines the best of the military's resources with the skills of the UCLA Health System for a comprehensive and collaborative treatment approach for those who have served our country.

'We're also pleased to address the mental health needs of U.S. military personnel and their families through our FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress) program. Currently being implemented at over 20 sites around the country and in Japan, UCLA's FOCUS provides mental health intervention, treatment and support to improve the psychological health of our military members and their families. Our goal is to show these heroes that their country is there for them, no matter what they're going through.'

Together, the Geffen School of Medicine, the UCLA Health System, the AAMC and the AACOM are committed to enriching medical education to make physicians aware of the clinical challenges and best practices associated with caring for this group; developing new research and clinical trials on post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries to better understand and treat these conditions; sharing information and best practices with each other and other institutions through a collaborative web forum created by the AAMC; and growing the body of knowledge leading to improvements in health care and wellness for military service members, veterans and their families.

'I'm inspired to see our nation's medical schools step up to address this pressing need for our veterans and military families,' Michelle Obama said. 'By directing some of our brightest minds, our most cutting-edge research and our finest teaching institutions toward our military families, they're ensuring that those who have served our country receive the first-rate care that they have earned.'

To date, UCLA's Operation Mend has treated nearly 60 U.S. soldiers wounded and disfigured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Founded by philanthropist Ronald A. Katz, a member of the board and executive committee of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and his late wife, Maddie, Operation Mend is a partnership among the UCLA Health System, Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, and the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

The program's original goal was to give returning service members with severe facial injuries access to the Army's best burn center and the nation's best plastic and reconstructive surgeons. The mission has since expanded to include healing of the body, mind and spirit. In addition to plastic and reconstructive surgery, the program now provides mental health support for service members and their families, orthopedic reconstruction for severely damaged limbs, urologic treatment, otolaryngological care, examination and treatment of reproductive issues, repair of airways, and the design of prosthetic ears.

Since 2009, UCLA's Project FOCUS, led by associate professor of psychiatry Patricia Lester, has reached out to military families to help prevent the personal and psychological problems that long and often multiple wartime deployments can lead to, not only for the service member on the front lines but for families back home.

UCLA faculty have also been pivotal in advancing research and policy on post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, a major focus of the new Joint Forces partnership.

David Hovda, a professor of neurosurgery and director of the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center, is a national expert on traumatic brain injuries who played a key role in advising the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the establishment of mandatory protocols to help service members recover after suffering such injuries. In June 2011, the U.S. Army presented Hovda with its Strength of the Nation Award for his extraordinary contributions to caring for the nation's wounded warriors. The award is presented annually to an individual who engages in exemplary public service that makes a substantial contribution in completing the Army's mission. Operation Mend's Ronald Katz received the award in 2010.

'It is a privilege for the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to assist our country's men and women in the military,' said Dr. David T. Feinberg, president of the UCLA Health System and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System. 'We are honored to partner with Brooke Army Medical Center to help heal several of America's wounded warriors - and to partner with the White House Joining Forces initiative.'

Keywords: Asia, PTSD, Defense, *U.S. Army, Government, Central Nervous System, University of California - Los Angeles.

UCLA CONFERENCE TO ADDRESS TECHNOLOGY'S IMPACT ON SUCCESSFUL AGING OCT. 29. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

While aging impacts everyday living in many ways, the latest technologies in the medical, consumer and lifestyle fields have the potential to help older adults live better for longer.

The UCLA Center on Aging's third annual 'UCLA Technology and Aging Conference: Science Changing Lives,' will feature national academic and industry leaders who will explore cutting-edge innovations affecting every aspect of life, from video games for seniors and remote health monitoring to medical robotics and the latest imaging tools for diagnosis and disease management.

The one-day symposium takes place Friday, Oct. 29, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Designed for older adults, their families and caregivers, the conference will provide information about the latest developments to help enhance the quality of life of seniors. Many speakers at the conference have been featured in the national media for their research and work.

'Every year, we explore how the latest technological innovations and medical advances can help us age more successfully,' said Dr. Gary Small, UCLA's Parlow-Solomon Professor on Aging and director of the UCLA Center on Aging. 'It's a great opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field.'

Dr. Joseph F. Coughlin, founder and director of the AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will present the morning keynote address.

During lunch, Small, who is also a professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, will give an overview of how technology has enhanced the field of psychiatry and what to expect in the future.

An afternoon keynote by Gerald Kominski, professor of health services and director of the Health Economics and Evaluation Research Program at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, will address how health care reform will impact the lives of seniors.

Conference breakout sessions will take place throughout the day and will focus on developments in disease management and treatment, adaptive and assistive devices, and the impact of information technology on well-being.

Panels will include:

Technology Addiction -- How to Digitally Detox

The constant availability of the Internet, e-mail, texting and video gaming has led to a new form of compulsive and dependent behavior. Panelists will explore the similarities between these and other forms of addiction and obsessive-compulsive tendencies and offer strategies to help adapt to the modern age.

(Dr. Gary Small, UCLA Center on Aging; Dr. Gloria Mark, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine; Dr. Timothy Fong, UCLA Impulse Control Disorders Clinic)

Remote Health Sensors: Tele-Health Monitoring and Diagnosis

Experts will demonstrate the latest devices for monitoring stroke patients, a sophisticated electronic shoe to help balance and coordination, and technology for at-home transmission of medical data for diagnosis and disease management.

(Dr. Majid Sarrafzadeh, UCLA Wireless Health Institute; Dr. Bruce Dobkin, UCLA Neurologic Rehabilitation and Research Unit; Dr. Nick Terrafranca, MediSens; Dr. Michael Ong, UCLA Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research; Lorraine Evangelista, UCLA School of Nursing)

Medical Bionics and Robotics

The panel will examine the latest in robotic heart surgery, real-time tactile feedback for prostheses, advances in urologic surgery and devices such as a pacemaker for the bladder.

(Dr. Erik Dutson, UCLA Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology; Dr. Richard Shemin, UCLA chief of cardiothoracic surgery; Dr. Larissa Rodriguez, UCLA Division of Female Urology, Reconstructive Surgery and Urodynamics)

Busting Anti-Aging Myths

Do reservatol, antioxidants and vitamin C help you live longer? A leading expert separates fact from fiction in presenting the latest on longevity and diet.

(Dr. David Heber, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition)

A New Generation of Gamers

Learn about the latest innovative adaptations to traditional video games that can be used safely by 'gamers' of all ages, including seniors.

(Belinda Lange, University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies)

Advances in Imaging: Latest Tools to Diagnose and Treat Disease

Learn about the latest updates in computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, including techniques for cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary imaging and vascular radiology.

(Dr. J. Pablo Villablanca, UCLA chief of diagnostic neuroradiology; Dr. Cheryl Hoffman, UCLA Department of Radiology, Interventional Radiology Section; Dr. Paul Finn, UCLA chief of diagnostic cardiovascular imaging)

Staying in Home vs. Assisted Living

According to statistics, 95 percent of seniors elect to stay in their own homes, but is that the right choice? Two national experts debate the issue of staying in the home with delivered services versus moving into a residential assisted-living building designed to cater to social and service needs.

(Victor Regnier, ACSA Distinguished Professor, University of Southern California School of Architecture; Jon Pynoos, professor of gerontology, policy and planning, University of Southern California Andrus Gerontology Center)

Brain Fitness: Improving Cognitive Performance and Brain Health

Growing scientific evidence suggests physical and mental exercise can improve brain health and cognitive function. Experts will review the latest research supporting brain fitness, highlight new cognitive training devices and discuss the challenges of determining the effectiveness of these technologies.

(Dr. Gary Small, UCLA Center on Aging; Dr. Bill Reichman of Baycrest, an academic health science center focused on aging in Toronto; Steven Aldrich, Posit Science; Gary and Rita Considine, creators of the brain game 'Mind Power')

Ending Back Pain

Nine out of 10 adults will experience back pain in their lifetime. This session will explore the latest advances in treatment for eliminating back pain, including techniques and advances in surgery, spinal imaging, injection therapy and novel rehabilitation methods.

(Dr. Jeffrey Wang, UCLA Orthopedic Surgery; Dr. David Fish, UCLA Injection Therapy; Sean Hampton, UCLA physical therapist)

Memory Boot Camp

How good is your memory? Test your skills in this interactive session and learn methods for stimulating your memory from experts at the UCLA Center on Aging.

(Dr. Linda Ercoli and Dr. Karen Miller, UCLA Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute)

Cutting-Edge Devices

Swallow a capsule to image a digestive tract or replace the need for a heart transplant with a mechanical pump called the Heart Mate II. Panelists will discuss the latest advances in minimally invasive procedures and new treatments.

(Dr. Rome Jutabha, UCLA Center for Small Bowel Diseases; Dr. W. Robb MacLellan, UCLA Division of Cardiology; Dr. Eric Esrailian, UCLA Division of Digestive Diseases)

Physical Exercise and Cognitive Health

Can working out really increase your brain function? Experts will examine evidence of the positive effects that exercise and environmental enrichment can have on brain activity.

(Dr. Carl Cotman, Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine; Dr. Amelia Russo-Neustadt, department of biological sciences, California State University, Los Angeles; Dr. Nicole Berchtold, Mind Research Unit, University of California, Irvine; Dr. Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, UCLA Department of Physiological Science)

The Friday, Oct. 29, conference will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Skirball Cultural Center. For a full program, registration and more information, please call 310-794-0777 or visit www.aging.ucla.edu/TechAgingConference.html.

Corporate conference sponsors include Belmont Village Senior Living, Northern Trust and AARP.

The UCLA Center on Aging is a nonprofit organization that aims to enhance and extend productive and healthy life through research and education on aging. Founded in 1991, the center brings geriatrics and gerontology to the forefront of public awareness and support and offers a number of programs to the public, including memory training, the Senior Scholars program and community meetings, as well as conferences on aging and technology and research.

RONALD REAGAN UCLA MEDICAL CENTER RATED ONE OF TOP HOSPITALS IN THE U.S. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

Contact: Roxanne Moster

(Note to editors: B-roll footage of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and the UCLA Health System is available by request via FTP.)

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center ranks among the top five American hospitals, according to a U.S. News and World Report survey that reviewed patient-outcomes data, reputation among physicians and other care-related factors. The medical center also was rated the best hospital in the western United States for the 22nd consecutive year and the No. 1 hospital in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

'Our purpose is to heal humankind, one patient at a time,' said Dr. David Feinberg, president of the UCLA Health System and UCLA associate vice chancellor for health sciences. 'Every day, every night and every holiday, our team of incredible doctors, nurses and staff comes to work to make sure that every patient we see is treated like a member of our own family. While we are pleased with this recognition, what really drives us is ensuring that every patient that comes through our doors gets care that is compassionate, safe, of the highest quality, and delivered with dignity and respect.'

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is also the only hospital in Los Angeles and the Southern California region that appears on the magazine's 'Honor Roll.' The latest rankings showcase 720 hospitals out of about 5,000 nationwide. Each is ranked among the country's top hospitals in at least one medical specialty and/or is ranked among the best hospitals in its metropolitan area. Just 17 hospitals made the national honor roll, a distinction that signals both rare breadth and depth of medical excellence.

The rankings can be found online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and will be featured in the U.S. News 'Best Hospitals' guidebook, which will go on sale Aug. 30.

The goal of U.S. News' 'Best Hospitals' is to help guide patients who need an especially high level of care because of a difficult surgery, a challenging condition or added risks because of other health problems or age.

'These are referral centers where other hospitals send their sickest patients,' said Avery Comarow, U.S. News' health rankings editor. 'Hospitals like these are ones you or those close to you should consider when the stakes are high.'

'This honor confirms, once again, that the UCLA Health System is one of the premier health care providers in the nation,' said Dr. A. Eugene Washington, UCLA vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. 'We take tremendous pride in receiving this prestigious recognition of our high-quality, exemplary patient-centered care. I commend and congratulate each member of our UCLA Health System team for putting patients first and helping us earn this distinction.'

Covering 94 metro areas in the U.S., the metropolitan region hospital rankings complement the national rankings by including hospitals with solid performance, nearly at the level of nationally ranked institutions. The regional rankings are aimed primarily at consumers whose care may not demand the special expertise found only at a nationally ranked 'best hospital' or who may not be willing or able to travel long distances for medical care. The U.S. News metro rankings give many such patients and their families more options of hospitals within their community and in their health insurance network.

Hard numbers stand behind the rankings in most areas -- death rates, patient safety, procedure volume and other objective data. Responses to a national survey, in which physicians were asked to name hospitals they consider the best in their specialty for the toughest cases, also were factored in.

The rankings cover 16 medical specialties and include all 94 metro areas that have at least 500,000 residents and at least one hospital that performed well enough to be ranked.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center was rated one of the top five hospitals in the nation, along with Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, which ranked first; Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, which was second; the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., which was third; and the Cleveland Clinic, which was fourth.

The 'Best Hospitals' honor roll highlights the medical centers that were ranked at or near the top in at least six specialties. Nationally, UCLA ranked in the top 20 in 15 of the 16 specialty areas. In each of the following specialties, UCLA's national rankings are indicated: cancer at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (10); cardiology and heart surgery (9); diabetes and endocrinology (7); ear, nose and throat (11); gastroenterology (6); geriatrics (2); gynecology (13); kidney disorders/nephrology (7); neurology and neurosurgery (7); ophthalmology at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute (5); orthopaedics (19); psychiatry at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA (7); pulmonology (13); rheumatology (6); and urology (4).

In addition, the UCLA Health System's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA was ranked No. 8 and its Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital was ranked No. 15, both designated as high-performing hospitals in the Los Angeles metro area.

'These are hospitals we call 'high performers,'' Comarow said. 'They are fully capable of giving most patients first-rate care, even if they have serious conditions or need demanding procedures. Almost every major metro area has at least one of these hospitals.'

Recently, the UCLA Health System was the focus of 'Prescription for Excellence,' a book focusing on leadership lessons from the UCLA Health System for creating a world-class customer experience.

View videos featuring the stories of patients treated at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

UCLA, MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION FUND JOIN TO ESTABLISH NEW GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY UNIT. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

The Motion Picture and Television Fund, the 90-year-old charity supporting members of Hollywood's entertainment industry, today announced a first-of-its-kind affiliation with the UCLA Health System and UCLA's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital to establish a geriatric psychiatry unit at the MPTF's Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills, Calif.

The unit, co-branded by the MPTF and UCLA, will provide inpatient and outpatient services to individuals 55 years and older with emotional or behavioral disorders. It will accommodate up to 12 patients and is anticipated to be fully operational, pending regulatory approvals, by the first quarter of 2013.

'This historic linkage with the UCLA Health System is another key piece in the larger strategy we have developed for our organization,' said the MPTF's CEO Bob Beitcher. 'Among our many goals, we are focused on building a health care campus capable of delivering a broad set of services to our industry members and, selectively, to the San Fernando Valley community.'

'UCLA feels privileged to contribute its world-class geriatric expertise to MPTF's storied campus,' said Dr. David Feinberg, president of the UCLA Health System. 'UCLA has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with the entertainment community, and this new affiliation will be a welcome extension of that.'

The new unit's medical director will hold a faculty position at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and will participate in the academic and research activities of the university. The MPTF will provide the unit's clinical caregivers, and MPTF medical staff will collaborate with UCLA at the Wasserman Campus to integrate the practices of geriatric medicine and geriatric psychiatry for industry members. In connection with the MPTF's social services program, there will also be a focus on the impact of psychiatric illness on caregivers and families.

'UCLA's Department of Psychiatry is very pleased to be part of this extraordinary affiliation with MPTF,' said Dr. Thomas Strouse, director of the Resnick Neuropsychiatirc Hospital. 'We will be bringing specialized faculty and our state-of-the-art geriatric psychiatry treatment program to the MPTF facility in Woodland Hills, and we look forward to a creative alliance that will also encompass wellness, prevention, and health-maintenance clinical research activities,' Strouse added.

The MPTF will make this new service available on a preferential basis to entertainment industry members, as well as to the community. The organization's previously announced 40-bed long-term care unit and Harry's Haven, its 30-bed dementia care unit, will remain exclusive to members of the entertainment community.

'The MPTF board is committed to management's new health care roadmap, and we could not have a higher regard for Dr. David Feinberg, Dr. Gary Small, Dr. Thomas Strouse and the UCLA geriatric psychiatry program,' said Casey Wasserman, an MPTF board member. 'UCLA and this team represent the best possible partner for MPTF as it moves into this new service.'

The Motion Picture and Television Fund has served for 90 years as a beacon of hope for entertainment industry members in their time of need. As a charitable organization, the MPTF provides financial assistance and services essential to the well-being of the community and is a leader in the development and implementation of services and programs for seniors and those who care for them. The charity is supported by the generosity of corporate donors and fellow entertainment industry members who contribute their time and money, knowing if they were ever in a tight spot, the MPTF would be there for them too.

UCLA PARTNERSHIP RECEIVES $12 MILLION GRANT TO IMPROVE HIV CARE IN MALAWI. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

The U.S. Agency for International Development has awarded $12 million to a partnership that includes the UCLA Department of Medicine to improve the quality of HIV care in Malawi.

The partnership, called EQUIP-Malawi, (Extending QUality ImProvement for HIV/AIDS in Malawi), comprises the UCLA Program in Global Health and the division of general internal medicine and health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; the Partners in Hope Medical Center, a non-governmental agency in Lilongwe, Malawi; the Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation-Malawi; the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation; and Toga Laboratories of South Africa.

UCLA's share of the five-year grant is $2.5 million. Dr. David Eisenman, UCLA assistant professor of medicine, division of general internal medicine and health services research, is the UCLA project director. The overall project director of EQUIP-Malawi Project Director is Dr. Perry Jansen, a UCLA-trained family physician and founder of Partners in Hope Medical Center in Malawi.

'EQUIP will rapidly improve the lives of thousands of people in Malawi by reducing new infections in infants and adults and by ensuring more persons who are infected get the quality treatment and care they need,' Eisenman said. 'It's a privilege to bring UCLA's skills and resources to help Malawi improve the quality of its HIV care.'

Dr. Thomas J. Coates, director of the UCLA Program in Global Health and associate director of the UCLA AIDS Institute, is the UCLA project overseer and will chair the EQUIP-Malawi Steering Committee with membership from the United States, Malawi and South Africa.

'The UCLA Program in Global Health has been a long-term partner of Partners in Hope in Malawi,' said Coates, who is also a UCLA professor-in-residence of medicine in the division of infectious diseases. 'We are pleased to join them in this effort and work with the other important partners - Baylor College of Medicine, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Toga Laboratories.'

Project co-directors are Dr. Risa Hoffman, a UCLA clinical instructor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, and John Hamilton, director of the UCLA-Malawi Initiative in the UCLA Program in Global Health,

EQUIP-Malawi project capitalizes on the partners' existing networks, infrastructure and acquired expertise and has three complementary objectives:

Strengthening the continuum of HIV care among various health services, facilities and communities in Malawi.

Developing training and mentoring programs to improve workforce capacity and quality of care.

Creating a consortium of sites for operational research to improve the quality of HIV care and training.

For more information about EQUIP-Malawi, visit the Program in Global Health's website at www.globalhealth.med.ucla.edu.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. It supports long-term and equitable economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting economic growth, agriculture and trade; global health; and democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., USAID's strength is its field offices around the world. It works in close partnership with private voluntary organizations, indigenous organizations, universities, American businesses, international agencies, other governments, and other U.S. government agencies. USAID has working relationships with more than 3,500 American companies and over 300 U.S.-based private voluntary organizations.

The UCLA Program in Global Health (PGH) is part of the division of infectious diseases, department of medicine, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. PGH partners with academic institutions in developing countries to advance prevention, policy, and clinical research for HIV/AIDS and other diseases in all regions of the world. It works with developing-country partners to integrate treatment and prevention of HIV, implement innovative prevention programs, stimulate the enactment of beneficial policies and laws, address gender inequity, and train the next generation of U.S. and developing-country scientists and advocates to continue this essential work.

UCLA JOINS FORCES WITH WHITE HOUSE TO MEET UNIQUE NEEDS OF VETERANS, FAMILIES. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

Contact: Roxanne Moster

As part of a White House effort to ensure that America's military heroes receive care worthy of their service, the UCLA Health System and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have pledged to mobilize their uniquely integrated missions in education, research and clinical care to help train physicians to meet the special needs of veterans, active service members and their families.

Joining Forces, an initiative launched by first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, announced last week that UCLA and a number of other renowned institutions, along with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), have partnered to help create a new generation of doctors, medical schools and research facilities that can deliver first-rate care to current and former military members, including treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.

The commitment is the latest in a series of ongoing efforts by the UCLA Health System and the Geffen School of Medicine to provide cutting-edge medical and mental health care to wounded warriors and their loved ones.

'We are honored to participate in the White House Joining Forces initiative to address the health care needs of military service members, veterans and their families,' said Dr. A. Eugene Washington, UCLA's vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the Geffen School of Medicine. 'We launched Operation Mend in 2007, a program that provides reconstructive surgery and medical services to service members wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. This unique medical program combines the best of the military's resources with the skills of the UCLA Health System for a comprehensive and collaborative treatment approach for those who have served our country.

'Operation Mend: The Divine Right to Appear Human'

'We're also pleased to address the mental health needs of U.S. military personnel and their families through our FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress) program. Currently being implemented at over 20 sites around the country and in Japan, UCLA's FOCUS provides mental health intervention, treatment and support to improve the psychological health of our military members and their families. Our goal is to show these heroes that their country is there for them, no matter what they're going through.'

Together, the Geffen School of Medicine, the UCLA Health System, the AAMC and the AACOM are committed to enriching medical education to make physicians aware of the clinical challenges and best practices associated with caring for this group; developing new research and clinical trials on post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries to better understand and treat these conditions; sharing information and best practices with each other and other institutions through a collaborative web forum created by the AAMC; and growing the body of knowledge leading to improvements in health care and wellness for military service members, veterans and their families.

'I'm inspired to see our nation's medical schools step up to address this pressing need for our veterans and military families,' Michelle Obama said. 'By directing some of our brightest minds, our most cutting-edge research and our finest teaching institutions toward our military families, they're ensuring that those who have served our country receive the first-rate care that they have earned.'

To date, UCLA's Operation Mend has treated nearly 60 U.S. soldiers wounded and disfigured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Founded by philanthropist Ronald A. Katz, a member of the board and executive committee of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and his late wife, Maddie, Operation Mend is a partnership among the UCLA Health System, Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, and the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

The program's original goal was to give returning service members with severe facial injuries access to the Army's best burn center and the nation's best plastic and reconstructive surgeons. The mission has since expanded to include healing of the body, mind and spirit. In addition to plastic and reconstructive surgery, the program now provides mental health support for service members and their families, orthopedic reconstruction for severely damaged limbs, urologic treatment, otolaryngological care, examination and treatment of reproductive issues, repair of airways, and the design of prosthetic ears.

Since 2009, UCLA's Project FOCUS, led by associate professor of psychiatry Patricia Lester, has reached out to military families to help prevent the personal and psychological problems that long and often multiple wartime deployments can lead to, not only for the service member on the front lines but for families back home.

UCLA faculty have also been pivotal in advancing research and policy on post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, a major focus of the new Joint Forces partnership.

David Hovda, a professor of neurosurgery and director of the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center, is a national expert on traumatic brain injuries who played a key role in advising the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the establishment of mandatory protocols to help service members recover after suffering such injuries. In June 2011, the U.S. Army presented Hovda with its Strength of the Nation Award for his extraordinary contributions to caring for the nation's wounded warriors. The award is presented annually to an individual who engages in exemplary public service that makes a substantial contribution in completing the Army's mission. Operation Mend's Ronald Katz received the award in 2010.

'It is a privilege for the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to assist our country's men and women in the military,' said Dr. David T. Feinberg, president of the UCLA Health System and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System. 'We are honored to partner with Brooke Army Medical Center to help heal several of America's wounded warriors -- and to partner with the White House Joining Forces initiative.'

Joining Forces was created by first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden to bring Americans together to recognize, honor and take action to support veterans and military families as they serve our country, and throughout their lives. The initiative aims to educate, challenge and spark action from all sectors of society to ensure that veterans and military families have the support they have earned. The initiative focuses on key priority areas -- employment, education and wellness -- while raising awareness about the service, sacrifice and needs of veterans and their families.

UCLA AND PARTNERS RECEIVE MAJOR NIH CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE AWARD. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

UCLA, in partnership with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, has received a five-year Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) of $81.3 million from the National Institutes of Health.

UCLA now joins a prestigious consortium of institutions established by the NIH to enhance biomedical research by accelerating the translation of laboratory discoveries into effective treatments for patients, more actively engaging communities in clinical research and training future generations of researchers to think and work in this bench-to-bedside continuum.

UCLA's Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is designed to focus on those conditions that account for the greatest proportion of disability and early death in Los Angeles County, the most populous and demographically diverse county in the nation. Rates of premature death and disability related to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, AIDS, depression, violence and other preventable conditions in the county far exceed national averages. The disease burden is magnified by language barriers, cultural beliefs, poverty and access to care.

'The NIH's investment in Los Angeles County will enable UCLA and its partners to more effectively pursue our transformative mission -- to improve the health status of Los Angeles in a measurable way and enhance the quality of life for a significant number of our fellow Angelenos,' said Dr. A. Eugene Washington, UCLA vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. 'California, and Los Angeles in particular, has always been a trendsetter. So as the rest of the U.S. population undergoes dramatic change, the experiences and successes of our CTSI programs will offer a model for health improvement nationwide.'

'Our overarching goal is to create a borderless clinical and translational research institute that brings UCLA CTSI innovations and resources to bear on the greatest health needs of Los Angeles,' said Dr. Steven M. Dubinett, director of the CTSI and UCLA associate vice chancellor for translational science. 'The CTSA award will help us develop new ways to retain, recruit and empower scientists to work together across disciplines, departments, institutions and geography.'

'This award will provide vital support for our translational research programs that focus on advancing scientific discoveries to directly benefit our patients and the community,' said Dr. Shlomo Melmed, senior vice president of academic affairs and dean of the medical faculty at Cedars-Sinai and holder of the Helene A. and Philip E. Hixson Chair in Investigative Medicine. 'As the largest academic medical center in California, Cedars-Sinai is pleased to participate in this multidisciplinary effort.'

'This new grant will not only expand the depth of the partnership between UCLA, Cedars, Harbor-UCLA and CDU but will help build the capacity of communities to improve health and fundamentally change how researchers work with the community to create new approaches to improving health,' said Dr. Keith Norris, executive vice president of research and health affairs at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

'With this grant, vital research will continue to flourish in Los Angeles and bring new therapies and cures more rapidly and safely to patients,' said David Meyer, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. 'For more than four decades, LA BioMed's General Clinical Research Center has been a keystone of the region's pioneering research into cancer, infectious diseases, male reproductive health and much more. The UCLA CTSI's funding will ensure the continuation of these essential studies, while also expanding and accelerating the process of taking discoveries from the lab and making them available to patients.'

To accomplish its mission of accelerating scientific discoveries and clinical breakthroughs to improve health in Los Angeles, the UCLA CTSI has set out five goals:

(1) Create an academic home for clinical and translational sciences that integrates and builds on the many strengths of UCLA and its partners.

(2) Build transdisciplinary research teams to accelerate and translate discovery to improve health.

(3) Transform educational and career-development programs to promote the next generation of clinical investigators and translational scientists.

(4) Advance and expand strong bi-directional academic-community partnerships to ensure that new scientific discovery is relevant to community needs.

(5) Serve as a national resource for collaborative research through regional, statewide and national CTSA consortia.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Ranked Top Hospital in Los Angeles Metro Area.(Report) - Health & Medicine Week

The UCLA Health System's Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center has been ranked the No. 1 hospital in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and its Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital has been ranked No. 5, in U.S. News & World Report's first-ever 'Best Hospitals' metro area rankings, available online at www.usnews.com/hospitals (see also Orthopedics).

The new rankings recognize 622 hospitals in or near major cities with a record of high performance in key medical specialties, including 132 of the 152 hospitals already identified by U.S. News as among the best in the nation. There are nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide.

'We put the patient at the core of everything we do -- that's the ultimate standard,' said Dr. David Feinberg, CEO and associate vice chancellor of the UCLA Hospital System. 'This is a wonderful tribute to our entire health care team, who provide excellence in patient-centered care. We are grateful to our gifted and dedicated medical and support team throughout the UCLA Health System who go the extra mile every day to save lives and deliver compassionate care to patients in our community, one patient at a time.'

'The rankings reflect the growth of our Santa Monica campus into an evolving academic medical center that maintains its longstanding tradition of community care,' said Posie Carpenter, chief administrative officer at the Santa Monica facility. 'We can offer patients the best of both worlds -- the expertise of an academic medical center, combined with the personalized and patient-friendly service of a community-based hospital.'

U.S. News ranked hospitals within all of the 52 U.S. metropolitan areas with populations of 1 million or more, using existing data from the 2010-11 'Best Hospitals' rankings.

The new metro area rankings are relevant to a much wider range of health care consumers. They are aimed primarily at consumers whose care may not demand the special expertise found only at a nationally ranked best hospital. Patients and their families will have a far better chance of finding a U.S. News-ranked hospital in their health insurance network and might not have to travel to get care at the highest performing hospitals.

To be ranked in its metro area, a hospital had to score in the top 25 percent among its peers in at least one of 16 medical specialties.

'All of these hospitals provide first-rate care for the majority of patients, even those with serious conditions or who need demanding procedures,' says U.S. News health rankings editor Avery Comarow. 'The new 'Best Hospitals' metro rankings can tell you which hospitals are worth considering for most medical problems if you live in or near a major metro area.'

For the full list of metro area rankings visit www.usnews.com/hospitals.

The UCLA Health System has for more than half a century provided the best in health care and the latest in medical technology to the people of Los Angeles and the world. Comprised of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital, the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA, Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA and the UCLA Medical Group, with its wide-reaching system of primary care and specialty care offices throughout the region, the UCLA Health System is among the most comprehensive and advanced health care systems in the world. For information about clinical programs or help in choosing a personal physician, call 800-UCLA-MD1 or visit www.uclahealth.org.

For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise™. For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com.

SOURCE University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Keywords: Hospital, Medical Technology, Orthopedics, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Health Sciences.

UCLA computers replace traditional film, speed diagnoses. (University of California at Los Angeles medical school's use of filmless imaging) (Health Care) - Communications News

The future of medical imaging is taking shape at UCLA's Medical Center, where radiologist store images in computers and display them on workstations rather than on traditional film.

In clinical settings such as intensive care, UCLA physicians report that they have improved care by viewing images on computer display stations directly. By comparing new, digitized, on-line images with a patient's previous historical records, physicians speed diagnoses.

According to Dr. H. K. Huang, professor of radiological sciences, UCLA's Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) is the nation's largest digital-based imaging system. Huang attributes much of UCLA PACS' success to two advancements in computer technology: high-resolution lowcost imaging Unix-based workstation and networking that enables radiologists to transmit digitized film images throughout the hospital in seconds.

'The advantages of filmless imaging are simple: we never lose images and retrieval time is fast and consistent,' says Huang. 'Once we digitize an X-ray or transmit CT scans into a digital-based system, physicians and nurses can access them over the network quickly and at any time.'

UCLA's system is one of a handful in the world operating on such a large scale. At present, 40% of the radiology department relies on PACS for image archiving. Huang predicts it will be several years before traditional film is phased out at UCLA, but he has no doubt that his department will eventually move to a completely digital-based imaging system.

'In addition to improving access to images, PACS also saves the hospital money in the long run,' says Huang. 'It's no secret that overseeing archives based on traditional film is cumbersome and costly.'

For physicians, comparing new images (such as X-rays) with older images is critical to forming a proper diagnosis. However, with traditional film accessing a patient's file of existing medical images is often a drawn-out process. At hospitals still relying on traditional film, technicians frequently must retrieve older images from a satellite film library located far from the hospital.

'Finding a patient's file at night or during the weekend is often a long shot,' Huang says. 'However, if the patient's records are tied in with PACS, physicians can count on having a set of images in their hands in less than five minutes.'

Filmless radiology

The PACS computer network consists of 35 workstations from Sun Microsystems, ranging from Sparc Station 1s to the older Sun-4 systems. They are linked via Ethernet, FDDI and UltraNet to four SparcServer 490s that store and route data throughout the hospital. PACS uses a database management package from Sybase, along with software developed in-house.

To compress images for efficient, on-line storage, Huang plans to use clinically verified lossy imaging technology, which reduces needed computer storage by a 10-to-1 ratio over traditional storage techniques. For example, a standard chest X-ray requires only 400 kilobytes of storage rather than 4 megabytes.

Huang and his colleagues currently operate eight PACS display stations located in Intensive Care Units and in the radiology department. Each display station features a Sun workstation and 1K or 2K high resolution monitors. Typically, physicians use the first monitor to examine most recent images, while the second is used to page through historical information.

For in-patients, each section typically stores a file of 40 to 50 existing patient's examinations. For out-patients, the system typically stores 600 existing images.

The archiving system automatically records which images a physician examined most closely the first time a file is accessed. The next time, the system only sends those images that are most useful to the physician.

At first, Huang says, some physicians were reluctant to use PACS because they thought the quality and reliability of a computer workstation display might be inferior to traditional film.

'Now,' Huang says, 'some physician say they can't live without the system.

Health Highlights: July 8, 2011; Medtronic Drug Pumps Can Fail Due to Battery Problem EPA Sets Tighter Emission Standards for Coal-Burning Power Plants UCLA Settles Celebrity Medical Records Case Pregnant Smokers Who Quit Can Have Normal-Weight Babies: Study.(briefs) - Consumer Health News (English)

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Medtronic Drug Pumps Can Fail Due to Battery Problem

A problem with SynchroMed drug pumps can cause them to lose battery power and fail, medical device maker Medtronic says.

The pumps are mostly used to treat severe pain and muscle spasticity. The sudden failure of a pump can cause serious injury and death in some spasticity patients, the Associated Press reported.

The problem can occur when a film forms on the pump's battery. The company says it has received 55 reports of such incidents involving batteries made before March 2005, the AP said.

Medtronic is not recalling the pumps and says they should not be removed unless they are failing. The company is working on a new battery design.

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EPA: Tighter Emission Standards for Coal-Burning Power Plants

Tighter standards for hundreds of coal-burning power plants in 28 states that take effect in 2012 will reduce emissions of soot, smog and acid rain by millions of tons, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The reductions in air pollution will prevent as many as 34,000 premature deaths, 15,000 nonfatal heart attacks, and hundreds of thousands of cases of asthma and other respiratory problems a year, The New York Times reported.

The new standards, released Thursday, will improve air quality for 240 million Americans who live in states where the pollution originates and in states downwind of coal plants, according to EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

'No community should have to bear the burden of another community's polluters, or be powerless to prevent air pollution that leads to asthma, heart attacks and other harmful illnesses,' Jackson said, the Times reported.

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UCLA Settles Celebrity Medical Records Case

UCLA Health System has agreed to pay $865,000 to settle potential violations of federal privacy laws in connection with hospital employees accused of peeking at the medical records of celebrity patients.

A U.S. Department of Health and Humans Services investigation found that workers repeatedly accessed such patients' electronic health records between 2005 and 2008, the Associated Press reported.

Under the settlement, UCLA Health System is not required to admit liability. The names of the celebrities targeted by the employee snooping weren't released.

Over the past three years, measures have been taken to retrain staff and strengthen computer systems, UCLA said in a statement Thursday, the AP reported. As part of the settlement, the health system will inform a federal monitor on the implementation of its plan to correct privacy issues.

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Smokers Who Quit Can Have Normal-Weight Babies: Study

A female smoker who quits when she learns she's pregnant can have a baby with a normal birth weight, according to a new study.

The findings are based on data from more than 50,000 pregnant women in Southampton, England, from 2002 to 2010. The average weight of babies born to smokers who kicked the habit when they found out they were pregnant was 33 grams (10.6 ounces) more than babies born to women who kept smoking during their pregnancy, Agence France-Presse reported.

Birth weight is an important predictor of long-term health. The study was presented this week at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

HOW WILL HEALTH REFORM AFFECT CARE FOR CHRONIC DISEASES? ASK EXPERTS AT UCLA SYMPOSIUM. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

WHAT:

How will the Obama new health care reform law affect treatment for consumers' diabetes, arthritis and heart disease? Ask the experts at a free UCLA symposium organized by students from the David Geffen School of Medicine.

The event will examine medical care for chronic disease in the era of health reform and propose action-oriented solutions. Participants will have the opportunity to network with local community clinic leaders, as well as with deans and faculty members from the UCLA schools of medicine, public health and nursing.

WHO:

Participants will include:

Dr. Nancy Greenstreet

Medical director of Physicians Medical Group in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Dr. Richard Thorpe

President and CEO of Paradise Medical Group in Paradise, Calif.

Dr. Ed Wagner

Director of the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation at the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle

Dr. Michael Zimmerman

Chief medical officer for Affinity Medical Group in San Francisco

WHEN:

8 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 22

WHERE:

Covel Commons at UCLA's Sunset Village

200 De Neve Dr., Los Angeles, Calif. 90095 (map)

BACKGROUND:

For speaker biographies and other details, visit www.uclahcs.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Elaine Schmidt, 310-794-2272, eschmidt@mednet.ucla.edu

PARKING:

Research from UCLA Medical Center, Department of Urology yields new findings on health and medicine. - Medical Devices & Surgical Technology Week

A report, 'Experience with 750 consecutive laparoscopic donor nephrectomies--is it time to use a standardized classification of complications,' is newly published data in The Journal of Urology. 'Laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy offers patients the benefits of decreased morbidity and improved cosmesis, while maintaining equivalent graft outcomes and complication rates similar to those of open donor surgery. With expressed concern for donor safety, using a standardized complication scale would allow combining data in a donor registry so potential donors could be adequately followed and counseled,' scientists writing in the Journal of Urology report (see also Health and Medicine).

'We present the largest series to our knowledge of laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy by a single surgeon. The institution's initial 750 laparoscopic living donor nephrectomies were included in the study, and a retrospective and prospective chart and database analysis was performed. Mean donor age was 40.5 years and average body mass index was 25.7 kg/m[superscript]2. There were 175 patients (23%) with 2 or more renal arteries while 161 (21.5%) had early arterial bifurcations. There were 3 open conversions (0.4%) and the overall complication rate was 5.46%. Median hospital stay was 1 day and the readmission rate was 1.2%. There were 5 reoperations (0.67%), none of which was for the control of bleeding. No patients required a blood transfusion and there were no mortalities. Using a modified Clavien classification of complications for living donor nephrectomy 65.8% were grade 1, 31.7% grade 2 (12.2% grade 2a, 14.6% grade 2b, 4.9% grade 2c) and 2.4% grade 3. There were no grade 4 complications. With appropriate patient selection and operative experience, laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy is a safe procedure associated with low morbidity,' wrote J.D. Harper and colleagues, UCLA Medical Center, Department of Urology.

The researchers concluded: 'The use of a standardized complication system specific for this procedure is encouraged and could aid in counseling potential donors in the future.'

Harper and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Urology (Experience with 750 consecutive laparoscopic donor nephrectomies--is it time to use a standardized classification of complications? Journal of Urology, 2010;183(5):1941-6).

Additional information can be obtained by contacting J.D. Harper, UCLA Medical Center, Dept. of Urology, Los Angeles, California 90095 USA.

Keywords: City:Los Angeles, State:California, Country:United States, Health and Medicine.

UCLA selected by Homeland Security to help establish guidelines for firefighter health and safety. - NewsRx Health & Science

The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have been selected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate to help establish guidelines for the health and safety of firefighters in the field.

The UCLA team will work with a consortium of academic, industry and government partners on the agency's PHASER (Physiological Health Assessment System for Emergency Responders) program, which also draws on the expertise of Skidmore College, Zephyr Technology, a company that develops physiological-status monitoring products, and the NASA Ames Research Center, which has extensive experience with astronaut-monitoring systems.

The UCLA team will use wireless health technologies to remotely monitor firefighters in action and develop metrics to validate and interpret their findings.

The results will help researchers analyze firefighters' health risks before, during and after response operations, develop national guidelines to optimize exercise and training programs, and manage health and safety in the field to mitigate fatalities due to cardiovascular events.

'Firefighters experience heightened levels of physiological stress, such as strain on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems,' said Dr. Christopher Cooper, principal investigator for the program and a professor of medicine and physiology at the Geffen School of Medicine. 'The PHASER program will help us identify health risks and better understand challenges facing firefighters in the field.'

'We will be working closely with our partners in using the latest wireless technologies to measure and track the fitness and health status of firefighters and to help develop key interventions to improve health,' said co-investigator William J. Kaiser, a professor of electrical engineering at UCLA Engineering.

The team will initially obtain baseline measurements in the UCLA Exercise Physiology Research Laboratory and will develop protocols for firefighter assessment and exercise training, including tests to assess respiration and aerobic ability.

They will also collaborate with regional and national fire services on the project to develop risk profiles and prioritization in the work environment. This research will help individual firefighters and incident commanders recognize health and safety issues in the field early on in order to initiate preventive interventions such as exercise training, pre-hydration and active cooling methods.

In addition, the data may lead to the development of new equipment worn by firefighters in the field.

Keywords: Cardiology, Cardiovascular, Engineering, University of California - Los Angeles.

BLUE SHIELD, UC HEALTH REACH AGREEMENT; AS PART OF AGREEMENT, CONTRACT BETWEEN UCLA, BLUE SHIELD WILL BE REINSTATED AS OF SEPT. 1. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

University of California Health announced today (Aug. 13) that it has reached a contract agreement with Blue Shield of California to continue its delivery of quality care to Blue Shield members at UC's five health systems.

As part of the agreement, the contract between UCLA Health System and Blue Shield, which had been terminated Jan. 1, 2012, will be reinstated as of Sept. 1. Patients who are insured by Blue Shield will then again receive in-network care from UCLA physicians and hospitals. Blue Shield members may immediately begin scheduling appointments at UCLA for dates of service after Sept. 1.

'We are pleased to have reached a contract agreement with Blue Shield,' said Dr. John Stobo, UC Health senior vice president. 'We feel the agreement is consistent with UC's commitment to provide high-quality, safe and cost-effective care.'

About UC Health

UCLA HEART SURGEON DR. CURTIS HUNTER PARTNERS WITH SAINT JOHN'S HEALTH CENTER HEART PROGRAM AS PART OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP TO BENEFIT WESTSIDE PATIENTS. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

As part of their evolving community partnership, UCLA Health System, Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital, and Saint John's Health Center have announced that Dr. Curtis Hunter will partner with Saint John's heart program. In this capacity, Hunter will be part of a combined team to include Dr. John Robertson, director of cardiovascular surgery at Saint John's, to provide heart surgery to patients in Santa Monica and other West Los Angeles communities. He continues to be on staff at UCLA's hospitals in Santa Monica and Westwood.

'This agreement provides a framework to offer better health care for patients in our common service area,' said Posie Carpenter, chief administrative officer of Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital. 'UCLA's strength lies in a union of research, teaching and excellent patient care. We believe there is significant potential to collaborate with Saint John's in these areas, and this is one example of how this partnership will benefit patients in our mutual service areas.'

'Dr. Hunter's arrival helps ensure patients can count on outstanding heart surgery services without leaving Santa Monica,' said Lou Lazatin, CEO of Saint John's Health Center. 'This relationship combines the strength of our two long-standing heart programs for the well-being of our entire community.'

Hunter is board-certified in thoracic surgery and general surgery. He is an assistant clinical professor of surgery and director of cardiothoracic surgery services at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital. In addition to cardiothoracic surgery, Hunter's clinical interests include adult acquired cardiovascular disease, thoracic aortic disease and research in optimizing outcomes in cardiac surgery.

Hunter received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Utah, followed by general surgery residency training at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and cardiothoracic surgery training at Boston University Medical Center. Hunter previously was at Boston Medical Center, where he served as assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery, director of thoracic endografting and director of cardiothoracic critical care.

About Saint John's

Since its founding in 1942 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Saint John's Health Center has been providing the patients and families of Santa Monica, West Los Angeles and ocean communities with breakthrough medicine and inspired healing. Saint John's provides a spectrum of treatment and diagnostic services with distinguished areas of excellence in oncology, spine, neurosurgery, orthopedics, women's health, cardiac care and specialized programs such as the internationally acclaimed John Wayne Cancer Institute. For more information, visit www.newstjohns.org.

About UCLA Health System

Study by UCLA School of Nursing Finds Cycling May Negatively Affect Male Reproductive Health. - Biotech Week

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Biotech Week -- A new study conducted by UCLA School of Nursing researchers has found that serious leisure male cyclists may experience hormonal imbalances that could affect their reproductive health. The study, 'Reproductive Hormones and Interleukin-6 in Serious Leisure Male Athletes,' was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology (see also Sex Hormones).

To date, an extensive amount of research has been performed documenting the positive effects of long-term exercise on health. These studies have shown that while moderate exercise can lead to enhanced cardiovascular and metabolic function and reduced body fat, ultra-endurance levels of exercise can also adversely affect the neuroendocrine system and reproductive health. Although most research studying the effects of exercise on reproductive health has focused on female athletes, there are few studies that have looked at male endurance-trained athletes.

The UCLA study explored the associations between exercise intensity and circulating levels of reproductive hormones in serious leisure male athletes (triathletes and cyclists) and recreational athletes. UCLA researchers studied 107 healthy male athletes ages 18 to 60 and divided them into three groups: 16 were triathletes, 46 were cyclists and 45 were recreational athletes. Participants completed the International Physical Assessment Questionnaire to obtain an objective estimate of time spent participating in different levels of physical activity and inactivity during the previous seven days. Blood samples were then collected from each participant to measure total testosterone, estradiol, cortisol, interleukin-6 and other hormones.

'Plasma estradiol and testosterone levels were significantly elevated in serious leisure male cyclists, a finding not previously reported in any type of male athlete,' notes Leah Fitzgerald, Ph.D., FNP-BC, assistant professor at the School of Nursing and principal investigator and senior author of the study. Plasma estradiol concentrations were more than two times higher in the cyclists than in the triathlete and recreational athletes, and total testosterone levels were about 50 percent higher in cyclists than in the recreational athletes. 'These effects were accompanied by little or no compensatory shift in circulating reproductive hormone levels.'

Estradiol is a form of estrogen and, in males, is produced as an active metabolic product of testosterone. Possible conditions associated with elevated estrogen in males include gynecomastia, a condition that may result in the loss of male pubic hair and enlarged breast tissue. 'Although preliminary, these findings warrant further investigation to determine if specific types of exercise may be associated with altered sex hormone levels in men that could affect general health and reproductive well-being,' said Fitzgerald.

One of the interesting findings of the study related to the use of chamois cream. Some cyclists apply chamois cream to their perineum area to help prevent chaffing and bacterial infections related to bicycle saddle sores. However, many such commercial creams contain a variety of ingredients including lubricants, polymers and oils; and some also contain parabens, which are anti-microbial preservatives and weak estrogen agonists. In the study 48.5 percent of cyclists compared to 10 percent of triathletes reported using a paraben-containing chamois cream. The study found an association between an increase in estrogen levels and increasing years of chamois cream use, particularly for male cyclists using the cream for more than four years. At this time, however, no direct cause and effect has been found.

The study was funded by the UCLA School of Nursing, UCLA General Clinical Research Center and Kaiser Foundation. Other authors of the study included Wendie A. Robbins, also of the School of Nursing, and James S. Kesner, Division of Applied Research and Technology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The UCLA School of Nursing is redefining nursing through the pursuit of uncompromised excellence in research, education, practice, policy and patient advocacy. For more information, please visit nursing.ucla.edu.

Keywords for this news article include: Drugs, Cytokines, Estradiol, Estrogens, Technology, Interleukins, Sex Hormones, Topical Agents, Vaginal Agents, Gonadal Hormones, Vaginal Preparations, Testosterone Congeners, UCLA School of Nursing, Hormone Replacement Therapy.

STATE HELPS CURE KIDS' HEALTH WOES FEWER CHILDREN GOING WITHOUT INSURANCE, UCLA STUDY FINDS - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

SACRAMENTO - A state-funded program has sharply reduced thenumber of California children without health insurance even thoughfar fewer children received coverage through their parents, a UCLAstudy to be released today found.

In all, there were 500,000 more children with insurance last yearthan in 2001 - an improvement that came even though 300,000 fewerchildren received insurance through their parents' employers. Thedecline in employer insurance was blamed on unemployment and risingcosts of coverage.

The figures are being released as a coalition of health-caregroups launches an effort today to provide coverage for all childrenin California.

'What this demonstrates is that the Medi-Cal and Healthy Familiesprograms have really increased the coverage for these kids, andpicked up a lot of the kids who have lost employment-basedcoverage,' said report co-author E. Richard Brown, director of theUCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

But the expanded health coverage has also been expensive to statetaxpayers.

For example, the budget of the Healthy Families program hasincreased from $390 million in fiscal 2000-01 to $872 million thisyear, a result of expanded eligibility rules, according to JeanneBrode, a spokeswoman for the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board,which oversees the program.

Healthy Families provides health insurance to children who areotherwise ineligible under Medi-Cal.

Enrollment in Healthy Families jumped from about 200,000 childrenin 2000 to almost 700,000 now, Brode said.

As a result, fewer children are going without health insurance,even as insurance provided by the private sector has decreased.

The number of children without insurance dropped from 1.5 millionin 2001 to 1.1 million last year, according to the study. Accountingfor an increase in total population under 18 during those years, theactual increase in children receiving insurance is nearly 500,000.

The number of children covered by their parents' employersdropped by 6.3 percent, to 5.1 million out of 10 million children inthe state.

The number of children covered by state programs increased by23.6 percent, to 2.94 million.

Health-care advocates argue that the state should encourage moreprivate employers to provide coverage, relieving the state of itscosts.

A recent ballot measure, Proposition 72, that would have requiredmore employers to provide coverage, was narrowly defeated lastmonth.

But a coalition called Californians for Healthy Kids plans topropose legislation in January to take a three-prong approach:

--Expand the eligibility for existing public programs.

--Create a public-private partnership to allow more employers tobuy insurance for their employees' dependents.

--Overhaul the eligibility process so parents of eligiblechildren are not discouraged by the confusing application process.

The changes would likely cost the state about $250 million to$300 million annually over the long run, plus some federal matchingfunds.

'We know this year and next year look particularly tough,' saidCatherine Teare, policy director at Children Now, a coalitionmember. 'That's why we're proposing a phased-in program, with no newfunds needed in the first year and only modest amounts in lateryears.'

But fiscal conservatives are concerned that the state, stillfacing a budget crisis, cannot afford to provide more coverage, norshould it increase the burden on businesses when California is stillfacing criticism for being unfriendly to business.

Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association,said he is concerned that the state is not effective in preventingsome parents from misusing the system by dropping their privateinsurance and enrolling in a public program.

'What we really want to prevent here is families who can affordinsurance not providing it and simply relying on the state,' Coupalsaid.

He would like to see a cap on public health insurance, and wouldlike more individuals to pay for their own insurance.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger remains concerned about the growth inpublic health insurance programs and is looking for ways to limitthe growth in his next budget proposal, said H.D. Palmer, aspokesman for the Department of Finance.

Last year, Schwarzenegger proposed capping enrollment in HealthyFamilies, but later withdrew the plan after facing strong protestsfrom Democrats and health care advocates.

'Health and human service programs have seen some of the fastestgrowth in spending over the past five or so years,' Palmer said.'The challenge is to control the rate of growth of those programs,while at the same time trying to ensure that to the greatest extentpossible we can provide services to the most vulnerable populationsin California.'

Harrison Sheppard, (916) 446-6723

STATE HELPS CURE KIDS' HEALTH WOES FEWER CHILDREN GOING WITHOUT INSURANCE, UCLA STUDY FINDS.(News)(Statistical Data Included) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO - A state-funded program has sharply reduced the number of California children without health insurance even though far fewer children received coverage through their parents, a UCLA study to be released today found.

In all, there were 500,000 more children with insurance last year than in 2001 - an improvement that came even though 300,000 fewer children received insurance through their parents' employers. The decline in employer insurance was blamed on unemployment and rising costs of coverage.

The figures are being released as a coalition of health-care groups launches an effort today to provide coverage for all children in California.

``What this demonstrates is that the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs have really increased the coverage for these kids, and picked up a lot of the kids who have lost employment-based coverage,'' said report co-author E. Richard Brown, director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

But the expanded health coverage has also been expensive to state taxpayers.

For example, the budget of the Healthy Families program has increased from $390 million in fiscal 2000-01 to $872 million this year, a result of expanded eligibility rules, according to Jeanne Brode, a spokeswoman for the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, which oversees the program.

Healthy Families provides health insurance to children who are otherwise ineligible under Medi-Cal.

Enrollment in Healthy Families jumped from about 200,000 children in 2000 to almost 700,000 now, Brode said.

As a result, fewer children are going without health insurance, even as insurance provided by the private sector has decreased.

The number of children without insurance dropped from 1.5 million in 2001 to 1.1 million last year, according to the study. Accounting for an increase in total population under 18 during those years, the actual increase in children receiving insurance is nearly 500,000.

The number of children covered by their parents' employers dropped by 6.3 percent, to 5.1 million out of 10 million children in the state.

The number of children covered by state programs increased by 23.6 percent, to 2.94 million.

Health-care advocates argue that the state should encourage more private employers to provide coverage, relieving the state of its costs.

A recent ballot measure, Proposition 72, that would have required more employers to provide coverage, was narrowly defeated last month.

But a coalition called Californians for Healthy Kids plans to propose legislation in January to take a three-prong approach:

--Expand the eligibility for existing public programs.

--Create a public-private partnership to allow more employers to buy insurance for their employees' dependents.

--Overhaul the eligibility process so parents of eligible children are not discouraged by the confusing application process.

The changes would likely cost the state about $250 million to $300 million annually over the long run, plus some federal matching funds.

``We know this year and next year look particularly tough,'' said Catherine Teare, policy director at Children Now, a coalition member. ``That's why we're proposing a phased-in program, with no new funds needed in the first year and only modest amounts in later years.''

But fiscal conservatives are concerned that the state, still facing a budget crisis, cannot afford to provide more coverage, nor should it increase the burden on businesses when California is still facing criticism for being unfriendly to business.

Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said he is concerned that the state is not effective in preventing some parents from misusing the system by dropping their private insurance and enrolling in a public program.

``What we really want to prevent here is families who can afford insurance not providing it and simply relying on the state,'' Coupal said.

He would like to see a cap on public health insurance, and would like more individuals to pay for their own insurance.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger remains concerned about the growth in public health insurance programs and is looking for ways to limit the growth in his next budget proposal, said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the Department of Finance.

Last year, Schwarzenegger proposed capping enrollment in Healthy Families, but later withdrew the plan after facing strong protests from Democrats and health care advocates.

``Health and human service programs have seen some of the fastest growth in spending over the past five or so years,'' Palmer said. ``The challenge is to control the rate of growth of those programs, while at the same time trying to ensure that to the greatest extent possible we can provide services to the most vulnerable populations in California.''

Harrison Sheppard, (916) 446-6723

harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com

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Smoking by Nurses Creates Workplace Issues That Must Be Addressed by Health Systems, First-of-a-Kind UCLA Study Finds. - AScribe Business & Economics News Service

Byline: UCLA

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19 (AScribe Newswire) -- Smoking by nurses can create workplace problems that must be addressed by health care systems to promote better interactions between nurses and their patients and reduce dissension among staff, according to a first-of-its-kind study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center.

The study, the result of information gathered from eight focus groups with 60 nurses in California, Kentucky, New Jersey and Ohio who smoke or used to smoke, appears in the Jan. 20 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Research in Nursing & Health. The study is available online at www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jissue/109861378 .

'This study focuses on smoking as a workplace issue, not just a behavior that affects the individual,' said Linda Sarna, a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher, a professor in the UCLA School of Nursing and lead author of the study. 'Smoking among nurses affects interactions with patients. We found it also affects interactions and behaviors among staff at the workplace.'

Among the problems Sarna and fellow researchers uncovered was the perception that nurses who smoke take more breaks, spend less time with patients and are less committed to their profession because they need to smoke during their shift. Some nurses, the study found, structured their work day around such breaks because of their powerful addiction to nicotine.

'Smoking among nurses was described as an integral part of their work routine, affecting management of patient care and timing of breaks,' the study states. 'The perception that smokers take more and longer breaks, and were less available for patient care, was an important theme in discussions with both smokers and former smokers, and clearly created conflict in the work environment.'

Whether accurate or imagined, these perceptions create dissension, resulting in what one nurse in the study characterized as 'a war between the smokers and the non-smokers.'

Additionally, nurses who smoke often are reluctant or feel uncomfortable participating in smoking cessation interventions with their patients, believing they are not good role models, Sarna said. Nurses also often hide their nicotine addiction from patients and their families, brushing their teeth, washing their hands and applying scents to hide any smell of smoke after a break. They fear the stigma associated with being a health care professional who smokes and often experience enormous guilt when their smoking is discovered by patients or their family members.

Compounding these problems is the lack of smoking cessation programs to help nurses quit, Sarna said. One hospital, the study found, invested money to build a 'butt hut,' an outside structure where staff could smoke in inclement weather, but offered no in-house programs to help employees kick the habit.

'We need to have a culture shift,' Sarna said. 'While the vast majority of nurses do not smoke, those that do are struggling in the same way other smokers do when they try to quit a very, very powerful addiction. There's never been a system-wide, concerted effort to help nurses stop smoking. We need to have that.'

About 16 percent of the nation's 2.3 million nurses smoke, Sarna said, the highest rate among all health care professionals. Many began smoking before starting nursing school, became addicted and found they were unable to quit.

'Nurses are entering the profession as smokers and they aren't getting the help they need to quit during training,' Sarna said. 'Once they become nurses, they're working in a very stressful environment, making it even more difficult to quit.'

Because of the lack of cessation programs made available by health care systems, and a desire among nurses who smoke for anonymity in their cessation process, Sarna and her colleagues created a website (http://www.tobaccofreenurses.org), to help nurse quit and learn more about tobacco addiction.

Nurses who work 12-hour shifts may find they're too tired to attend cessation support group meetings after work. They also may be ashamed of smoking and afraid they'll see people they know at such meetings. The website provides 24-hour access to cessation support, a sort of one-stop shopping for nurses seeking to quit smoking, Sarna said.

Tobaccofreenurses.org provides $100 worth of cessation services free, as well as resources geared specifically to health care professionals. The site links to Nurses QuitNet, an organization that has helped tens of thousands of nurses quit smoking through an online community of smokers and ex-smokers, delivering personalized quitting plans, one-on-one counseling, intensive social support, expert advice and pharmaceutical product support to tobacco users.

'More resources than ever before are available for smoking cessation,' Sarna said. 'We believe our Internet approach, which can be used 24 hours a day, seven days a week by nurses on any shift, provides another valuable resource for those who want to quit smoking.'

The study provides 'important evidence' that supports the need to develop work-based strategies and programs to support cessation efforts.

'The benefits of supporting smoking cessation in the worksite could have an immediate positive impact on nurses' health, and might result in other positive outcomes (e.g., reduced sick time),' the study concludes. 'The benefit to patients must also be emphasized, as non-smoking clinicians are more likely to provide cessation interventions than their smoking counterparts.'

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CONTACT: Kim Irwin, UCLA Media Relations, (000)-000-0000, kirwin@mednet.ucla.edu

NOTE TO EDITORS: Sarna is available for interviews and I can provide the full study for your review as well. Please let me know if you'd like to talk to Linda.