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.'

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