Hope Lodge seeking referrals

The Russell and Ann Gerdin American Cancer Society Hope Lodge, which officially opened on Sept. 30, 2008, is now accepting referrals for lodging. Any person age 18 and older who has been diagnosed with cancer and is actively receiving outpatient cancer treatment at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at UI or elsewhere in Iowa City is eligible to stay on a first-come, first-served basis. The Hope Lodge has 28 rooms for patients and caregivers. For more information or referrals, call 319-248-5400.

Hybrid heart surgery … a first

A 20-day-old infant became the first patient in Iowa to successfully undergo "hybrid" heart surgery, a technique that combines catheter-based therapy and surgery in one operation. Ayden Gendreau was born with a hole in his tiny heart that interventional cardiologists could not reach via standard catheterization and cardiac surgeons couldn’t see without splitting the heart open. Instead, the cardiac surgery team made an open chest incision and the interventionist threaded a catheter into the beating heart to close the defect. Doctors at University of Iowa Children’s Hospital conducted the complex procedure Oct. 22.

Children's 'Safety Store' debuts

Families can learn how to prevent unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death among children in Iowa, through safety products available for purchase at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital Safety Store. The Safety Store and Safe Escape Program are funded by a grant from the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions. For more information, contact Pam Hoogerwerf at 319-353-7972 or pamela-hoogerwerf@uiowa.edu.

Hope Lodge ribbon-cutting celebrants