Spring 2007

• New Ambulatory Surgery Center opens
• AirCare Automatic Acceptance Program
• New VP Robillard sets patient service goals
• Embryonic stem cell research center at UI discussed
• UI Children’s Hospital earns national recognition
• Adult ECMO provides brief heart-lung supportan
• Researchers studying accuracy of virtual colonoscopy
• Coronary CT scans: Faster, less invasive, exceptional resolution
• UI stroke center awarded certification from joint commission
• Study compares kidney dialysis methods
• New Faculty

New Ambulatory Surgery Center opens

The latest technology combined with a quality experience awaits patients at the new Ambulatory Surgery Center at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Iowa City’s first full-service, multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center features six operating rooms, extra large preparation and recovery rooms, and its own central sterilizing service. The surgical suites include state-of-the-art equipment, allowing fully integrated imaging and communications among surgical teams.

“We’re able to provide the latest in technology along with the expertise of our faculty physicians to meet the needs of our referring physicians and their patients,” said anesthesiologist Doug Merrill, MD, who serves as medical director. “We also place a great emphasis on customer service, with free valet parking, comfortable adult and pediatric waiting areas, and private rooms for patients and family members.” For more information, call UI Consult at 800-322-8442 or 319-384-8008.

AirCare Automatic Acceptance Program

UI Hospitals and Clinics has implemented the AirCare Automatic Acceptance Program for pre-designated transferring facilities. Interested participants must review the policy and agree to all terms to join the program. The policy may be obtained by contacting Azeemuddin Ahmed, MD, medical director of AirCare, at azeemuddin-ahmed@uiowa.edu. The patient criteria warranting helicopter transport include severe trauma; sepsis; suspected or known aortic dissections; undifferentiated shock; acute coronary syndrome, including STEMI; known or suspected intracranial hemorrhage; critically ill children; and patients with acute neurological deficit. Automatic acceptance does not include hand injuries, psychiatric illnesses, and burn injuries.

New VP Robillard sets patient service goals

Jean E. Robillard, MD, has been appointed to a three-year term as UI vice president for medical affairs. He heads an administrative structure whose goal is to better integrate two patient care organizations: UI Hospitals and Clinics and UI Physicians, Iowa’s largest multi-specialty physician group practice, composed of 650 UI Carver College of Medicine faculty members who provide patient care at UI Hospitals and Clinics. Robillard also remains dean of the Carver College of Medicine. Donna Katen-Bahensky serves as senior associate vice president for medical affairs and CEO of UI Hospitals and Clinics. Peter Densen, MD, is executive dean of the Carver College of Medicine. Craig Syrop, MD, is chief medical officer for UI Physicians. “We provide outstanding patient care,” Robillard said. “What we do less well is patient service … Over the next several months, we are going to develop an organization that focuses on the needs of the patient and promotes teamwork across departments and disciplines.”

Embryonic stem cell research center at UI discussed

Proponents say Gov. Chet Culver’s support for an Iowa Center for Regenerative Medicine at The University of Iowa will help advance potential biomedical cures for people with diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and diabetes. Culver’s state budget proposal includes a $12.5 million allocation for the Center, which would be part of the Iowa Institute for Biomedical Discovery.

UI Children’s Hospital earns national recognition

Note: As of April 16, Children’s Hospital of Iowa’s name became University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.

In its February 2007 issue, Childmagazine ranked University of Iowa Children’s Hospital as the 20th-best children’s hospital in the United States

UI Children’s Hospital also was designated a member of the UnitedResource Networks Neonatal Centers of Excellence network

Adult ECMO provides brief heart-lung supportan

Extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used since 1971 to treat infants with respiratory failure. More recently, the procedure has become available to support adults who are experiencing a handful of heart or lung problems. The technology could support an adult patient for up to 30 days, if necessary. For information about the adult ECMO services at UI Hospitals and Clinics, call William Lynch, MD, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, at 319-353-6451 or 319-384-9707.

Researchers studying accuracy of virtual colonoscopy

A multidisciplinary team of UI researchers is comparing the accuracy of virtual colonoscopy screening for colorectal cancer with traditional colonoscopy. Patients who qualify for the study are those who must undergo a traditional colonoscopy for the usual medical reasons. These patients are asked to have a virtual colonoscopy immediately before their traditional colonoscopy. Because initial results from the comparative study are encouraging, UI physicians now offer virtual colonoscopy without the need for a comparison with traditional colonoscopy to select patients (those with failed attempts at traditional colonoscopy or those who cannot be taken off blood thinners). Currently, virtual colonoscopy is not being offered for screening. For general and enrollment information, contact research coordinator David Kramer at 319-353-8067.

Coronary CT scans: Faster, less invasive, exceptional resolution

UI Heart and Vascular Center is now offering coronary CT scans to diagnose a variety of cardiovascular diseases. The images, taken with a new 64-slice CT scanner, take in the patient’s whole thoracic cavity, so diseases of the lung and digestive tract may also be discovered. Cardiologists and radiologists combine their expertise to review the scan results, making the service at UI Hospitals and Clinics unique.

UI stroke center awarded certification from joint commission

The Joint Commission for Primary Stroke Centers has awarded its Gold Seal of Approval™ to the stroke care program at UI Hospitals and Clinics. With a dedicated stroke care unit, patients have access to cutting-edge treatments and research protocols. The stroke team also actively partners with other hospitals to treat patients requiring tPA. Other benefits of the UI’s stroke care program include:

• A Code Stroke protocol has been implemented to quickly and effectively treat stroke patients
• The team has international leaders in stroke care with the expertise to diagnose, prevent, or treat stroke and provide maximum treatment options
• As a major research institution, UI Hospitals and Clinics is at the forefront of new therapies and trials and houses the only training program in the state
• Multidisciplinary care means patients are taken care of by a diverse team of experts
• All nurses on AirCare flight crew have been trained on the stroke scale and are part of the stroke team

Study compares kidney dialysis methods

Researchers are conducting a study that may help determine if nocturnal home hemodialysis leads to better health outcomes for patients than conventional home hemodialysis. The NIH-supported research is being conducted at UI Hospitals and Clinics and a handful of other centers in the U.S. and Canada. “There are indications that people who learn how to perform nocturnal home hemodialysis may need fewer medications, experience fewer adverse symptoms, enjoy a better quality of life, and could even live longer,” said John Stokes, MD, a UI professor and director of nephrology. To be eligible for this study, patients need to be 18 years of age or older, have a diagnosis of end-stage renal disease, and require chronic dialysis therapy (or be very close to needing dialysis). For more information, call study coordinator Allison Hilkin at 319-356-4768

New Faculty

Anesthesia

• Anke Bellinger, MD
  Clinical focus: Pain medicine
• Alex Fraser, MD
  Clinical focus: Regional anesthesia
• Anthony Han, MD, PhD
  Clinical focus: Anesthesia, pain medicine
• Karen Kakizawa, MD
• Ronald Lind, MD
  Clinical focus: Anesthesia
• Douglas Merrill, MD
  Clinical focus: Medical director, Ambulatory Surgery Center
• Paul Meyer, MD, PhD
  Clinical focus: Pediatric anesthesia
• Clark Obr, MD
  Clinical focus: Patient simulator education
• Joss Thomas, MD, MPH
  Clinical focus: Critical care medicine

Cardiothoracic Surgery

• James Davis, MD
  Clinical focus: Pediatric surgery
• David Helman, MD
  Clinical focus: Adult cardiac and endovascular surgery
• William Lynch, MD
  Clinical focus: Thoracic surgery, critical care, adult ECMO
• Kalpaj Parekh, MD
  Clinical focus: Thoracic surgery, lung transplantation dermatology
• Janet Fairley, MD
  (department head)
  Clinical focus: Psoriasis, clinical immunology, malignant and benign tumors, autoimmune and allergic diseases

Dermatology

• Janet Fairley, MD
  (department head)
  Clinical focus: Psoriasis, clinical immunology, malignant and benign tumors, autoimmune and allergic diseases

Family Medicine

• Yemaya Banks, MD
  Clinical focus: Primary care
• Alan Robb, MD
  Clinical focus: Primary care

Internal Medicine
Cardiology division

• Denice Hodgson-Zingman, MD
  Clinical focus: Cardiac electrophysiology

Obstetrics and Gynecology

• Thomas Buekers, MD
  Clinical focus: Gynecologic oncology
• Andrea Fick, MD
  Clinical focus: Maternal-fetal medicine
• Ali Luck, MD
  Clinical focus: Urogynecology, pelvic surgery
• Ginny Ryan, MD
  Clinical focus: Reproductive endocrinology, infertility
• Karen Wolin, MD
  Clinical focus: General obstetrics and gynecology

Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation

• Neil Segal, MD
  Clinical focus: Physical medicine and rehabilitation, spinal injections, osteoarthritis
• Robert Yang, MD
  Clinical focus: Physical medicine and rehabilitation, spine pain, medical acupuncture

Pediatrics

• Erik Edens, MD
  Clinical focus: Cardiology
• Benjamin Reinking, MD
  Clinical focus: Cardiology
• Joel Ringdahl, PhD
  Clinical focus: Psychology

Radiology

• Hicham Abada, MD
  Clinical focus: Vascular interventional radiology, including cardiovascular
• Kelli Andresen, MD
  Clinical focus: Body imaging, including interoperative ultrasound
• Yoshiki Asayama, MD
  Clinical focus: Body imaging
• Theodore Donta, MD
  Clinical focus: Neuradiology
• Ho Kyu Lee, MD
  Clinical focus: Neuradiology
• Jinsuh Lee, MD
  Clinical focus: Neuradiology
• Toshio Moritani, MD
  Clinical focus: Neuradiology
• Bruno Policeni, MD
  Clinical focus: Neuradiology
• Fadi Youness, MD
  Clinical focus: Vascular interventional radiology

Surgery

• Hisakuza Hoshi, MD
  Clinical focus: Surgical oncology
• Timothy Light, MD
  Clinical focus: General surgery, trauma/EGS, burn center
• Joel Shilyansky, MD
  Clinical focus: Pediatric surgery (division director)
• Sonia Sugg, MD
  Clinical focus: Endocrine surgery, surgical oncology