February-March 2004

For Physicians Who Have Traveled to the Far East or Southeast Asia 
Avian influenza, or bird flu, has been recently reported in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. SARS has been reported in areas of China close to Hong Kong. If you have traveled to any of these areas and have symptoms of fever, respiratory illness or diarrhea within 10 days of returning, do not come to work ill. Contact your primary-care physician and Employee Health at Swedish immediately. On the First Hill and Ballard campus, call Employee Health at (206) 386-6048. On the Providence campus, call (206) 320-2845. Additional information is available on the Infection Control Web site on Swedish On-Line. 

Swedish and its Eastside Strategy 
Over the past several years, Swedish has done a significant amount of consumer research with Eastside residents about their desire to access Swedish services. The results have shown that they want more health-care services available locally. More important, the results revealed that Eastsiders are extremely receptive to the idea of Swedish providing those services. 

To address those needs, Swedish has been looking for ways to build a stronger presence in East King County. For a variety of reasons, an "Eastside strategy" makes sense for Swedish. For instance, getting to Seattle is proving more challenging as traffic problems worsen. In addition, the Eastside is going through exceptional growth, and some parts of East King County lack access to much-needed health care. What’s more, our physicians and staff — many of whom live on the Eastside — have expressed a strong desire to work closer to home. 

It’s important to note that Swedish already has some presence in East King County. We currently have primary-care clinics on the Sammamish Plateau and in Factoria, as well as pediatrics and sleep medicine clinics. We also draw a number of Eastsiders to our Seattle hospitals for care. In fact, Swedish is the third-largest provider of inpatient services for Eastside residents. 

Swedish has now formed the "Eastside Strategy Team" to look at the best avenues for Swedish to meet the needs of Eastside residents into the future. Look for more information in Medical Staff News as this strategy develops. 

New Induction Standards 
On March 15, Swedish will launch a new labor-induction policy that more clearly outlines induction criteria. The policy is based on standards compiled by the American College of OB/GYN. Between 6,500 and 7,000 babies are born at Swedish each year, with approximately 30 percent of those births induced. Last June, a large team of physicians and staff members was asked to draw up a plan to reduce or eliminate elective inductions – particularly in women who had an unfavorable cervix – while appropriately identifying the population needing medical induction. "Our goal is to get to 25 percent for an overall induction rate," stated Dr. David Luthy, Swedish Women and Children’s Services medical director. The team also created a consent form and an induction information sheet. Throughout the process, medical directors, OB physicians, charge nurses, staff nurses, management and office staff were kept informed.

"We’ve studied this in great depth defining what’s the best clinical practice for the patient," says Luthy. "Our decision to adopt the new policy is evidenced-based. We are now ready to move forward collectively." 

March Quarterly Staff Meetings 
The First Hill and Providence integrated staff meeting will be held on Thursday, March 4, at 7:30 a.m. in Glaser Auditorium. Physician recognition awards will be presented to recipients who practice primarily at the First Hill and Providence campuses. The Ballard campus quarterly staff meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 2, at 5:45 p.m. in the main cafeteria.

Do You Recognize the Symptoms of RLS?
Swedish medical staff are invited to attend the seminar, "An Introduction to Restless Legs Syndrome" on Monday, March 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Glaser Auditorium at Swedish/First Hill Campus. Up to 8 percent of the U.S. population suffers from Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). Because it is often misdiagnosed, the presentation is geared toward providing health-care professionals with the information they need to recognize patients with RLS and assist in treating them effectively. Upon completion of the program, participants will understand the prevalence, etiology, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of RLS. Registration is not required.

Mary Bridge, Swedish Establish Joint Pediatric Heart-Surgery Program
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma and Swedish Medical Center have announced the formation of a joint regional heart-surgery program to meet the unique needs of children. The hospitals will share two pediatric heart-surgery care teams led by surgeons Dale Hall, M.D., and Ronald Woods, M.D., who will perform cardiac procedures at both facilities.

"This is all about bringing seamless care to children and reducing the stress factor on families," said Gregory Sorensen, M.D., Swedish director of Pediatric Specialty Care. "For example, babies born at Swedish who need lifesaving open-heart surgery won’t need to be trans-ported to another facility. The physicians will be here for them."

Swedish has an extensive Pediatric Specialty Care Program, but lost its senior pediatric heart surgeon to retirement last year. Rather than recruit a replacement, the medical center chose to partner with Mary Bridge.

The Mary Bridge/Swedish surgeons plan to do an estimated 200 procedures on infants and children annually, of approximately 500 pediatric open-heart surgeries performed in the state each year. The hospitals’ annual combined volume will be double what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for proficiency.

One of the more experienced pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons in the U.S., Dr. Hall founded the Mary Bridge pediatric heart-surgery program and has performed more than 500 procedures there. Dr. Woods joined Mary Bridge in May 2003 from Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London.

Over the past several years, the Mary Bridge pediatric heart program has become a highly regarded referral center for patients from across the region. Last year, the Mary Bridge heart-surgery team performed more than 160 surgeries. The expansion of the program enhances the services at Mary Bridge, which has a full range of pediatric outpatient and inpatient services, including the area’s designated pediatric trauma center, intensive care and comprehensive cardiology services.

For Swedish, the new partnership is a logical extension of the medical center’s renowned obstetrics and neonatal intensive-care programs as well as its growing pediatric specialty program.

New EBT Imaging Suite Opens
The new Electron Beam Tomography (EBT) Imaging Suite, which offers high-speed imaging scans for the early detection of coronary artery disease, opened its doors to patients in early February. The newly renovated and remodeled suite is located on the first floor of the Providence campus’ Center building. It replaces the mobile EBT program that was also located on the Providence campus. Swedish offers the only operational EBT scanner in the state, which is part of the Swedish Heart Institute’s comprehensive program for preventing and managing heart disease. For more information about EBT or to schedule an appointment, call (206) 320-4411.

Swedish Launches eICU
Swedish will be the first health-care provider in the Northwest to begin using new technology that allows intensive-care physicians to remotely monitor patients in multiple ICUs. With this new system, an intensivist at Swedish will be able to watch over and direct care for dozens of patients at once. Intensivists staffing an electronic command center will back up regular bedside care and help monitor ICU patient information around-the-clock.

Swedish is among the first 15 medical centers in the country to purchase this technology, called eICU®. The product – produced by VISICU Inc. – combines telemedicine with advanced software systems. A key feature of the eICU system is electronic monitoring and the ability to pick up nearly imperceptible changes in a patient’s condition or vital signs. Because intensive-care patients are so medically fragile, this "early warning system" helps head off life-threatening complications.

"The eICU system is an excellent marriage of leading-edge technology and bedside attention," said Curtis Veal, M.D., Swedish’s chief of medicine and a pulmonary/critical-care specialist. "Not only will this help improve outcomes for patients, it will increase comfort for families to know their loved ones are being so closely monitored."

Under an agreement with Baltimore-based VISICU, Swedish plans to connect the eICU system to 42 ICU beds on its First Hill campus this summer. Next year, it will be connected to ICUs at Swedish’s Ballard and Providence campuses.

Provide Updates to Medical Staff Services
Swedish affiliated physicians: If you have made changes in your practice, address, phone, e-mail address or practice associates, please forward that information to Swedish Medical Staff Services at (206) 386-2550.

UW Internal Medicine Training at Providence Campus Changes Leadership
Robert (Brownie) Schoene, M.D., director of the UW Internal Medicine Residency Program on the Providence campus, has recently accepted the position of director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at UC San Diego. As of Feb. 1, Bruce Gilliland, M.D., is the interim director. Among his many academic endeavors, Dr. Gilliland was the medical director at Providence Medical Center from 1976-1983 and the director of Medical Education at Providence Medical Center from 1987-1989. He is a recipient of the UW Medical Alumni Association Lifetime Service Award.

Eric Vallières, M.D., Joins the Swedish Cancer Institute as Surgical Director for Lung Cancer
Thoracic surgeon Eric Vallières, M.D., has recently joined the Swedish Cancer Institute (SCI) to help lead its multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Program. Dr. Vallières is recognized nationally and internationally as an expert in, and a proponent of, the benefits of multi-modality therapy for lung-cancer patients. His recruitment reflects the Swedish Cancer Institute’s commitment to providing a truly multidisciplinary lung-cancer program that integrates all elements of care – from screening and diagnosis to treatment and clinical research.

Dr. Vallières will be seeing patients at the new SCI Surgical Practices Clinic, located in the Arnold Pavilion on the Swedish/First Hill Campus. In addition to lung cancer, Dr. Vallières’ areas of expertise include mesothelioma, thoracic oncology and the surgical treatment of hyperhidrosis.

Certified in both general and thoracic surgery, Dr. Vallières comes to Swedish with extensive leadership, clinical and research experience. Most recently, he worked at the University of Washington Medical Center where he was an associate professor of surgery and was on the active medical staff. Prior to joining the University of Washington, he worked in the surgery departments of the University of Ottawa in Ontario and the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Internationally recognized for his clinical research in lung cancer, he has been the recipient of numerous grants for conducting clinical trials and has published more than 120 articles and abstracts.

Swedish Rolls Out New Mammography Coach
In an effort to increase women’s access to breast-care services, Swedish is rolling out a new mobile mammography coach – complete with the latest digital technology – in May 2004. Called the Swedish Breast Care Express, this 18-wheel tractor trailer will carry equipment and technologists to Western Washington communities that currently do not have convenient access to mammography. The Express will be the first mobile unit in the country equipped with digital mammography, which paves the way for future enhancements such as the trans-mission of mammographic and sonographic images via satellite. This will allow breast radiologists in Seattle to interpret studies on patients in remote areas while the women are still on board the coach. The new coach is a self-contained unit that houses equipment as well as exam rooms and waiting areas. The coach and two other mammography vans are available for screening events at community organizations and corporations. For more information about Swedish’s mobile mammography pro-gram, call (206) 320-4800.

New Consumer Book about Prostate Cancer Developed by Physicians at Swedish
Three Swedish-affiliated physicians have developed and edited a new consumer book about prostate cancer. The book, called The Prostate Cancer Treatment Book, is published by McGraw Hill and went on sale in February. Peter Grimm, D.O., John Blasko, M.D., and John Sylvester, M.D., all with the Seattle Prostate Institute at Swedish Medical Center, came up with the idea for the book and worked with 21 of the nation’s top prostate-cancer specialists to develop it. The goal of the book is to offer the most up-to-date information on prostate cancer, including diagnosis, treatment options, side effects and more. For additional information about the book, please call Mary Schotanus at (206) 215-2484 at the Seattle Prostate Institute.

Easier Access to Wellspring
Wellspring EAP Inc., your Early Assistance Program provider, has just made Web-site access a lot easier by removing the username and password function from the login process. You can now log on to www.wellspringeap.com to locate these resources:

• Continually updated high-quality wellness content
• More than 80 featured topics in health and lifestyle topics
• Daily features and news articles
• Resource links (i.e., news, books, reviews, self-help, tests, symptom information, medications, glossaries, phone numbers, etc.)
• 40 videos with leading professionals discussing a wide range of health and wellness topics
• Reading room (news headlines, editorials, featured articles, advice, glossary, polls, etc.)
• Online scheduling

For additional information, call 1-800-553-7798.

First Hill: Why the Land-use Signs?
You may have noticed yellow land-use signs posted around the First Hill campus. What are they all about? Swedish/First Hill is one of 13 "major institutions" in Seattle, a designation given to large health-care and educational organizations. As such, Swedish is required to create a Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP) to guide improvements to the campus over the next 10-15 years.

Developing a MIMP is typically a two-year public process that requires the formation of a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). The City of Seattle posted the land-use signs last week to recruit interested citizens to the six- to 12-member committee, comprised of residents of the surrounding neighborhood, representatives of nearby businesses, property owners and groups who use the services of the institution. CAC members will be selected by the City’s Department of Neighborhoods and confirmed by the City Council.

By the end of March, Swedish will have the first draft of the MIMP application that describes a very conceptual plan for the committee to review in April. The MIMP will be further defined before it goes to the City Council for final approval. We will send updates to staff, physicians and managers at key points in the process.

Swedish Welcomes New Staff

December
Stanley F. Abramski, M.D. (Psychiatry)
Carin M. Detle, P.A.-C. (Orthopedic)
John W. Ho, M.D. (Radiology/Intervention)
Paul P. Huang, M.D. (Cardiology/Intervention)
Lawrence M. Maurer, D.P.M. (Podiatric Surgery)
Gabrielle A. O’Sullivan, M.D. (Family Practice w/OB)
Anne H. Reese, M.D. (Pediatrics)
Richard W. Satre, M.D. (Radiology/Intervention)
Eva L. Stewart, A.R.N.P. (Family Practice)
Richard K. Tompkins, M.D. (Geriatrics)
Jodi A. Woods, (Dental Technician)

January
Adrianne M. Ball, M.D. (Nephrology)
John D. Beatty, M.D. (Surgery)
Carole A. Crowder, A.R.N.P. (Surgery)
Julie P. Heyn, M.D. (Cardiology)
Setsuko Hosoda, M.D. (Family Practice w/OB)
Wayne J. Katon, M.D. (Psychiatry)
James W. Larson, R.N. (Surgery Assist)
Lorena L. Shih, M.D. (Pediatrics)
Lloyd E. Stambaugh III, M.D. (Radiology/Diagnostic)
Michael J. Tronolone, M.D. (Allergy and Immunology)
Leanna B. Tyshler, M.D. (Nephrology)
Chrystel T. Venturini, M.D., (Radiology/Diagnostic)
Jennifer A. Williams, P.A.-C.

February
Alan C. Boudousquie, M.D. (Pathology)
Sara N. Brown, A.R.N.P. (Neonatology)
Kori A. Dewing, A.R.N.P. (Internal Medicine)
Nina T. Greenblatt, M.D. (Family Practice)
Alice M. Lee, M.D. (Internal Medicine)
Sundeep Malik, M.D. (Anesthesiology)
Gandis G. Mazeika, M.D. (Neurology)
Laura E. Myre, M.D. (Geriatric)
Manuela M. Sousa, M.D. (Anesthesiology)
Girogio S. Turella, M.D. (Sleep Medicine)
Eric Vallieres, M.D. (Thoracic Surgery)

	© 1997-2004     Swedish Medical Center