Gadre named to Kentucky Licensing Board for Specialists in Hearing Instruments
LOUISVILLE Arun K. Gadre, MD, the Heuser Hearing Institute professor of Otology and Neurotology at the University of Louisville, has been appointed by Gov. Steve Beshear to the Kentucky Licensing Board for Specialists in Hearing Instruments. Gadre’s term began this month and runs through July 2017.
The board is the Commonwealth’s licensing body for the hearing instrument dispensing profession and makes recommendations when needed on state laws governing hearing instruments.
Gadre is board-certified in surgery and is listed among the 2014 “Best Doctors in America,” an honor accorded to only five percent of all physicians in the United States.
At UofL, Gadre also serves as the Heuser Hearing Institute endowed chair in Otology & Neurotology and director of Otology, Neurotology, and Skull Base Surgery in the division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Hiram C. Polk Jr., MD, Department of Surgery at UofL. He practices with University of Louisville Physicians-Ear, Nose & Throat and has been on the faculty at UofL since 2006.
Gadre focuses on translational research. He is interested in research in minimally invasive otologic surgery and in cochlear implantation. He has studied the pathophysiology of otosclerosis, in which abnormal bone growth in the middle ear causes hearing loss; and Meniere’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that can cause dizziness, tinnitus, ear pain, or hearing loss. He also recently found a new etiology for vertigo, which he presented in Antalya, Turkey, at the 29th Meeting of the Politzer Society, the international society for otologic surgery and science. He was also appointed international neurotology board examiner at King Saud University in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
His clinical specialties are in otlogy, neurotology, and skull base surgery, including surgery for acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor found on the eighth cranial nerve leading from the brain to the inner ear that can affect hearing and balance. He also performs cochlear and bone-anchored hearing aid implants, other ear surgeries and surgery of the facial nerves. Other specialties include management of vertigo and treatment of maxillofacial trauma.
Gadre earned his medical degree from Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital in Bombay, India, and completed an ear-nose-throat residency and a head and neck surgery fellowship at Bombay’s Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital. After arriving in the United States, he completed a residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the University of California-Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. He completed otology research fellowships at the House Ear Institute, Los Angeles, and was the Eleanor Naylor Dana Laser Research Fellow at the Lahey Clinic, Burlington, Mass. He completed an accredited otology and neurotology fellowship at New York University Medical Center and Tisch Hospital. He moved to Louisville from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and was formerly director of otology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
Oncofertility Specialist Joins Uk Healthcare Team
LEXINGTON UK Women’s Health Obstetrics & Gynecology has added an oncofertility specialist to its team. Dr. Leslie A. Appiah joins UK HealthCare as a board-certified gynecologist with expertise in oncofertility and fellowship training in pediatric and adolescent gynecology. Appiah brings five years of experience from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she served as director of oncofertility and fellowship director of pediatric and adolescent gynecology.
Appiah will serve as director of oncofertility at UK. She will work closely with subspecialists in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, the Markey Cancer Center, and Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Appiah and her team will collaborate to preserve the fertility and reproductive health of pediatric, adolescent, and adult cancer and blood disorder patients of all genders.
Appiah attended medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. She completed her residency in OB-GYN at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and a clinical fellowship in pediatric and adolescent gynecology at Texas Children’s Hospital. She has received several teaching awards including the Johns Hopkins Excellence in Teaching Award.
Appiah’s interests include fertility preservation, minimally invasive surgery, congenital anomalies of the reproductive tract, hormone replacement therapy, and endometriosis.
Noonan Named ‘Gifted Educator’ for 2014
LEXINGTON Dr. Jacqueline (Jackie) Noonan, long-time faculty member at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and former chair of the Department of Pediatrics, has been named the “Gifted Educator” for 2014 by the American College of Cardiology.
The award recognizes someone who has demonstrated innovative, outstanding teaching characteristics that contribute significantly to the field of cardiovascular medicine.
“This honor is well-deserved and places Dr. Noonan in rare company. She has represented the University of Kentucky admirably for more than 50 years — not just in her capacity as a teacher and mentor, but as a strong advocate for Kentuckians with congenital heart disease,” said Dr. Doug Schneider, chief of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at UK.
Noonan came to UK’s newly established College of Medicine in 1961. In 1963, she began publishing papers about children with a rare type of heart defect and distinct physical characteristics. The condition was eventually named Noonan Syndrome in acknowledgment of her efforts.
Currently professor emerita, Noonan has served the University of Kentucky in numerous capacities, including as a member of the University Senate and the Admissions Committee for the College of Medicine. She serves on the editorial boards of many national and international professional journals and has hundreds of book chapters, presentations, and studies in peer-reviewed publications attributed to her. Although she officially retired in 2007, Noonan comes to work every day, continues to teach, publish, see patients, and advise junior faculty. She also continues to travel to all parts of the globe to lecture.
This is not the first time Noonan has been recognized for her work. She was given the Helen B. Fraser Award from the Kentucky Public Health Association, named one of the Best Women Doctors in America by Harper’s Bazaar, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Best Doctors in America. She also received the A. Bradley Soule Award from The University of Vermont, her alma mater.
Noonan accepted her award at the ACC annual meeting March 31, in Washington, D.C.
UK Chief of Adolescent Medicine Publishes Books Covering Broad Spectrum of Teen Health Topics
LEXINGTON To offer comprehensive health care for teenagers, doctors are required to have a broad range of expertise on topics from nutrition to sexual health to psychological intervention. Dr. Hatim Omar, chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics, is working to publish a book about all topics related to adolescent health.
Omar has served as an editor of more than 15 books about adolescent health published in the past five years. He has acted as an editor and author for books addressing obesity, chronic illness, sexual health, sports medicine, ambulatory medicine, neurodevelopmental disabilities, pharmacological treatments, and other topics specific to the adolescent population. This month alone, Omar published four books: “Children, Violence and Bullying: International Perspectives;” “Playing with Fire: Children, Adolescents and Fire-Setting;” “Adolescence and Sexuality: International Perspectives;” and “School, Adolescence and Health Issues (Pediatrics, Child and Adolescent Health).”
With experience in the fields of gynecology, physiology, pediatrics, and obstetrics/ gynecology, Omar developed a passion for working with adolescents during a residency followed by a fellowship at West Virginia University. He has served as the chief of the division of adolescent medicine at UK since 1998. He has published more than 150 articles in peer reviewed journals. Currently, Omar is working on a book that provides the thoughts and voices of real teenagers from his practice. Omar hopes to publish the book later in 2014.
UK’s division of adolescent medicine comprises a team of physicians, nurses, social workers, nutritionists, and psychologists who have expertise in a wide range of adolescent concerns. For more information, visit http://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/adolescent-medicine.
UK Pediatricians Publish Comprehensive Textbook about Newborn Kidney Disease
LEXINGTON UK HealthCare pediatricians Dr. Aftab S. Chishti and Dr. Stefan G. Kiessling, have edited a new textbook that provides in-depth clinical instruction about the treatment of kidney and urinary tract diseases in newborns.
Published in January, “Kidney and Urinary Tract Disease in Newborns” provides doctors with comprehensive, practical knowledge for the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases in babies younger than a year old. The textbook includes contributions from more than 20 experts in the field of pediatric nephrology. The textbook addresses a wide range of topics, such as neonatal hypertension, cystic kidney disease, urological abnormalities, and nutrition for children with kidney disease. Each chapter starts with a clinical case example and ends with important take-home messages.
Chishti, associate professor of pediatrics, and Kiessling, chief of the division of pediatric nephrology, served as editors and contributing authors to the textbook. Chishti said the textbook is the only professional publication on the market focusing on kidney disease in the first year of life. The text will serve as a go-to resource for pediatricians interested in furthering their knowledge of kidney disease.
Hardin Memorial Hospital Joins Markey Affiliate Network
LEXINGTON Hardin Memorial Hospital in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, is the latest medical center to join the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network (MCCAN).
The affiliation means more cancer patients across Kentucky will be able to receive the advanced specialty and sub-specialty care of the UK Markey Cancer Center, recently named the 68th National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in the country, and the only one in Kentucky. Other benefits include access to clinical trials and advanced technology while allowing patients to stay closer to home for most treatment.
Hardin Memorial becomes the ninth hospital to join MCCAN. Other affiliates include ARH Cancer Center in Hazard, Frankfort Regional Hospital, Georgetown Community Hospital, Harrison Memorial Hospital in Cynthiana, the Norton Cancer Institute in Louisville, Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital in Ashland, Rockcastle Regional Hospital in Mount Vernon, and St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead.
Oldham and Baptist Health Louisville Recognized as Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery
ST. MATTHEWS, KY Baptist Health Louisville’s Bariatric Surgery Center recently achieved re-accreditation from The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Bariatric Surgery Center for Excellence (ASMBS BSCOE) program. The program has been a center of excellence since 2010. The accreditation is for a three year period.
To earn a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence designation, Baptist Health Louisville underwent a series of site inspections during which all aspects of the program’s surgical processes were closely examined and data on health outcomes was collected. Baptist Health Louisville and other centers receiving the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence designation agree to continue to share information on clinical pathways, protocols and outcomes data.
“Due to the increasing prevalence of morbid obesity and the inherent risks associated with obesity, tools such as weight loss surgery can greatly improve our patient population’s health, therefore we recognize the need to implement a systematic approach to improving quality,” said John Oldham, MD, Medical Director of Baptist Health Louisville’s Bariatric Surgery program. “At Baptist Health Louisville we believe that the ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence program will serve as a catalyst, driving strong programs to get even better.”
The Center of Excellence evaluation not only documents process – such as equipment, supplies, training of surgeons and staff and the availability of consultant services – but emphasizes results.
ASMBS BSCOE accreditation formally acknowledges a commitment to providing quality improvement and patient safety for bariatric surgery patients. As an accredited program, they have demonstrated that the center meets the needs of bariatric surgery patients by providing multidisciplinary, high-quality, patient-centered care.
KentuckyOne Health and Walgreens Announce Clinical Collaboration
LOUISVILLE KentuckyOne Health and Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) (Nasdaq: WAG) announced in March a clinical collaboration agreement that will provide coordinated and expanded health care services, while improving access to high-quality, convenient, and affordable care for patients in the Louisville and southern Indiana area.
KentuckyOne Health will work with Healthcare Clinics at select Walgreens to expand the level of care and handle serious, non-emergent conditions outside of the clinics’ scope of practice. The collaboration will also offer the ability to help manage the treatment of chronic diseases.
While Healthcare Clinics and KentuckyOne Express Care strongly encourage all patients to have a designated primary care physician and medical home for ongoing needs, the collaboration will provide patients access to quality care seven days a week. The collaboration will include direct communication between Healthcare Clinic nurse practitioners and KentuckyOne Health physicians to facilitate care coordination and sharing of patient information.
With the Affordable Care Act expected to bring millions of new patients into the healthcare system, the relationship aims to help address some of the needs and challenges facing both patients and healthcare providers.
Medical Center Jewish Northeast Makes Service Changes
LOUISVILLE Louisville As part of its efforts to improve performance, KentuckyOne Health is adjusting the mix of outpatient services offered at Medical Center Jewish Northeast (MCJNE).
The center’s emergency room will close effective at 7 a.m. April 1, 2014, due to low demand for emergency services at that location.
The medical center remains open and will continue to offer a range of other services from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For emergency needs, the community will continue to be served by other excellent nearby 24/7 emergency care at:
Norton Brownsboro Hospital (7 miles away)
Medical Center Jewish East (13 miles away)
Jewish Hospital Shelbyville (19 miles away)
MCJNE representatives have contacted officials responsible for emergency transport and public safety about the planned closure of the emergency room. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet also was contacted regarding related highway signage. Additionally, MCJNE will conduct a community outreach effort to notify area residents and former patients about the closure and provide information about nearby 24/7 emergency care through advertising, signage, and direct mail.
Medical Center Jewish Northeast remains open and continues to offer:
Primary care and specialty physician services
Premier Surgery Center
Diagnostic imaging including general X-ray, DEXA scan, fluoroscopy, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, PET scan and ultrasound
Laboratory services
Infusion services
Frazier Rehab Institute outpatient services
Louisville Hand Transplant Program Celebrates 15th Anniversary
LOUISVILLE The Louisville Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) program, a partnership of physicians, researchers and healthcare providers from Jewish Hospital, part of KentuckyOne Health; the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery (CMKI); the Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center; and the University of Louisville, marked the 15th anniversary of its first and the world’s most successful hand transplant on March 20.
Matt Scott, a New Jersey native, became the first patient to undergo a hand transplant at Jewish Hospital in 1999. Scott lost his dominant left hand on December 23, 1985 in a blast from an M80 firecracker. He has remarkable function in his transplanted hand, which he uses for everyday living activities. He is the director of the EMT and paramedic school operated by Virtua Health.
The success of Scott’s transplant has impacted the future of both transplantation and reconstructive surgery around the world. Since his procedure, the Louisville VCA program has performed eight more hand transplants on seven patients, including a double hand transplant in 2010. Donnie Rickelman, Louisville program’s seventh hand transplant recipient, joined Scott at a celebration marking the milestone.
“We are very pleased with Scott and the good attention to his transplant,” said Joseph Kutz, MD, primary investigator and partner with Kleinert Kutz Hand Care Center. “He has proven to the world that transplantation can be successful and allow people to get back to their normal activities.”
The success of the Louisville VCA program is promising and has led to additional funding for ongoing transplantation and research. Early funding for research on composite tissue allotransplantation and immunotherapy from the Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Foundation, also part of KentuckyOne Health, helped to bring about the nation’s first hand transplant. Other hand transplants were funded by the Department of Defense. In late 2012, the Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Foundation allocated $1.5 million for the Louisville VCA program to be used specifically to bring potential hand transplant recipients to Louisville for screening, performance of the hand transplantation surgery and patient therapy and rehabilitation after surgery.
In 2013, the Louisville VCA program was awarded $850,000 to fund a clinical trial of a new treatment that will help prevent rejection of hand transplants as part of the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM) research program. AFIRM II is a five-year, $75 million federally funded project that will focus on applying regenerative medicine to battlefield injuries.
The clinical trial will be led by primary investigator Kutz and will take place at Jewish Hospital and Kleinert Kutz with research taking place at the CMKI and the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute, a partnership of Jewish Hospital and the University of Louisville.
The AFIRM II funding will enable Louisville VCA researchers to explore the potential for a cell-based therapy to improve the immune system’s response to a hand transplant, and ultimately lessen or eliminate the need for immune-suppressant drugs. Results of this trial will be far-reaching and benefit not only military patients, but all hand transplant recipients.
UK HealthCare Physicians Named to Best Doctors in America Listing for 2014
LEXINGTON More than 100 UK HealthCare physicians affiliated with University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital, Kentucky Children’s Hospital and UK HealthCare Good Samaritan Hospital appear on the Best Doctors in America® List for 2014 — more than any other hospital in Kentucky. Only five percent of doctors in America earn this prestigious honor, decided by impartial peer review.
The Best Doctors in America® List, assembled by Best Doctors, Inc. and audited and certified by Gallup®, results from exhaustive polling of over 45,000 physicians in the United States. Doctors in over 40 specialties and 400 subspecialties of medicine appear on this year’s List.
In a confidential review, current physician listees answer the question, “If you or a loved one needed a doctor in your specialty, to whom would you refer?” Best Doctors, Inc. evaluates the review results, and verifies all additional information to meet detailed inclusion criteria.
In bringing together the best medical minds in the world, Best Doctors works with expert physicians from its Best Doctors in America® List to help its 30 million members worldwide get the right diagnosis and right treatment.
The experts who are part of the Best Doctors in America® database provide the most advanced medical expertise and knowledge to patients with serious conditions – often saving lives in the process by finding the right diagnosis and right treatment.
UK Pharmacy, Markey Announce New Center for Nanobiotechnology
LEXINGTON The University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and Markey Cancer Center announce the creation of the Center for Nanobiotechnology, which will be led by Peixuan Guo, UK’s William S. Farish Fund Endowed Chair in Nanobiotechnology.
Nanotechnology is the development and engineering of devices so small that they are measured on a nanometer scale. Nanoscale devices can work as parts of body organs, tissues, and drug carriers to interact with biomolecules on both the surface and inside cells. Because they have access to so many areas of the body, they have the potential to detect diseases and deliver treatments in newer and more effective ways.
The newly-established center will bring together biomedical experts working in nanobiotechnology in UK’s Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine. All faculty with research interests in nanobiotechnology, such as nanoscale biomaterials, nanobiomechanics, nanomedicine, nanodrug delivery, nanoimunology, nanophotonics, biomolecular imaging, micro- and nano-scale biosensors, biochips, and RNA nanotechnology, are invited to engage with the center.
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