Tag Archives: University of Michigan Health – West

Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan surpasses expectations with 100 life-saving surgeries

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The Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan completed its 100th surgery at University of Michigan Health-West (Courtesy, UMHW)

By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org


Ten months since launching the state’s newest open-heart surgery program, the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan completed its 100th surgery at University of Michigan Health-West, surpassing its first-year goal of 50 operations.

The program gives West Michigan patients greater choice and access to top-rated care close to home while also reducing costs. The Grand Rapids market was previously the largest in the state with a single open-heart program.

The UMHW cardiovascular operating room has state-of-the-art equipment (Courtesy, UMHW)

UM Health-West CEO Dr. Peter Hahn said the milestone is a testament to the collaboration and meticulous preparation that led to the program launch last October.

“Before we saw a single patient, we built and equipped a state-of-the-art operating room. We assembled a team of leading heart surgeons and cardiovascular experts, and we designed protocols to ensure our first patient could have the same expectation of excellence as our 100th patient,” Hahn said. “We intend to continue building on that success.”

Dr. Alphonse DeLucia III, who leads the UM Health-West cardiac surgery team, said the program’s success shows the genius of the model established by the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan. The joint operating agreement leverages the expertise of Trinity Health Muskegon, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, UM Health-West, and more than 125 years of cardiovascular leadership from University of Michigan Health in Ann Arbor.

“Patients no longer have to wonder if they are getting the best option for care,” DeLucia said. “Patients go through their own cardiologist. If advanced cardiovascular care becomes necessary, the Network provides the collective expertise from all four programs to evaluate each case and ensure the best possible treatment.”

Trinity Health provides access to some of the most accomplished surgeons in the state (Courtesy, UMHW)

Whether surgery takes place at Trinity Health Muskegon or at UM Health-West in Wyoming, the Network provides access to some of the most accomplished surgeons in the state. These surgeons have decades of experience and have performed thousands of operations.

Another aspect that sets the program apart, said Dr. Theodore Boeve, a cardiothoracic surgeon based at Trinity Health Muskegon, is that it draws on the renowned cardiovascular expertise of University of Michigan.

“Some of the greatest advances in cardiovascular medicine and surgery got their start in Ann Arbor, and Michigan Medicine continues to be a leader in improving outcomes for patients with heart disease,” Boeve said, noting patients benefit from the latest research and clinical trials. “This opens an entirely new scope of treatment options.”

UM Health-West Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ronald Grifka said the early success confirms that the cardiac surgery program and the Network are addressing a critical necessity for the fastest-growing region of the state.

The overwhelming success of the cardiovascular program has encouraged plans for further expansion (Courtesy, UMHW)

“The fact that we expect to perform close to 125 surgeries in our first 12 months – and possibly 200 in our second year – shows West Michigan needed more options in the fight against heart disease, the No. 1 cause of death,” Grifka said. “We are making a direct impact on the quality of life for our patients across the region.”

Dr. Himanshu Patel, Executive Director of the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan says the overwhelming success of the program has encouraged plans for further expansion and advancements.

“Expansion in the next decade is not a matter of if, but when,” Patel said. “We are confident of this, just as we fully expect to continue delivering more breakthroughs and sophisticated treatments for our patients.”

U-M Health-West shares tips on preventing tick infections

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By Dr. Del DeHart
Infectious Disease Specialist

University of Michigan Health-West

A combination of outdoor activity and warmer weather makes it more likely for residents to be exposed to ticks. (Pxhere.com)

Spring is here, and with warmer weather people are outside much more, which is a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, ticks feel the same way and the combination of outdoor activity and warmer weather makes tick exposure more likely. With National Lyme Disease Awareness Month approaching in May, if you plan to spend time outdoors this spring and summer, there are things you should know about ticks and the diseases they spread.

Exposure risk:

  • Ticks are active from early spring to fall, and they like woodlands and grassy areas
  • Ticks vary in size as they develop over the year
  • While we think of exposure when we are out in the woods or grassy areas, many to most bites occur around our homes
  • Ticks are moving into some areas where they were not common in years past
  • Tick-borne diseases can be regional, so it is helpful to know common ticks or infections in your area
  • Use tick prevention for dogs too

Tick exposures and tick bites:

  • Preventing exposures is the first line of defense
  • When trekking in areas of higher risk wear tight-fitting clothing and tuck pants into socks
  • Check for ticks on clothing and on skin periodically
  • Remove any attached ticks quickly with tweezers
  • If a tick is engorged or has been attached for more than a few hours keep it for possible identification
  • Most common tick-borne infections are not transmitted quickly, but towards the end of the blood meal so early removal is very helpful
  • Rashes and bites may not be in an area where it will be noticed, and bites are often painless

When to seek medical advice:

  • If you develop a rash or fever after a bite or exposure to high risk area
    • In areas with high risk of Lyme disease and clear high-risk tick bite, prophylactic antibiotics may be prescribed
    • Save the tick: If the tick can be identified it can help with identifying specific infection risk. Tick identification can be helpful, but testing the tick for pathogens is a waste of money and time
      • Many commercial labs will nevertheless do this testing for lots of money
      • Any given tick may carry several pathogens
      • Infected ticks don’t regularly, or even commonly, transmit infections
    • Be aware the tick you find may not be the one that bit you, or the only one to which you were exposed

Resources

Recent video from the New England Journal of Medicine about ticks and tick diseases:


Excellent and comprehensive information for consumers and clinicians at the CDC can by found by clicking here.

Lastly, state health departments often offer information and help as well. For example, Michigan has a

free tick identification service with links available online.

About Del DeHart, MD

Dr. Del DeHart is an infectious disease specialist with University of Michigan Health-West.

About University of Michigan Health-West

University of Michigan Health-West first state health system to utilize AI-powered documentation

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University of Michigan Health – West Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Lance M. Owens discusses patient care while the Dragon Ambient eXperience program takes notes. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

University of Michigan Health-West (formerly Metro Health – University of Michigan Health) is the first system in the state to pilot automated documentation in the exam room, allowing health providers to focus on the patient rather than the computer.

 

The AI-powered Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) is an ambient clinical intelligence solution that captures and contextualizes every word of the patient encounter and automatically creates clinical documentation.

 

The pilot at University of Michigan Health-West began earlier this year with 13 providers, throughout primary and specialty care settings.

 

“We have already discovered multiple advantages to suggest that Nuance DAX could become a transformative innovation for our organization,” said Dr. Lance M. Owens, Chief Medical Information Officer, who is leading the pilot. “This technology captures documentation automatically and removes the computer as a barrier between providers and their patients and enables better patient- provider engagement. It is yet another way we are relentlessly pursuing our vision to deliver innovations that change care and care that changes lives.”

University of Michigan Health – West Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Lance M. Owens has been leading the pilot on ai-powered documentation. (Supplied)

“University of Michigan Health-West is a model for the deep partnerships needed to transform healthcare delivery and empower physicians with the advanced technology they need to provide personalized patient care,” said Diana Nole, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Nuance Healthcare. “Nuance DAX works seamlessly in the background unlocking the physician from the burden of administrative tasks and enables them to focus solely on the patient. This was our vision when introducing Nuance DAX, and now, together with our customers like the University of Michigan Health-West, we are bringing that vision to life by delivering an enhanced patient-provider experience.”

 

In initial surveys at pilot sites, when asked to compare their visit to previous healthcare encounters, patients overwhelmingly agreed with several performance indicators, stating:

  • “My visit felt more like a personable conversation.”
  • “The provider seemed to be more focused on me during the visit.”
  • “The provider spent less time typing on their computer.”

“The benefit to patients is becoming readily apparent,” Owen said. “By reducing the documentation burden, we allow providers to focus on delivering the best care for their patients and stronger patient-provider relationship.”

 

After using Nuance DAX, one University of Michigan Health-West provider saw a decrease in 31 minutes per day in documentation. Another provider saw an average reduction of 5 minutes of documentation time per appointment. One particularly efficient provider decreased time per note from two minutes to 1.9 minutes, totaling a significant decrease in documentation time overall. In addition to helping providers stay on schedule and spend more time with patients, the system improves accuracy and thoroughness of documentation because providers don’t have to divide their attention between patient and computer.

“As we continue to track key metrics during the pilot, we plan to roll out the system for all primary care physicians over the next year,” Owens said. “We see potential to expand for specialty use, in the Emergency Department and nursing settings in the near future.”

 

For more about University of Michigan Health-West and its innovation initiatives, please visit www.uofmhealthwest.org.