DeLegge Medical

AGA Conference on New Technology and Innovation

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:54:00 +0000

Mark and Becky DeLegge attended the American Gastroenterological Association Conference on New Technology and Innovation. The conference was in Palo Alto, California and included physicians, entrepreneurs, venture funding specialists, regulatory authorities, payors and corporations. Dr. DeLegge opened the conference with a review of “Where We Are in 2011” in GI technology development, regulatory approval, reimbursement approval and commercialization. He used the company, Satiety, as an example of the current state of affairs. He also gave a presentation on the American Gastroenterological Association’s Payor Policy Group; a group that advocates for new medical technology reimbursement for the gastroenterologist from the payors. Dr. DeLegge moderated two exciting sessions, one in the area of obesity treatments and a second on how to get your new medical technology funded. Becky DeLegge met with a number of entrepreneurs and design colleagues and was a very sought after bioengineer and medical device development company CEO.

The conference presented many stimulating lectures. There was a tremendous amount of debate surrounding working with the FDA, creating the right business model, evaluating the clinical value of a medical technology and the value of partnerships in moving new medical technology forward. Next year’s conference promises to build on the success of this year’s conference. One area to be expanded is the presentation of new medical devices by physicians and entrepreneurs for feedback from this knowledgeable crowd.

Grand Rounds at Long Island Jewish

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:23:00 +0000

Dr. Mark DeLegge was an invited speaker at GI Grand Rounds at Long Island Jewish Hospital in New York recently. This conference was well attended by both pediatric and adult gastroenterologists, as well as GI fellows, medical students, nurses, dietitians and dietetic interns. The topic was “supplemental parenteral nutrition” and focused on the issues of hospital-based malnutrition, the impact of early enteral nutrition, the issue of gastrointestinal intolerance with the use of enteral nutrition with resultant undernutrition and the value of supplemental parenteral nutrition.

The audience was very interactive and there was a lively exchange about the lecture topic. Interest came up about the role of the gastroenterologist in both enteral nutrition and enteral access. The importance of a well-trained dietitian in guiding the nutrition plans of the critically ill patient was stressed. The plans for the formation of a Northeast Special Interest Group of practicing nutrition specialists were discussed. Dr. DeLegge received many thanks and accolades for the presentation. Afterwards, Staten Island Hospital was visited where a complicated patient at a hospital ready for discharge to a home parenteral nutrition service with CORAM healthcare was discussed. Everyone agreed that these types of complicated patients require a well-informed, well-communicating nutritional support team to manage the patient both in the hospital and at home.

Conflict of Interest in Today's Health Care Market

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Conflict of interest (COI) has become a contentious topic in the medical world over the past two to three decades. The meaning of the term has become synonymous with dark connotations including greed, compromised, hidden agendas, sold-out and money-oriented. The true meaning of conflict of interest is really any scenario in which a party may have a personal interest in a decision being made by another party or group. This is in fact, a noble cause, and one that should be adhered to. We certainly do not want personal gain to influence how a decision is being made. On the other hand, it is unrealistic to expect people not to have conflicts of interest in medicine. This is especially true for physicians. In general, physicians as a group do practice medicine, but by their personal drive and nature, are often involved in other innovative initiatives. Some of these initiatives may be on their own, in corporate America, with physician societies, within a physician practice or within a hospital system. The idea behind conflict of interest rules is disclosure. Disclosure allows everyone to be aware of a conflict when a decision is being made, such that a party can recuse themselves. However, currently the COI rule is usually applied only to industry relationships, or personal business relationships. That is where the COI rules fall apart and are not applied equally across the board.

Here is an example: I work for my University’s Medical Center… I may be President of a specific medical association. If I advertise that I am president of that association on my CV or any other public document and it influences a patient’s decision to come to my University’s Medical Center for care as opposed to another, that is a conflict. If as the President, I am asked to speak at conferences because of that position and I am paid to attend, that is a conflict. If as a committee member of an organization, a physician writes a paper and that paper leads to him or her being identified as an expert in an area and then being compensated for consulting time, or attracting a research grant or more patients to his or her practice, that is a conflict of interest. However, these conflicts are part of normal life. It would be impossible to perform daily functions without them. On the contrary, if a physician serves as a consultant for a company, or runs his or her own company, then they are identified as having a “real” conflict of interest. In reality, there is no difference between the different scenarios I have provided.

Academic medicine, physician societies, physician practices and industry are all intertwined in the same objective – improving patient care. Most specialty societies would not exist if it were not for the funding of grants by industry, in addition to support of yearly societal meetings by renting vendor exhibiting space. I am sure some of these relationships have gone wrong; however I would venture to say that it is the minority of these relationships that have turned out bad. There is also a marginal number of times that researchers tell “fibs” about their data to get more research grants or health care systems protect physicians practicing sub-par medicine or physicians overprescribe procedures and testing to make more money. However, the majority do not behave in this manner.

I believe it is time for reality to set in and for physicians from “diverse” backgrounds to be linked together. Only with collaboration between academia, private practices, physician societies and industry can we truly look at major decisions from all perspectives. Declaring a conflict of interest is the right thing to do. Managing a conflict is imperative. However, having a conflict in one area should not eliminate a person from contributing, or even leading, if they have declared and acted on their COI sufficiently and with integrity. Conflicts of interest exist in all walks of life. It is the organization that realizes how to appropriately use all of their physician resources effectively and has “diverse” representation amongst their members and leaders that will be the ultimate winners. We owe that to ourselves, our patients and our healthcare delivery system.

Assessing Appropriate Parenteral Nutrition Ordering Practices in Tertiary Care Centers

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:40:00 +0000

Dr. Mark DeLegge and colleagues published in the January/February issue of the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition an article titled “Assessing appropriate parenteral nutrition ordering practices in tertiary care centers.” This article and the research were partially funded by the South Carolina Research Consortium and the South Carolina Research Authority.

Parenteral nutrition is frequently used in the hospital environment because of “gut dysfunction.” However, parenteral nutrition requires a central venous catheter for infusion and strict monitoring of the patient’s metabolic status. Associated complications include bacteremia, sepsis, thromboembolic disease and liver failure. With that, it is recommended to start enteral nutrition (tube feeding) as opposed to parenteral nutrition if possible. Specific guidelines exist that recommend when parenteral nutrition is appropriate. One of these guidelines is published by the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

This article described a study at four major South Carolina hospital systems. Over a three-month period, trained dietitians collected data on the appropriate ordering of parenteral nutrition at their facilities as determined by the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition guidelines. It was noted that PN was inappropriately prescribed in 32% of the cases examined in the South Carolina facilities resulting in 552 days of inappropriate PN therapy at a cost of $138,000. This is consistent with data collected at an individual academic center in South Carolina that was reported in early 2000. If an institution had a nutrition support team that was actively participating in patient care, they had reported less inappropriate PN use. In addition, if an institution employed more certified nutrition support dietitians, they also had less inappropriate PN use.

Parenteral nutrition is a life-saving therapy. Its use can be extraordinarily beneficial. However, there are also risks and costs to the therapy that need to be considered. Appropriate use of parenteral nutrition therapy is imperative to improving clinical outcomes.

Dr. Mark DeLegge is the Director of the Nutrition Support Team and the Director of Nutrition at the Medical University of South Carolina. He is board certified in nutrition, gastroenterology and internal medicine. He has been a member of the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition since 1989 and serves on their board of directors.

Intragastric Balloon Therapy for the Management of Obesity - Why The Bad Wrap?

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:55:00 +0000

Dr. Mark DeLegge and Dr. Joshua Evans (Fellow in Gastroenterology at the Medical University of South Carolina) published an article in the January/February issue of the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition titled “Intragastric Balloon Therapy for the Management of Obesity. Why The Bad Wrap?”

In this article, it was pointed out that there could be a decline in the life expectancy of the U.S. population in the next few decades based on the epidemic of obesity. Diet and exercise can work to treat obesity, although the weight loss effects are limited and for a short duration in time. Surgery provides a more durable solution, but can be associated with major complications. The original endoscopic device for obesity was the Garron-Edwards intragastric balloon. However, at the time of its release in the 1980s, the device proved to be no better than sham controls in trials and there were associated complications of balloon deflation and small bowel obstruction. Because of this history, recent endoscopic techniques for the treatment of obesity focused away from gastric balloons and now included devices that allow intragastric stapling or suturing to create a reduced intragastric volume or a luminal sleeve that interferes with nutrient absorption. These devices are currently yet to be approved by the FDA and these endoscopic techniques can be endoscopically challenging to perform.

The simple concept and endoscopic technique associated with an intragastric balloon has evolved in the past few decades. Internationally, intragastric balloons have been shown to consistently result in durable weight loss over a one-year period. Although the weight loss may not be as significant as that which occurs with surgery, the overall cost of these procedures and associated morbidity and mortality are much less than a surgical intervention. A durable 10% total-body weight loss at one year has been reported, certainly markedly better than those reported with diet and exercise. Intragastric balloons would be a true “minimally invasive” approach to obesity. The right move in the treatment of obesity may be a step back to an endoscopic treatment – the gastric balloon.

Clinical Nutrition Week - Vancouver, B.C.

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:40:00 +0000

Dr. Mark DeLegge was in Vancouver, Canada this past week for the annual Clinical Nutrition Week conference. Participants were from the United States, Canada, South America, Southeast Asia, Europe and Australia. As a member of the Board of Directors for the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), Dr. DeLegge noted the outstanding science and clinical work presented at the conference. Major strides were made in the creation of a database that will track all home parenteral nutrition patients in the United States and to ultimately partner with other international physicians and countries. In addition, ASPEN will be supporting collaboration with the European Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ESPEN) to conduct yearly surveys focused on the state of nutrition and nutrition interventions in our hospitals, sub-acute care facilities and long-term care facilities.

Dr. DeLegge serves as a board member on the Rhoads Research Foundation, a board dedicated to increasing funding for nutrition-based research. This board met in Vancouver and was successful in obtaining further long-term commitments from corporate and private donors.

While in Vancouver, Dr. DeLegge participated in a roundtable discussion with a number of patients receiving tube-feeding at home and their families. He was able to problem-solve some issues they were having and was also able to learn more about what impact tube-feeding has on patients who are receiving enteral nutrition at home. He has received an award in the past from the Oley Foundation, a support group for home parenteral and enteral nutrition patients, for “extreme volunteerism.”

Dr. DeLegge was also a speaker at the conference and addressed the topic of gastrointestinal intolerance during tube feeding. This is a common problem and can result in patients not receiving adequate nutrition at home. This lecture was well received by a number of U.S., Canadian and international clinicians and was noted by a few at the conference as being “exceptional.”

Next year’s Clinical Nutrition Week is in Orlando, Fla. DeLegge Medical has made plans to be there with their new “enteral access” line.

AGA Clinical Congress and Hands-On Course - Miami, Fla.

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:00:00 +0000

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) held their recent Clinical Congress in Miami. The event was well attended, the programs offered were diverse and South Beach was as always, entertaining.

Dr. Mark DeLegge chaired and moderated the Practice Management Course. This course described to physician practice leadership the “coming” role of Accountable Care Organizations and Health Care Reform on the practice of gastroenterology in the United States. Dr. DeLegge also lectured in this forum on the future of endoscopy in ambulatory surgery centers, hospital outpatient endoscopy suites and office-based endoscopy facilities with the advent of healthcare reform.

Dr. DeLegge also co-chaired the AGA practice skills workshop, a forum for gastroenterology fellows plotting out their future careers to understand the career opportunities available to them in academic medicine and private practice. With his career experience in academic medicine, private practice and hospital leadership, Dr. DeLegge’s primary message was “find a mentor and listen.”

There was also a hands-on-endoscopy course offered for the first time by the AGA. Course attendance was completely booked and Robin Murray from DeLegge Medical assisted the AGA in putting on this inaugural course using table-top models and ex-vivo pig stomachs and intestines. Experience was received by attendees from “expert endoscopists” in the areas of tissue ablation, stenting, micro-endoscopy and endoscopic mucosal resection amongst other topics. Robin organized a first-rate course that was a smashing success. The new “pig trays” that were unveiled by Robin were very versatile and created a “real life” endoscopic experience.

DeLegge Medical is committed to excellence in physician education and the development of new medical technology. We are continuously exploring the means to put the right tools into the physician’s hands with the right training experience to ensure procedure success and patient safety.

Early Enteral Feeding at Forrest General Hospital

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:04:00 +0000

Dr. Mark DeLegge recently traveled to Hattiesburg, Miss., where he presented on the topic of early enteral feeding to a group of pharmacists, physicians, nurses and dietitians at Forrest General Hospital. This was an invited lecture at the request of the hospital’s dietitians and nutrition support team.

The highlight of the presentation focused on the use of gut, specifically stimulating the imbedded immune system by the use of enteral nutrition. Discussed in the presentation were early enteral feeding’s impact on clinical outcomes, impediments to delivering enteral feeding in the intensive care unit and the science of enteral access. Dr. DeLegge stressed that “there needs to be a major shift in the perception of nutrition, specifically enteral nutrition, and its importance to maximizing clinical outcomes. Dietitians and nutrition specialists need to take the lead role in driving their patient care teams down the road of early enteral access and early enteral nutrition. Frankly, there are drugs that don’t achieve the same level of improvement in clinical outcomes in the critically ill patients that can be achieved with early enteral nutrition.”

There was quite a bit of discussion about the need for a feeding protocol in the ICU to encourage the use of early enteral nutrition and the need for clinicians to stop using gastric residual volumes below 500 cc as a reason to withhold or terminate the delivery of enteral nutrition. All in attendance agreed that the ASPEN/SCCM guidelines certainly set the groundwork for earlier, more aggressive use of enteral nutrition.

The Road Map to the Finish Line

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:12:00 +0000

The pending sale of Satiety's Intellectual Property is another example of the problem in the United States with regards to new technology introduction into the United States. Satiety was one of a number of transoral GI devices that is meant to treat obesity; a problem that was in pandemic form the last time I checked. Venture capital was the economic push to get it to market. As usual, the finish line... FDA approval and insurance reimbursement remained elusive, as the goals of what needed to be obtained in clinical and safety results were either never clearly defined or set at a level that no therapy, other those achieved short-term with a major operation for weight loss, could achieve. I have to believe there is some concession given to the fact that we cannot treat all obesity with surgery given the costs and risks of the procedures.

This is a prime example of the disconnect currently between the inventor, capital, the FDA and reimbursement. There are 4 pots of money for an inventor or start-up:

1. Grants (good luck)
2. Angel investment (limited in amount)
3. Venture capital
4. Friends, families and fools (Bill Gates is not my dad or cousin)

If you look at that, it is quite clear that there has to be a roadmap to get to the finish line (FDA clearance/reimbursement) that is known and achievable, if we hope to bring anything new to the GI physician and GI patients that is not a "me to" product. People funding projects want to know they have a reasonable chance for success or, they could as effectively burn $20 dollar bills in the backyard on their grill. That's where the DeLegge Medical Technology Accelerator can be so helpful; as a broker and director. Taking technology and having a clear pathway to success has to be established before the first prototype is conceived. I have to think that everyone involved (FDA, payors, inventors) actually wants patients to get better with the help of new technology at some point. If not, then we are in real trouble. It might take a coordinated patient "uprising" to change the playing field with the FDA and payors if those goals cannot be predetermined and achievable through "reasonable" means.

Physician Nutrition Summit

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 15:09:00 +0000

Our own Mark DeLegge, MD recently attended the Physician Nutrition Summit that addressed physician shortages in the practice of nutrition in the United States. This was a follow-up conference from the inaugural meeting on this topic in 2009, which had 41 participants. Both of these meetings were sponsored by Abbott Nutrition and organized by the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. The proceedings from that conference were published in the recent November 2010 supplement of the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Dr. DeLegge was a lead or participating author in three of the summit’s articles in this supplement.

This recent meeting took place in December of 2010 in Chicago and brought back many of the original participants of last year’s summit in Orlando. Numerous societal organizations were represented such as the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American Society of Bariatric Medicine, the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Dietetic Association and the American Medical Association. Dr. DeLegge was one of four program chairs and led discussions focused on how to measure success of an intervention to solve the problem of physician shortage and what are the next steps to take to achieve this goal. The group as a whole flushed out issues of the group’s overall mission, the governance structure and the appropriate partners the group needed to establish to achieve its goals of approving physician attraction to the field of nutrition. In addition, the group was going to focus on measuring the problems of over-nutrition in the community and under-nutrition in the hospital as a mechanism of establishing the reason why more physicians are needed in nutrition support. Plans were made for an annual meeting and intermittent conference calls to ensure all members remained organized to the success of the project.

For more information on the Physician Nutrition Summit:

Notes from the 2009 Summit in Orlando

Release of position papers for this year’s Summit in Chicago

What Are You Doing With YOUR Idea???

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:08:00 +0000

We here at DeLegge Medical have been using the 37signals suite of customer relationship management tools for the past few months. If you have not had a chance to check out their web-based CRM programs (www.37signals.com), we highly suggest you give them a look!

The founder of 37signals, Jason Fried, has written a great little book called Rework. One of the major messages in the book is the "start making something" factor. How many of you out there have an idea? A grand master plan that is bouncing around in you brain? Have you put anything into action yet? What's holding you back?

Fried states, "Think your idea's that valuable? Then go try to sell it and see what you get for it. Not much is probably the answer. Until you start making something, your brilliant idea is just that, an idea. And everyone's got one of those." The DeLegge Medical Technology Accelerator is designed to help you get to that next step: Making Something. We can assist with IP Protection, Prototype Development and Testing, Market Analysis and any other needs you have to get your idea out of your head and on the table.

Remember, "Ideas are cheap and plentiful. The original pitch idea is such a small part of a business that it's almost negligible. The REAL question is how well you execute. Contact us today at 877-971-6202 or Steven@DeLeggeMedical.com to get your idea off the ground and running today!

On the Road in Brussels

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:47:00 +0000

Dr. Mark H. DeLegge just returned from Brussels, Belgium where he attended and helped lead a multi-country conference on nutrition treatments of hospitalized patients. This event was coordinated through Baxter Healthcare and physicians from Poland, Slovakia, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, Russia and the United States were represented.

A large emphasis of the conference was to examine different practices with regards to nutrition intervention in critically-ill, hospitalized patients. Different practices included early enteral nutrition, supplemental parenteral nutrition, high nitrogen prescribing and the validity of energy:nitrogen ratio in the treatment of hospitalized patients. There were reviews presented regarding these important concepts and a discussion of the variation in practices between countries, often based on historical practice.

Case presentations of actual complicated patients were presented, with input from the group and the leaders surrounding appropriate care and getting to a “best practice.” Dr. DeLegge presented information regarding current practices, new data which is helping to define our future practice and an examination of the gaps in research that need to be filled to allow us to improve our practice. A decision was made to continue this conference in future years.

A Great Time in the Upstate

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:04:00 +0000

What a great few days in the Upstate!

DeLegge Medical spent Wednesday and Thursday at the 6th Annual SC MedTech Entrepreneurship & Industry Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville, S.C. We had an opportunity to meet with a number of great like-minded medical technology folks from around the state and presented our new Lowcountry Medical Technology Accelerator project to the attendees at the conference. It was a wonderful chance to catch up with fellow colleagues that we have not worked with recently and build some new connections with companies that are just starting up in the Palmetto State.

Special thanks to Matt Gevaert, Jennifer Noel and the rest of the planning committee for organizing such a successful event! We look forward to seeing everyone throughout the year and at next year's event as well.

SC MedTech Entrepreneurship & Industry Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:47:00 +0000

DeLegge Medical will be at the 6th Annual SC MedTech Entrepreneurship & Industry Conference on Thursday, November 18 at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville, S.C. Dr. Mark DeLegge will make a presentation at the conference on our new Lowcountry Medical Technology Accelerator.

The 2010 SC MedTech Entrepreneurship & Industry Conference is South Carolina's annual event focusing on the creation and growth of medical device and technology business opportunities. Now in its 6th year, this meeting has become the annual one-stop shop to meet and connect with biomedical, clinical and regulatory professionals including technical entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and academics.

2010 marks the first year the conference will be supported and managed by the South Carolina MedTech Industry Council. This newly formed, industry-led Council's mission is to foster a competitive business environment in South Carolina for medical device companies beginning at conceptualization. This conference will help to support the growth and success of the medtech industry in South Carolina by increasing the industry's effectiveness and by encouraging cooperation and the exchange of information.

If you are interested in the Lowcountry Medical Technology Accelerator and cannot make it to the SC MedTech Entrepreneurship & Industry Conference, please contact us at 877-971-6202 for more information.

SE BIO Investor Forum - Atlanta, GA

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:14:00 +0000

SeBIO was held this week in Atlanta’s Buckhead area. This meeting is intended to put developing medical technology in biotech, diagnostics and medical devices on stage in front of a significant number of venture capitalist groups. Often the technologies are in a very early stage or even loosely held concepts, creative but risky. The enthusiasm of inventors has not wavered even in times of very cautious financial treading. Inventors and entrepreneurs still bring in their prototypes and optimistically display their wares. But the venture gap is upon us.

The inventor in the Southeast is unaware in most cases that the Greek economy just scared a venture “turtle” back into its shell. More pressure and focus is put on the regulatory pathway and reimbursement than on a clever design. Awkwardly, the inventor becomes the CEO writing five-pound business plans and exploring Medicare and insurance issues. The game has indeed changed. For many medical technologies, it is back to the old days of the friends and family investors, grant writing and angel funding. The venture gap is upon us. For those with the courage to step into a developing medical technology, the rewards could certainly be great. It is after all, supply and demand. With global and US political and capital market, stability will come and the venture investors return back into the early stages of technology. Meanwhile, chin up inventors! Keep the passion for saving lives and improving health care alive until the funding returns.

ACG 2010 San Antonio

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:45:00 +0000

The 2010 ACG Annual Scientific Meeting and Postgraduate Course was held October 15-20 in San Antonio and the Hands-On Course was a success! Special thanks go to Martie Spath and Dr. David Greenwald for the time and efforts to provide a wonderful learning opportunity.The sponsors for the hands-on course should also be recognized for the collaborative effort put forth by all. Participation was excellent and the feedback from the attendees was well received.

There was also live audio/video feed that was broadcast throughout the Conference Center. We look forward to working with the ACG in the future and at their 2011 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. on October 28-November 2!

Character in Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 15:03:00 +0000

This week we lost a great doctor, leader, mentor and friend in Gastroenterology, Dr. Yang Chen. His journey with cancer ended Friday, October 15th. It was only three years ago that Dr. Chen disappeared from the Saturday portion of his annual endoscopy hands-on course. It was then that he found out that he had stage 4 lung cancer. His fight to survive began that day.

Another journey also began that day. You see, that amazing scientist and physician found a mission in his cancer. He took it upon himself to speak to other scientists and health care professionals about Faith. Yes, Faith. Not something that is discussed among physicians and scientists very often. But if he could reach even one fellow professional, then his battle with cancer would mean something. His journey with cancer has inspired so many of us to remember why we are here, and to realize that we are not just colleagues, but a family of professionals who can make a real difference in each other’s lives and our walk in Faith. His “Doctor’s Journey with Cancer” website offers key insights into this man of great character. He was a blessing and he is in no doubt, a better place and cancer free.

http://www.adoctorsjourneywithcancer.net/HealthUpdate.aspx

The Physician-Inventor

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 02:28:00 +0000

There was a time when a physician with a penchant towards inventing could create something in the garage or basement and have a product to use for patient care in a short period of time. Alternatively, one of the major device manufacturers, such as Cook or Boston Scientific, would take a special “phone order” to modify an existing product to meet a physician’s unique needs. Late-night sketches on a cocktail napkin with the "next best endoscopic obesity device" were rampant. It was a common occurrence for a physician to have an audience before a group of “new technology” committees at a major manufacturer to see if the “experts” believed the idea was sound. Those days ….. sigh …. have disappeared.

Today, the physician-inventor needs to be a lot savvier and understand the nuances, roadblocks and tenacity of the medical device development process. This is rarely a situation where the physician can “go it alone.” A partner is required.

In order for a potential product to stand out, a number of important considerations need to be evaluated including:
1.     Market analysis
2.     Prototype development and cost
3.     Working prototype development and cost
4.     Regulatory requirements and limitations
5.     Cost and complexity to manufacture and cost to distribute
6.     Profit potential

In fact, in many arenas, the physician-inventor is required to carry the financial and regulatory burden through human trials before a device company will even begin to evaluate the technology.

DeLegge Medical is a unique organization whose mission is to assist in overcoming these obstacles. This may be as simple as a market analysis or a small design modification for functionality, or as complex as creating a start-up company. As physicians, we love to invent and our patients need our ideas. A well thought out design plan is worth its weight in gold.

First Annual ACG Hands on Course

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 22:29:00 +0000

Fall is here! So is the first-ever ACG Hands-On Course.

We are so excited to be participating in the First Annual ACG Hands on Course.

Here is a link for more information:
http://www.acg.gi.org/acgmeetings/pdfs/2010_Hands-on_Workshop_brochure.pdf

New! Hands-on Workshop Center

Located in the Exhibit Hall, attend one or more of the 13 sessions to be offered and gain hands-on experience in Principles and Techniques of Expandable Stents, Mucosal Ablation, Bleeding Therapy, Advanced Imaging, and more. The Hands-on Workshop Center is free to all ACG 2010 attendees.

Get hands-on experience with equipment/devices from these following companies:

Apollo Endosurgery • Avantis • BARRx • Boston Scientific • CONMED • Cook Medical • CRH • CSA Medical • EndoChoice • ERBE • Fujinon • Ethicon EndoSurgery • Given Imaging • Olympus • PENTAX • Redfield • SandhillScientific • US Endoscopy

Robin King-Murray from here at DeLegge Medical will be working with the ACG to make this first-ever course a success!

New Week... Fresh Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:19:00 +0000

"Whatever your work is, dignify it with your best thought and effort."
- Esther Baldwin York

It has been a busy week here at DeLegge Medical. Our new offices were completed and we have been getting things ready to open a new chapter in our company. We look forward to sharing the finished product with you in the next few weeks!

First Look Inside DeLegge Medical's New Headquarters and Training Center

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:31:00 +0000

We Have Walls!

The new DeLegge Medical Headquarters and Training Center is under construction and we hope to be moving in soon. The office location is in Mount Pleasant, SC, just a few miles away from historic downtown Charleston. Our new facility will house office space, as well as our own training center for hands-on instruction and continuing education. Our goal will be to offer weekly opportunities for hands-on training with our staff of professionals and potentially offer large-scale seminars in the future.

Look for more information regarding the training center in upcoming newsletters!


Training Center/Conference Area

Welcome Area/Marketing Office

Rear Office

Mark DeLegge leaves full-time post at MUSC to focus on continuing current growth at DeLegge Medical

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:51:00 +0000

On Friday, August 13, Dr. Mark DeLegge left his full-time post as Director of the Digestive Disease Center at the Medical University of South Carolina to become a full-time partner in the growing activities at DeLegge Medical. Dr. Mark will remain on staff in a part-time clinical role at MUSC. This move will not only enhance the capabilities of DeLegge Medical to provide the very best in consulting, education and design services, but reinforces the dedication of Dr. Mark to the continued growth of our company!

In a letter to the MUSC community, Dr. Mark wrote:

"... After many discussions with myself, my family, my colleagues and my mentors, I made a decision to reach out further and to create a career path that 'stretched' my abilities. This decision incorporated my desire to increase my international medicine and business experience, foster new medical technology development and maintain my dedication to clinical experience and education in the area of nutrition and gastroenterology.

I am fortunate to be married to a bio-engineer with a long history of an established business in new medical device technology development, medical consulting and medical education. Through Becky, I learned a whole new world over the past few years and became very versatile in the mechanics of medical device development. DeLegge Medical has grown to be a recognized national leader in medical education, medical consulting and medical device development. I saw DeLegge Medical as an opportunity to have the time and tools to partner with MUSC and Clemson University to create a premier medical device company in Charleston.

At the same time, I was approached by Baxter Healthcare to serve as an international medical director with responsibility of assessing and assisting with operations of the implementation of new medical products and technologies in Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, Africa and Australia. Many of these products from Baxter are nutrition-based, and this fell right into my area of expertise. This was a tremendous opportunity to grow my international clinical experience and business skills.

Finally, I remain dedicated to MUSC, the Digestive Disease Center and the GI Division. This is especially true in the area of nutrition. With that, I will remain on as an MUSC Nutrition Medical Director and also work with Greg Buck, my trusted PA. Mark Payne has graciously also allowed me to continue working in the outpatient/inpatient GI Division on a part-time basis.

All in all, I see a tremendous opportunity to broaden my experience, increase my capabilities and partner with MUSC to make a mark in the areas of new technology development, international medicine and nutrition."

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Mark into his newly expanded role at DeLegge Medical and are excited for what the future holds for our company. Feel free to contact Dr. Mark at his new e-mail address at DrMark@DeLeggeMedical.com.

Digestive Disease Week 2010 - New Orleans

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:51:00 +0000

Digestive Disease Week saw a number of our gastroenterology and industry colleagues presenting new ideas and concepts in gastroenterology. Mark and Becky spent a great deal of time with Endochoice and their new "stent line" using the DeLegge Medical model for ex-vivo training.

In addition, Robin Murray and Steven Rudnicki from DeLegge Medical provided expert pig lab and marketing leadership. The 2010 DeLegge Medical "stress pig" giveaway was a big hit. Mark and Becky also attended the ASGE Crystal Awards dinner as guests of Bracco Medical and Jeff Cushner. Mark had five presentations at the conference and they were received as "home runs." Mark discussed inflammatory bowel disease and nutrition, gastric bypass and nutrient abnormalities, opening a GI obesity practice, new technology in gastroenterology and the use of feeding tubes in pregnancy. We are looking forward to a productive 2010 and meeting again at DDW in 2011.

Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:14:00 +0000

Dr. Mark DeLegge was a key note speaker at a number of hospitals and critical care conferences in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on a recent tour of Australia. He led a number of interactive discussions about improving the outcomes of critically ill patients by using nutrition as a specific therapy. His lectures were described as "top of the line" and "entertaining." Dr. DeLegge was invited back for a major nutrition conference in 2011.

University of Utah/ Brigham and Women's Advanced Endoscopy Course

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Rudnicki) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 02:28:00 +0000

This was the 15th year of the University of Utah/Brigham and Women's Advanced Endoscopy Course. This was our seventh year planning and organizing the hands-on portion of the course. We have enjoyed working with Drs Fang, Carr-Locke and Disario and their staff, Kevin and Beth, in planning this awesome event at the Canyons Resort in Park City. We, along with our exceptional vendors, work with to set up 10 hands-on endoscopy stations at the base of one of the best ski resorts in the Rockies. What an awesome place and opportunity for nurses, fellows and physicians to get their hands on the newest technology, as shown by the world's leading experts.