Palo Alto Medical Foundation Press Releases

PAMF Race/Ethnicity and Language Collection Study May Help Reduce Health Disparities

2009-10-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Article on study to be published in prestigious Health Services Journal

Palo Alto, Calif. – The Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s (PAMF’s) Palo Alto and Camino Divisions began collecting race/ethnicity and language information in May 2008 when scientific reports and studies showed that collection of such information improved quality of service and care by helping reduce racial/ethnic disparities.

An article documenting the collection efforts, which will serve as a model for other large, outpatient health care organizations, will be released in the October issue of Health Services Research, a top industry publication. Dr. Latha Palaniappan, Eric Wong, and Jessica Shin from the PAMF Research Institute’s Health Policy Research Department partnered with Maria Moreno, MPH, from Sutter Health Institute of Research and Education (SHIRE) and Regina Otero-Sabogal, PhD, from University of California, San Francisco, to author the paper.

“Government reports have documented that racial and ethnic minorities experience disparities in health, such as receiving poorer treatment for heart attacks or being more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer and colorectal cancer,” said Moreno, a researcher at SHIRE. “If data on patients’ race/ethnicity and primary language are available, disparities in health care can be addressed.”

“The Patient Demographic Questionnaire is a one-time, optional questionnaire that a patient fills out when they are checking in for their appointment. It enables the patient to provide self-reported, demographic-specific information about themselves for their doctors, so that the doctors in turn can provide an even higher level of quality care to the patient depending on the prevalence of health conditions associated with their race/ethnicity,” said Michael Fagan, project manager in PAMF’s Palo Alto Division who worked closely with Kim MacIntosh, his counterpart in PAMF’s Camino Division, to implement the process.

Currently nearly one-third of PAMF patients have their race/ethnicity and language information linked to their electronic health records. This information minus the identity of the patient is being used to investigate health disparities in the treatment of diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“PAMF is a pioneer in collecting race/ethnicity and language in a clinic setting. This study provides a pathway for implementation of race/ethnicity and language collection at other health care delivery systems,” says Dr. Palaniappan, a PAMF physician and research investigator. “Our goal is to use this study to develop a standard of care that takes into account the unique risk factors inherent in people of different races/ethnicities. The bottom line is that if we know a patient’s race/ethnicity, we can provide them with even better preventive care.”

As part of the study, PAMF conducted pilot programs on how to best collect patients’ race/ethnicity and language information, and decided to collect the optional form during patient registration. Mailing the questionnaire and a telephone questionnaire were also studied, but had a lower rate of completion.

“Implementing this data collection process was not easy or simple. We considered every aspect of the process very carefully including how the questions were presented, how Patient Service Representatives at the front desk would introduce the questionnaire, and how to best protect patient privacy,” said Wong, a senior statistician at the PAMF Research Institute. “Collecting this information from the patient right before their visit proved to be the most effective method and it freed up time for the doctor and the patient, enabling them to spend more time together discussing the reason for the appointment.”

To see the full article in print, please visit www.hsr.org.

For more information, contact:

Ben Drew
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
650-691-6228
drewb1@pamf.org

PAMF Research Institute Receives Nearly $5 Million in Grants

2009-10-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

Funding to investigate treatment for obesity-related illnesses

Palo Alto, Calif. – The Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s (PAMF’s) Research Institute has received grants totaling nearly $5 million, including a five-year, $4 million grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to study the relationship between obesity and asthma and a three-year, $800,000 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and American Heart Association to study the effectiveness of lifestyle intervention strategies in primary care to prevent overweight or obese individuals with pre-diabetes from developing diabetes.

“Chronic diseases, such as diabetes and asthma, have increased in prevalence and had a significant impact on people’s overall health, as well as health care costs in this country," said Sandra Wilson, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Health Services Research at the PAMF Research Institute. “Both of these studies will help to determine whether theories about weight loss and controlling asthma; and lifestyle interventions in the prevention of diabetes are backed by scientific evidence. They have the potential to help patients better manage their conditions and change the treatment guidelines and protocols for these chronic illnesses.”

Obesity and Asthma Study

PAMF will collaborate with researchers from Kaiser Permanente, Stanford, Harvard, and Oregon Health & Science University to study whether weight loss, in addition to improving overall health, also improves control of asthma. In the United States, the prevalence of obesity has doubled in adults and approximately tripled in children and adolescents since 1980. The latest population surveys have found that two-thirds of U.S. adults and one in six children and adolescents are overweight or obese. At the same time, the prevalence of asthma has increased significantly. Obesity may directly cause or worsen asthma through its effects on lung function, systemic inflammation, and/or other bio-physiological mechanisms. While asthma is often mistakenly viewed as a disease that only originates in childhood, compared with normal-weight adults, asthma incidence increases by an average of 38 percent in overweight and 92 percent in obese adults.

“We know that weight loss reduces the risk of several other major obesity comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension, but this will be the first study of an evidence-based, state-of-the-art, lifestyle approach to weight loss in improving asthma outcomes for obese patients who also have asthma,” said Jun Ma, M.D., Ph.D., associate scientist and investigator at the PAMF Research Institute. “While the clinical treatment of asthma should continue to emphasize proven pharmacological and patient self-management strategies, the available evidence is already sufficient to warrant the investigation of including evidence-based weight loss strategies as an additional treatment strategy for obese asthma patients.

“If we can establish the benefits of weight loss in the treatment of obese asthma patients, we have the chance to positively impact the health of many people and develop clear clinical guidelines for providers.”

Effectiveness of Lifestyle Interventions on Pre-Diabetic Patients in Primary Care Study

This three-year study conducted in coordination with PAMF’s Los Altos Center will evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and potential effectiveness of translating an evidence-based weight reduction program for preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes to ongoing primary care of overweight or obese adults with pre-diabetes. About two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, and 57 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes – a condition characterized by blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Many of these individuals also have co-existing cardiovascular risk factors, such as abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.

“Preventive health care is a major goal in primary care, but prevention of obesity and the management of associated risk factors in primary care settings has thus far been lagging substantially behind the evidence on effective treatment strategies for these conditions,” said Dr. Ma. “This study will examine whether proven, cost effective, lifestyle weight reduction models can be delivered successfully in a primary care setting and what impact this has on health outcomes.”

Research has demonstrated that intensive lifestyle interventions focusing on diet, physical activity and behavioral self-management, can help patients lose weight and delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Face-to-face, individual counseling has proven to be one effective tool to help patients sustain their behavior changes and weight loss. However, the substantial resources required for sustained, one-on-one counseling are a barrier to widespread implementation. This trial will examine Internet-based assistance for patients and Internet-based assistance combined with individualized counseling by a dietician and exercise specialist in comparison to the usual care being provided now in primary care.

“We need to determine whether what we believe to be successful weight loss methods can be translated into routine clinical care on a much broader scale, both efficiently and cost effectively. The results of our study could help shape future primary care-based models of obesity management for the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Ma.

For more information, contact:

Ben Drew
Public Affairs
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
650-691-6228
drewb1@pamf.org

Patients Keeping Weight Off, Regaining Health with PAMF’s HMR Weight Management Program

2009-10-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

Mountain View, Calif. – Most fad diets don’t work because the five pounds you may lose quickly return when you go back to your old eating habits. One key to success is adapting your eating habits in a way that you can successfully sustain for your lifetime.

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) offers a range of programs to help people of all ages achieve healthier results. One of these programs – the HMR® (Health Management Resources) Weight Management Program – has yielded measurable success for its patients and has just released the cumulative results of their patients’ weight loss, weight maintenance and subsequent health benefits (see below).

“These results show that patients not only lose weight with our program, but truly develop the skills to keep the weight off they worked so hard to lose,” said Karen Handy, PAMF’s manager of Nutrition Services and the HMR Weight Management Program. “We see their results on the scale every week, and it was gratifying to learn about the very significant ways their health has been improved overall.”

HMR® is a medically supervised program that has helped thousands of people lose weight by emphasizing the skills and behaviors needed to live a healthier, more active life. This is a research-based, medically-supervised weight management program designed for those, ages 16 and up, who would like to lose between 10 and 200 or more pounds. There are three different diet options with weekly health behavior classes to promote lifelong weight management.

This year, PAMF’s HMR® program won seven national Gold Standard Awards for excellence for the program’s low drop-out rates and patients’ improved and sustained weight management efforts.

Changes in Medical Risk Factors*

The average participant is keeping off 43 pounds.
Sixty three percent of patients are keeping off an average of 59 pounds. That’s 22 percent of their initial body weight being kept off.
Total cholesterol/HDL dropped nearly 15 percent.
Thirty six percent of participants were able to discontinue medications needed initially (e.g. blood pressure and cholesterol control medications).
More than 45 percent of diabetes patients on medication came completely off those medications as a result of their weight loss.

*Data are from 91 patients who participated in PAMF’s HMR® program for an average of three years.

“We repeatedly hear how happy patients are to be off their diabetes, cholesterol and high blood pressure medications. It’s both a cost savings and a significant and meaningful change to their quality of life when they don’t have to take multiple pills, run to the pharmacy for refills, or structure their days around their medication regimens,” Handy said.

All of the weight loss programs offered by PAMF are based on credible research, approved by physicians and presented by licensed, credentialed professionals.

The HMR department is located 700 El Camino Real, across the street from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Mountain View Center. Their phone number is 650-404-8260.

Additional information on PAMF’s nutrition and weight loss programs is available online at www.pamf.org/healtheducation/classes/weight.html and at the HMR Weight Management Program Web site.

For more information, contact:

Cynthia Greaves
PAMF Public Affairs
650-934-8614
greavec@pamf.org

PAMF Named Top Performer in California for 6th Consecutive Year

2009-09-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

Integrated Healthcare Association Announces Pay for Performance Program Winners

Mountain View, Calif. – The Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA) has named the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) as one of the most outstanding physician groups in California based on its Pay-for-Performance (P4P) program measures.

In overall performance, PAMF ranked as a “top performer” and is listed in the top 20 percent of physician groups, based on the statewide P4P program measures. IHA’s P4P program is the largest physician incentive program in the United States. It assesses physician groups based on objective measures that include clinical quality measures (e.g., cancer screenings, immunizations, diabetes care), patient satisfaction measures (timely access to care, doctor-patient communication, etc.), and use of health information technology (including supporting clinical decision making and use of systems to ensure patients received evidence-based care).

“This past year was one of tremendous change for the physicians that make up the Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group (PAFMG). This was the first year that the three historical medical groups that make up PAFMG – Camino Medical Group, the Palo Alto Medical Clinic and the Santa Cruz Medical Clinic – submitted performance data as a single unified organization,” said Philip Brosterhous, M.D., chief medical officer of PAFMG. “The fact that we continue to be in the top 20 percent of California physician groups based on state-wide Pay for Performance program measures is a tremendous honor and confirmation of the excellence and quality of our physicians and our organization.”

The California P4P program is in its sixth year. One or all of PAMF’s historic medical groups have been on the winners list every year since the program began. PAMF is one of five affiliated Sutter Health medical groups, including Mills-Peninsula Medical Group its counterpart in Sutter’s Peninsula Coastal Region, named by the IHA as top performers this year.

On the whole, P4P initiatives give medical groups the opportunity to demonstrate how well they do caring for their patients, and prompt them to examine how they can continue to do better. Patients benefit from this scrutiny and continual improvement. In addition, the 2008 measurement year results are used by seven health plans – Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, CIGNA HealthCare of California, Health Net of California, Western Health Advantage, and United Healthcare – to calculate incentive payments for distribution to physician groups in 2009.

Results for the clinical, patient experience, and IT measures are available at the IHA Web site: www.iha.org. Scores for each participating physician group reflecting 2009 performance on P4P measures will be posted on the California Office of Patient Advocate Web site, http://www.opa.ca.gov/, by November.

For more information, contact:

Cynthia Greaves
PAMF Public Affairs
650-934-8614
greavec@pamf.org

Cindy Ernst
IHA
510-208-1740
cernst@iha.org

PAMF and Research Partners Receive Grant to Help Patients Share in Decisions About Their Health Care

2009-09-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making Funds Sites Around the Country

Boston, MA and Palo Alto, CA – The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF), the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute (PAMFRI) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) recently received one of a handful of grants from the Boston-based Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making. PAMF, a multispecialty medical group in the San Francisco Bay Area, will serve as the clinical site and PAMFRI and UCSF will coordinate the research aspect of the project.

The one-year, $200,000 grant will fund efforts at PAMF to explore the best ways to use innovative audio-visual decision aids, such as DVDs, to improve the ability of patients to partner with their physicians to make complex medical decisions. PAMF is one of a number of demonstration sites across the country that are part of a national effort by the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making to make patients full participants in their own health care decisions.

“We are pleased to be working with health care organizations such as PAMF, PAMFRI and UCSF who are committed to changing the face of health care by inviting patients to play an active role, working with their providers, in deciding what care is best for them,” said Michael Barry, M.D., president of the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making.

Each year, the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making funds organizations it believes have the greatest commitment to patient-centered care and the infrastructure to make decision aids part of daily medical practice. The decision aids, co-produced with Health Dialog and created with the assistance of world-class medical experts in a variety of specialties, consist of booklets and DVDs that thoroughly examine a patient's treatment options and include real patients discussing their choices. Each demonstration site incorporates the decision aids into the physician/patient relationship in its own way to foster what is now known as a “Shared Medical Decision Making” process.

“We are very excited about this funding,” said Harold Luft, Ph.D., director of PAMFRI. “It will allow us to begin building a system that enhances the information we give our patients and their ability to participate fully in their own health care.”

With the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making grant, project leaders will fund a point person (a shared decision-making navigator) who will communicate with patients referred by health care providers about their preferred method for receiving information for shared decision-making. Patients will have several options for accessing the decision aids. They will be able to view the DVDs at PAMF’s Palo Alto Community Health Resource Center and speak with an on-site nurse about their questions. Patients will also have the option of borrowing the DVDs from the Resource Center or receiving them by mail to view at home before speaking with a nurse or physician by phone. Some patients may also choose to join others with similar conditions in scheduled shared medical appointments during which they can view the decision-making aids and speak with physicians or nurses.

Other recent grant recipients include Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, White River Junction VA Medical Center; Pittsburgh VA Health Care System; Massachusetts General Hospital - John D. Stoeckle Center for Primary Care Innovation; Mercy Clinics Inc. (Des Moines, Iowa); Oregon Rural Practice-Based Research Network; The Stillwater Medical Group; and the University of North Carolina-Sheps Center for Health Services Research.

To view more detailed summaries of all the grant recipient projects, go to http://www.informedmedicaldecisions.org/.

To view a sample of a decision aid video, go to http://sdm.healthdialog.com/index.html.

To learn more about the Foundation, the portfolio of decision aids and research demonstrating the need for an informed and involved patient, visit http:/www.informedmedicaldecisions.org/index.html.

For more information, contact:

Ben Drew
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
650-691-6228
drewb1@pamf.org

Patti Jacobs
617-864-2712
pjacobs12@comcast.net

Employee Wellness Program Launched by PAMF and Bay Area Construction Firm in Santa Cruz

2009-09-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

What happens when a workforce collaborates with a team of doctors to focus on preventive health and weight loss? Workers lose weight, improve their cholesterol and blood pressure levels and workplace injuries decrease. This was the outcome of an innovative workplace wellness program created by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) for Graniterock, a Watsonville-based construction materials and services company.

When Henry Thai, M.D., an Internal Medicine doctor at PAMF’s Palo Alto Center, first met Bruce Woolpert, CEO of Graniterock, Woolpert was overweight and faced hypertension. By working with Dr. Thai and making small adjustments to his diet and lifestyle, Woolpert lost 40 pounds and normalized his blood pressure. Woolpert was so inspired that he wanted all of his employees to have access to the same care.

“For companies like Graniterock, investing in preventive medicine, such as a weight loss and exercise program, is both socially responsible and important in reducing health care and workers compensation costs,” says Dr. Thai.

To replicate Woolpert’s experience, PAMF launched the “(Healthy)me: Healthy to the Power of Me” employee wellness program. Dr. Thai created an educational booklet for Graniterock about weight management, exercise and a healthy diet. He also recruited doctors from the PAMF network, including local Santa Cruz doctors, to provide on-site care at Graniterock locations in the Bay Area. The pilot program began in June 2008 and ran for six months. Due to the great success of the program, Graniterock committed to extending the program in 2009.

Graniterock team members who signed up for the program were screened for health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The doctors reviewed their results and helped them set personal goals, such as fitting into a favorite pair of jeans.

Participants then worked with their doctors to develop individual lifestyle modifications to help reach these goals. At follow-up visits, team members were offered additional tips to either continue their progress or get back on track.

“A lot of diet plans are too complicated to be effective,” Dr. Thai says. “Instead, we concentrated on a small number of simple changes, such as having frequent snacks in between meals to avoid the temptation to overeat and at the same time increase the basal metabolic rate.”

The results were grand. Graniterock team members lost a total of more than 1,300 pounds, their cholesterol and blood pressure levels improved and workplace injuries decreased. And the employees were gratified with the program.

“The program was great and I'm really glad I joined. I have had challenges with staying up on my exercise, but the PAMF team’s encouragement to get in a routine and eat healthy will not be forgotten,” said Kyle McLean, project engineer at the Pavex San Jose office.

Because the (Healthy)me program began with screenings and consultations, employees were involved and informed from the onset, related Diana Villegas, who works in the Accounting Services department at the Graniterock corporate office in Watsonville. “The explanation of my screening results was understandable and I appreciate all of the encouragement provided,” said Villegas.

Graniterock saw high-risk levels drop: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) reduced by 10 percent, triglyceride reduced by 5 percent, and cholesterol/HDL by 5 percent. Furthermore, recommended glucose levels were increased by 6 percent, diabetic levels of glucose were reduced by 4 percent, and body fat percentage levels in obese males were reduced by 10 percent.

“The program formulated and implemented by Dr. Thai was just the right blend of well-delivered advice and regular physician follow-up that encouraged individual success. Our team members will no doubt benefit from a higher quality of life into their older age,” said Woolpert.

For more information, contact:

Cynthia Greaves
PAMF Public Affairs
greavec@pamf.org
650-934-8614

Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center Receives Best Places to Work Award

2009-09-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

Modern Healthcare Magazine Announces their 2009 Picks

Santa Cruz, Calif. — Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center (SMSC) was recently selected by Modern Healthcare magazine as one of the “Best Places to Work in Healthcare.”

Out of the list of 100 national health care organizations receiving this honor, SMSC was one of only six health care organizations in California who made the list, one of three in Northern California, and one of two Sutter Health affiliates, along with Sutter Davis Hospital.

“This award validates what I have always known and felt about working at the hospital and what I see as a feeling shared among all staff - we love working here,” said Jacci Sterling, Director of Perinatal Services and Chief Nursing Executive at SMSC. “Creating a satisfying place to work has been a longstanding effort by our management team; we know that when employees enjoy and embrace their work environment, this will positively reflect on patient satisfaction.”

The Modern Healthcare program collected information from both employers and employees and was open to all health care companies (providers, suppliers, payers, associations, etc.) with at least 25 employees. Employers completed a survey detailing company policies, practices, benefits and demographics. Employees were asked an in-depth set of questions that resulted in an analysis in eight core areas: leadership and planning, culture and communications, role satisfaction, working environment, relationship with supervisor, training and development, pay and benefits and overall satisfaction.

For more information, contact:

Mark Riley
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
831-460-6034
rileym1@pamf.org

Healthy Kids Program Receives $600K From Palo Alto Medical Foundation

2009-08-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Area Dignitaries, Matching Grantors Attend Gift Presentation

Mountain View, Calif., -- Six hundred needy children will get essential health care and insurance, thanks to a $600,000 grant from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) made today to the Healthy Kids program of Santa Clara Family Health Foundation. In a celebratory event attended by 15 elected officials and other supporters, PAMF Executive Vice President Richard Slavin, M.D., presented the check to Kathleen King, executive director of Santa Clara Family Health Foundation.

For only $1,000 a year, the Healthy Kids program can provide full medical, dental, vision and mental health benefits to a child.

“This gift will fund health insurance for 600 children who otherwise would not receive appropriate health care. The recent state budget cuts have negatively impacted county health programs and have reinforced the importance of philanthropic support,” said Dr. Slavin. “This is one of the single largest gifts PAMF has ever made, one which reinforces our long-time commitment to keeping children and their families healthy.”

“Healthy Kids fills the crucial gap in insurance and health care access for many low- and moderate-income families who can’t insure their children because they lack access to employer-sponsored insurance or are not eligible for public coverage via Medi-Cal and Healthy Families,” King explained. “In Santa Clara County, those families can enroll their children in Healthy Kids.”

Launched in 2001, the locally funded Healthy Kids health insurance program increases access to and use of both medical and dental care, which are crucial contributors to children’s overall well-being and health.

A study funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation found that the Healthy Kids program increased preventive care, decreased sick visits to the doctor, improved children’s overall health and resulted in fewer missed school days.

Diane Parnes, executive director of the Sobrato Foundation, and Linda Baker, program officer of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, attended the event and confirmed that these two well-known foundations had each given challenge grants of $100,000 and $200,000, respectively, in support of the Healthy Kids program. Their grants are being matched by PAMF’s generous gift.

One of the many beneficiaries of the Healthy Kids program, Claudia Flores, spoke about her personal experience with the program. Claudia, Rafael and Diana Flores all became Healthy Kids members in 2005. Soon after receiving their health coverage, Diana at the age of 4, was diagnosed with leukemia. She was treated at a children’s hospital and is now in remission and back in school. Claudia expressed her family’s gratitude at this event.

“The work that the Santa Clara Family Health Foundation does to help the neediest of our county’s children is constant and critical. Today, more families than ever are without health insurance. The physicians and professionals of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation recognize this and we are committed to helping children in the communities we serve,” Dr. Slavin expressed in a letter that accompanied the check.

Adding to the celebratory atmosphere of the gift presentation was the presence of several elected officials including:

• A representative of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, 14th Congressional District
• Senator Elaine Alquist, 13th District
• Assemblymember Jim Beall, Jr., 24th Assembly District Representative; presenting a commendation
• Assemblymember Paul Fong, 22nd Assembly District Representative
• Liz Kniss, Santa Clara County, President of the Board of Supervisors and member of the Santa Clara Family Health Plan; presenting a proclamation
• Margaret Abe-Koga, Mayor of Mountain View; presenting a commendation
• Anthony Spitaleri, Mayor of Sunnyvale; presenting a commendation

For more information, contact:

Cynthia Greaves
PAMF Public Affairs
650-934-8614
greavec@pamf.org

Kathleen King
Santa Clara Family Health Foundation
408-874-1998
kking@scfhp.com

Palo Alto Medical Foundation Physicians Named Official Sports Medicine Providers Of The Golden State Warriors

2009-08-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

Dr. Frank Chen and Dr. Warren King named team physicians

Palo Alto, Calif. – The Golden State Warriors recently became the latest Bay Area professional sports team to name the Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s (PAMF) Sports Medicine Department as its official provider of orthopedic services. The team’s orthopedic care will be overseen by Frank Chen, M.D. and Warren King, M.D.

“We are excited about this opportunity to work with the Warriors and provide care to the team and its players,” said Dr. Chen. “The Warriors are an exciting young team and our job, if there is an injury, is to work closely with the team’s Athletic Training and Strength & Conditioning staffs to get players healthy and back on the court."

The Warriors join the Oakland Raiders, whose orthopedic care is currently overseen by Dr. King, as professional teams receiving orthopedic services from PAMF Sports Medicine physicians. Previously, Dr. King provided orthopedic services to the San Francisco 49ers and the San Francisco Giants. In addition, he is the chief orthopedic surgeon for the United States Rugby Organization and has provided medical coverage at several professional soccer events, including the World Cup.

“We’re elated about our new partnership with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation,” said Warriors President Robert Rowell. “They have earned a reputation as a first-rate and first-class medical provider with both the common athlete and professional sports teams throughout Northern California. From our perspective, it’s imperative that our players have the best possible care and resources available to them and we believe that Dr. Chen, Dr. King and the entire staff at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation will help us achieve that objective.”

“Our experience caring for professional athletes and working with other professional teams was attractive to the Warriors and made us a good fit for the team,” said Dr. Chen.

Dr. Chen previously served as assistant team physician for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer. He has also served on the medical staff of the Oakland Raiders, as well as USA National Rugby. He is currently team physician for Gunn High School in Palo Alto, and helps to take care of numerous local high school and college athletes.

“Our association with the Warriors and other professional teams should provide a level of comfort to patients that the orthopedic care they receive at PAMF is second to none,” said Dr. King. “We treat a range of injuries, but our goal is the same whether someone is a professional athlete or a weekend warrior – to help them return in good health to the activities they love.”

Palo Alto Medical Foundation Fremont Center Celebrates 25th Anniversary

2009-07-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

Fremont, Calif. – In 1984, gas was $1.10/gallon, a movie ticket was $2.50, Ghostbusters was the hit movie and the Summer Olympic Games were taking place in Los Angeles. That same year, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation PAMF opened its first clinic outside of Palo Alto – in Fremont – with four physicians and seven staff members serving a few hundred patients.

In July, the PAMF Fremont Center, now with 115 physicians and 429 employees serving more than 70,000 Tri-City-area patients, celebrates its 25th anniversary. As the population of Fremont has grown, PAMF has grown along with it. After opening its first office at 39500 Liberty Street, PAMF’s medical campus at 3200 Kearney Street now includes two buildings totaling more than 130,000 square feet.

“Although the PAMF Fremont Center has seen incredible growth and many changes over the last 25 years, our focus is still very much on family-centered care,” said Sue Knox M.D., medical director of the PAMF Fremont Center and one of the four original PAMF physicians in Fremont. “We pride ourselves on our comfortable, patient-friendly atmosphere. Our physicians and staff enjoy working here and they are dedicated to providing the best possible care for our patients.”

The PAMF Fremont Center originally offered mostly primary care services – internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics, as well as obstetrics and gynecology – with patients traveling to Palo Alto to receive specialty care. Today, the PAMF Fremont Center offers primary care services, access to more than 30 specialty services, Urgent Care services, as well as laboratory, X-ray and other diagnostic tools on site.

The week of July 13-17, PAMF will celebrate its anniversary and thank patients by offering complimentary fruit and cake in the building lobbies.

“We love being a part of this community and look forward to providing health care to Tri-City residents for many years to come,” said Dr. Knox.

For more information, contact:

Ben Drew
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
650-691-6228
drewb1@pamf.org

Palo Alto Medical Foundation Awards Three Pre-Med Scholarships to Local Students

2009-07-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

Palo Alto, Calif. – The physicians of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) have awarded three local high school students a PAMF Pre-Medical Scholarship to help pay for their undergraduate studies.

The students are Bryan Alas from Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto, Eduardo Bent from Mountain View High School, and Stephen Durdle from Menlo-Atherton High School.

Established in 1993, this scholarship provides $5,000 a year (a total of $20,000) to students in the communities PAMF serves who attend a four-year college and plan to pursue careers as doctors. Unlike most other scholarships, which are one-time awards, the PAMF scholarship repeats for all four years of college.

"This scholarship provides financial assistance to outstanding scholars who have overcome significant hardships to pursue their dreams of becoming physicians, and who have demonstrated their desire to give back to the community," said Rebecca Leon M.D., chair of the PAMF Pre-Med Scholarship Committee.

Alas will attend the University of California, Berkeley and is seeking a career as an orthopedist. Bent will attend Santa Clara University and plans to go into primary care medicine or radiology. Durdle will attend the University of California, Davis, and hopes to become a radiologist or surgeon.

High school students interested in applying for the scholarship next year should contact their college guidance counselors in January.

For more information, contact:

Ben Drew
PAMF Public Affairs
drewb1@pamf.org
650-444-3019

Cynthia Greaves
PAMF Public Affairs
greavec@pamf.org
650-934-8614

Sunnyvale City Council Approves Palo Alto Medical Foundation's Medical Center on Old San Francisco Road

2009-06-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Sunnyvale, Calif. – At its Tuesday, June 23 meeting, the Sunnyvale City Council approved plans for Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s (PAMF) new medical center to be built in Sunnyvale. The council vote was six in favor and one against the project. This vote followed unanimous approval of the project by the Sunnyvale Planning Commission on June 8.

“We are thrilled with the support of the City Council and Planning Commission, and are eager to move forward with our plans,” said Richard Slavin, M.D., president of the Camino division of PAMF. “This is a decision that benefits the community because local health care keeps a community healthy and thriving.”

PAMF, which includes the former Camino Medical Group, has been working with the City of Sunnyvale for more than two years on its proposal to rebuild a modern medical center at 301 Old San Francisco Road, which was the original home of the Sunnyvale Medical Group in 1954. Over five decades, the medical group evolved and, in 2007, become fully integrated with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. PAMF currently cares for approximately 40 percent of Sunnyvale’s population, providing outpatient health care services.

“We have been a part of this community for 55 years and are excited to build a medical center that will help to meet the needs of the residents of Sunnyvale and the surrounding areas for many years to come,” said Dr. Slavin. “Outpatient medical care is the highest area of growth in health care services, and PAMF has experienced consistent increases in demand for our services, prompting annual growth of between 5 to 8 percent.”

The new 120,000-square-foot medical center will house approximately 80 doctors and their support staff who will provide primary care, including Family Medicine, Internal

Medicine and Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatric Care, Cancer Care, a radiology and digital imaging department, and complete laboratory services.

The medical center construction project is being funded by Sutter Health and PAMF with savings, philanthropic gifts and bonds.

“The new medical center will be built at no cost to Sunnyvale taxpayers. This center will create construction jobs for nearly two years as well as permanent jobs for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. Additionally, staff and patients will bring in revenue to local stores, restaurants and other local businesses,” said Dr. Slavin.

In April, after listening to concerns of nearby residents about the size of the originally proposed clinic and parking structure, PAMF re-evaluated the architectural designs and eliminated 30,000 square feet from the third floor of the clinic. The proposal approved by the City Council is for a 120,000-square-foot medical center with two stories and a pavilion (reduced from the 150,000 square feet originally proposed). This redesign retains all of the primary care and ancillary services in the initial proposal.

By reducing the size of the medical center, PAMF was also able to reduce the size of the proposed parking structure, from four to two levels. There will also be two floors of patient parking under the clinic. The medical center plans meet the city’s requirement for the required five parking stalls for every 1,000 square feet of building.

Dates for demolition of the old clinic have not yet been set, but the process is expected to take two months. Total construction of the new medical center and parking structure will require approximately two years to complete. The Foundation has set up a community hotline so neighbors can call with questions and concerns during demolition and construction: 408-523-3950. Progress of the new Sunnyvale Center plans can also be followed online at http://www.caminomedical.org/sv/.

For more information, contact:
Cynthia Greaves
PAMF Public Affairs
greavec@pamf.org
650-934-8614

Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center, Alliance Award $10,000 Scholarship to UCSC Graduate

2009-06-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

Santa Cruz, Calif. — Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center (SMSC) and the Central Coast Alliance for Health (the Alliance) have named Brittany Guest, a June 2009 Health Sciences graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), as the recipient of the 3rd annual Primary Care Physician Award.

“With a critical shortage of primary care physicians in our area, we feel it is important to encourage undergraduates with plans for medical school to pursue primary care, especially for the underserved in our community,” said Ric Nichols, administrator of SMSC.

“I’ve decided to take a year off from school to travel, but then plan to apply to medical school in the fall,” said Brittany Guest, PCP Award recipient, “I’m interested in a studying women’s health and definitely plan to return to the Central Coast to practice.”

The award was established in conjunction with the University of California, Santa Cruz Foundation in 2007 by SMSC and the Alliance to help carry out the Alliance’s mission to provide high quality primary care to Central Coast Medi-Cal patients .

The award supports a graduating senior with a major in Health Sciences at UCSC who will be entering an accredited medical school soon after successfully completing his or her bachelor’s degree. The recipient’s medical training must result in an M.D. or D.O. degree and the recipient must intend to return to the Central Coast of California to practice in the area of primary care. The funds are intended to help meet the student’s requirements for fees and tuition.

“Brittany is an excellent choice for the award,” said Alan McKay, executive director of the Alliance. “She has been working locally as an intern and speaks Spanish. We wish her luck and look forward to seeing her back here as a doctor.”

Candidates are recommended by UCSC’s Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology to a committee comprised of representatives from SMSC, the Alliance, and the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency. There is no implied obligation or requirement that the award recipient shall be on staff at any particular organization in the area, but they will be expected to serve Medi-Cal patients.

For more information, contact:

Mark Riley
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
831-460-6034
rileym@pamf.org

Stanford, Palo Alto Medical Foundation Launch Comprehensive Breast Cancer Study

2009-06-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

STANFORD, Calif. — In a unique partnership, the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) will collaborate on a research project that aims to improve outcomes for breast cancer patients.

The project is the brainchild of Richard Levy, Ph.D., a longtime community philanthropist and business leader, who said he saw an opportunity for the two medical centers to share expertise on a subject that is of great interest to him—improving cancer survival. He and his wife, Susan, will provide a gift of $2.1 million for the three-year study, which will focus on both the medical and psychosocial factors that contribute to cancer treatment and survival.

“From the point of view of patients, what makes for good health is good technology and good environmental factors, such as the doctor/patient relationship, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle factors,” said Levy, a resident of nearby Portola Valley, Calif. “Patients need both. Here we have two world-class institutions in both areas. It’s a natural partnership.”

Although scientists at the two medical centers have worked together over the years on many projects, this is the first time the two institutions have officially partnered with the intent of building a long-term collaborative relationship in research.

Levy is the former president and CEO of Varian Medical Systems in Palo Alto, where he has spent the last 40 years. He has longstanding ties to both Stanford and PAMF. He has served on the board of PAMF for the past 10 years and its parent, Sutter Health, for the last three. A nuclear chemist by training, he and his colleagues at Varian worked closely over the years with Stanford scientists in the Department of Radiation Oncology to pioneer linear accelerators for cancer treatment. Levy retired as CEO in 2006 but remains the company’s chairman of the board. He is also active in initiatives involving philanthropy and health-care reform.

Levy said he hopes the study will not only lead to improvements in cancer care but also point to ways of reducing medical-care costs nationally.

“If Palo Alto and Stanford can find a way to provide better care at lower cost, that will set an example for other communities,” he said.

In the study, physicians and scientists at both organizations will follow the journey of hundreds of patients throughout the course of their treatment with an eye to understanding the role of cancer biology and different patterns of care in outcomes and quality. The researchers will document every aspect of the patients’ treatment, including all tests, drug infusions, surgeries and radiation treatments, as well as nonmedical support they receive, such as yoga, alternative therapies or group therapy.

“By harmonizing data from the two institutions, we will have a deep data source that will enrich the understanding of the clinical course and outcome of the disease,” said Ralph Horwitz, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at Stanford. “We can look comprehensively at the biological, clinical, social and environmental factors that influence outcomes.”

The researchers chose to study breast cancer because it is a common disease in which there are basic protocols, though many variations in how patients and their doctors choose to pursue them, said Hal Luft, Ph.D., executive director of the Research Institute at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. For instance, women may choose breast-conserving surgery or full mastectomy, he noted, or they may opt for different chemotherapy plans with different toxicities and frequencies.

“So there is a decision-making process for women—how do they choose among these options?” Luft said. “We will try to capture this information and analyze how women’s preferences and best clinical practices can be combined with other factors to achieve optimal treatment.”

The researchers also will aim to capture information on the women’s experiences—their anxieties, concerns and satisfaction with the process—through interviews and patient journals.

“There is a kind of road map that physicians and patients follow. But they may deviate from that road,” said Amar Das, MD, Ph.D., principal investigator at Stanford and assistant professor of medicine and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. “The question is by how much? And does it matter? Are patients more satisfied going down one path over another, and what impact does that have on survival?”

All the data from the study will be collected in a new secure electronic database known as OncoShare, in which patients and their treating doctors will remain anonymous. The researchers said OncoShare will be the first large-scale research database to incorporate comprehensive information on breast cancer characteristics, practice variation and treatment effectiveness that can help answer pressing questions on how biomarkers, cancer genetics, patient choices and patterns of care all interact and relate to outcomes. Patients will have to provide consent to be included in the study.

While the focus of the study is on breast cancer, Levy said ultimately he would like to see the approach applied in other diseases as well, such as heart disease, diabetes and other types of cancer.

“There are plenty of other common diseases where the quality of health is related to both technology and lifestyle,” he said.

For more information, contact:
Ben Drew
PAMF Public Affairs
Drewb1@pamf.org
650-691-6228

Palo Alto Medical Foundation Reveals Modified Size, Design for Sunnyvale Medical Center

2009-04-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

Downsized Building, Parking Structure to be Proposed to City Planning Commission and City Council

Mountain View, Calif. – April 20, 2009 - The Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s (PAMF) plans for a 150,000-square-foot medical center for Sunnyvale have been revised, the foundation announced today.

“We’ve heard many ideas and concerns expressed by the immediate neighborhood and broader community – and we’ve listened,” said Richard Slavin, M.D., president of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s Camino Division. “When we present our project proposal to the Sunnyvale Planning Commission and City Council, the plan they see will differ significantly from our original plan.”

As part of PAMF’s on-going community outreach efforts, foundation representatives hosted several neighborhood meetings regarding the Sunnyvale rebuild, at which neighbors voiced concerns about the height of the proposed medical center and parking structure, traffic and parking. As a result of feedback from Planning Commission, City Council members and city staff, combined with community concerns, the project proposal that PAMF will present to the Sunnyvale Planning Commission and City Council will be downsized from the previously proposed project.

“We want to be a good neighbor by incorporating suggestions from the neighborhood, while also designing a world-class medical center that meets the needs of our patients,” said Dr. Slavin.

PAMF Reveals Modified Plan

Building Dimensions Reduced
PAMF re-evaluated the architectural designs and has eliminated 30,000 square feet total from the medical center. The proposal PAMF will present to the Sunnyvale Planning Commission will be for a 120,000-square-foot medical center with two full stories (103,500 sq. ft.) at a height of 38 feet, and a pavilion in the center of the building (16,500 sq. ft.) at a height of 52 feet to house obstetrics and gynecology services . The adjusted total square footage now proposed is 120,000 square feet, reduced from the 150,000 sq. ft. initially proposed.

“We reduced the size of the proposed medical center by eliminating 30,000 square feet that was dedicated to the Vision Care Center,” said David Jury, PAMF’s vice president of Support Services and Project Development. “This was not an easy decision to reach but this valuable medical service is the least reliant on primary care and ancillary services, like the laboratory, to be housed at this site. A search for an alternate site for this important department will begin shortly.”

As originally planned, PAMF will offer primary and cancer care services, a full-service laboratory, and a digital imaging department with MRI, CT can and X-ray services all in one location at 301 Old San Francisco Road. Most of the physicians will provide primary care -- family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology.

By reducing the size of the clinic, PAMF was able to reduce the size of the proposed parking structure from four to two levels at a total height of 16 feet. There will also be two floors of patient parking under the clinic. This modified plan allows for the city’s required five parking stalls for every 1,000 square feet of the medical clinic, so the smaller structure will still eliminate the historic parking shortage and mitigate concerns from neighbors about cars parking in the surrounding neighborhood.

Planning Commission and City Council Meetings
The date for presenting the PAMF proposal to the Sunnyvale Planning Commission is Monday, May 18. If the Planning Commission approves the plan, PAMF will present its proposal to the City Council on Tuesday, June 9.

“While we are disappointed that the Sunnyvale Center will not be everything we had hoped, it will be a world-class medical facility, which will continue our 55 year history in Sunnyvale and provide primary and cancer care services to Sunnyvale residents and other local communities for many decades to come,” Jury said.

For more information, contact:
Cynthia Greaves
PAMF Public Affairs
greavec@pamf.org
650-934-8614

Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center Hosts 12th Annual Senior Health Fair

2009-04-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Day will feature physician lectures, health and senior services booths, and free screenings

Santa Cruz, Calif. — Seniors are invited to learn more about a multitude of health topics and receive free screenings at the 12th Annual Senior Health Fair on Saturday, May 2 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center (SMSC), 2900 Chanticleer Avenue in Santa Cruz. Doors will open at 7:30 a.m. for blood glucose monitoring and cholesterol testing; 9:00 a.m. for all other activities.

The fair, which attracted more than 350 people last year, is co-sponsored by the Santa Cruz Medical Foundation, SCMC, VNA of Santa Cruz, and the Santa Cruz County Parks and Recreation Department.

There will be a number of activities for seniors and their families, including free lectures in the Sutter Room beginning at 9 a.m.

Speakers include:

9 a.m.: Wendi Knapp, M.D. – “Maintaining your Independence”

10 a.m.: Paul Ware, M.D. – “Aging and Problems with Movement”

11 a.m.: William Hart, M.D. – “He Snores, She Snores; Obstructive Sleep Apnea”

Question and answer sessions follow each presentation.

Screenings for blood glucose, blood pressure, bone density, cholesterol, glaucoma, hearing, oral health, skin cancer, and vision will be offered throughout the day. Attendees who participate in the blood cholesterol testing cannot eat or drink anything for 8 hours prior to testing. Water is O.K.

A multitude of informational booths will be at the Fair, staffed by representatives from local health and senior service agencies, including: American Red Cross, Alzheimer’s Association, California Transplant Donor Network, Community Bridges/Meals on Wheels, Companion for Life/Lifeline Project, Coronary Health Improvement Project, Dientes Community Dental Care, Elderday Santa Cruz, File of Life, Helping Hands Senior Home Repair, Five Branches Institute, Health Projects Center, Helping Hands, Hospice Caring Project, MedicAlert, Monterey Bay Dental Hygiene Society, PAMF Community Education, Sharp Solutions, Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Program, Satellite Dialysis Watsonville, Senior Network Services/HICAP, Social Security Administration – Medicare Part D, Volunteer Centers of Santa Cruz County, and VNA of Santa Cruz.

For more information about the Senior Health Fair, call 831-479-6620 or visit pamf.org/events.

Contact:

Mark Riley
PAMF Marketing
831-460-6034
rileym1@pamf.org

Swine Flu Update

2009-04-26T17:32:00.001-07:00

April 26, 2009: The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) is following the swine flu situation closely and will post updates to our Web site as we receive new information. Meanwhile, we have provided interim guidelines to our physicians on the detection and management of swine flu.

While the outbreak of flu-like illness in Mexico and the appearance of scattered cases of swine flu in the United States are of concern, it is important to note that:

Only 20 cases in the United States and 18 cases in Mexico have been confirmed as swine flu as of this writing;
Cases of swine flu in the United States have been mild and most patients are already recovering;
Much still needs to be learned about the outbreak of respiratory illness in Mexico.

In the meantime, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended that we take the usual precautions for an ordinary flu season such as:

Frequent hand washing;
Covering your mouth when you cough;
Staying home when you are ill with a respiratory illness.

Also, we request that you contact your provider by telephone or e-mail instead of coming directly to clinic if all three of the following apply to you:

A fever (temperature of 100 degrees or greater);
AND respiratory symptoms (such as cough, sore throat or shortness of breath);
AND travel within the last 7 days to Mexico or a U.S. county that borders Mexico (such as San Diego County).

Dr. Paul Tang Named to Federal Government’s New Health Information Technology Policy Committee

2009-04-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

Committee’s goal is to make policy recommendations relating to the implementation of a nationwide health information technology infrastructure and the adoption of electronic health records.

Palo Alto, Calif. – Paul Tang, M.D., internal medicine physician, vice president and chief medical information officer at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) was named to serve on the federal government’s new Health Information Technology Policy Committee, a committee created as part of the economic stimulus package recently passed by the U.S. Congress. The committee will advise the Health and Human Services secretary and the head of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on a policy framework for the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and the development of a nationwide health information technology infrastructure that permits electronic exchange and use of health information.

“I am honored to join this talented group tasked with making recommendations to further the adoption and effective use of electronic health records throughout the country,” said Dr. Tang. “In addition to quality and safety benefits for physicians, I am a firm believer that personal health records allow patients to take a more active role in their health and become equal partners in their care with physicians.”

At PAMF, Dr. Tang oversees its EHR and its integrated personal health record system, PAMFOnline. Under Dr. Tang’s leadership, PAMF became an early adopter of an EHR system in 1999. He is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and was one of the "50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in 2008" named by Modern Physician magazine. Dr. Tang has served on numerous IOM and National Academy of Sciences committees. He chaired two studies that made recommendations on the use of EHR systems to improve patient safety and quality nationwide.

Dr. Tang was one of 13 members of the new committee named by Gene Dodaro, acting comptroller general and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The economic stimulus act includes $17.2 billion in grants and incentives for physician practices who are “meaningful users” of EHRs to improve care and enhance quality. The Recovery Act required the comptroller to name committee members to represent 10 sectors of the health care industry, including health care providers, consumer groups, labor unions, health plans, researchers and IT vendors. Dr. Tang was selected to represent health care providers.

Other committee members include:

o Christine Bechtel, vice president, National Partnership for Woman and Families.
o Arthur Davidson, director, Public Health Informatics, Denver Public Health Department; director, Denver Center for Public Health Preparedness; medical epidemiologist; director, HIV/AIDS Surveillance, City and County of Denver.
o Adam Clark, research and policy director, Lance Armstrong Foundation.
o Marc Probst, chief information officer, Intermountain Healthcare.
o Scott White, assistant director, technology project director, 1199 SEIU Training and Employment Fund.
o LaTanya Sweeney, director, Data Privacy Lab, Carnegie Mellon University.
o Neil Calman, president and chief executive officer, Institute for Family Health.
o Connie Delaney, dean, University of Minnesota School of Nursing.
o Charles Kennedy, vice president, Health Information Technology, Wellpoint.
o Judith Faulkner, founder, CEO, president and chairman of board, Epic Systems.
o David Lansky, president and CEO, Pacific Business Group on Health.
o David Bates, medical director for clinical and quality analysis, Partners HealthCare/Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

For more information, contact:

Ben Drew
PAMF Public Affairs
650-691-6228
drewb1@pamf.org

PAMF Santa Cruz Opens New Capitola Office

2009-04-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Offers Sleep Medicine, Endocrinology, Nutrition and Diabetes Education

Santa Cruz, Calif. — The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) Santa Cruz has opened their first medical office in Capitola. The office consolidates Endocrinology, Nutrition Education, and Diabetes Education resources and will be a new home for PAMF Sleep Disorders Center Santa Cruz. The Sleep Disorder Center, PAMF’s first in Santa Cruz County and one of only two such facilities in the County, includes four sleep study suites that enable physicians to conduct attended polysomnographic sleep recordings to diagnose and treat sleep disorders.

The office is the new home of PAMF Santa Cruz physicians who were formerly located at the PAMF Santa Cruz 2025 Soquel Avenue office: Bahar Aghighi, M.D., FACE; Sharan Gill, M.D.; William T. Hart M.D.; and Larry C. Levin, M.D.

As many as 40 million people in the United States report sleep disorders, which may include insomnia, snoring, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder and narcolepsy. The Sleep Disorders Center is a specialty practice to which patients are referred by their physician for a sleep study or comprehensive evaluation by a board certified sleep specialist. Patients arrive in the evening after 8 p.m., are shown to their own private room and prepared for the sleep study. For the patients’ comfort, each private room is furnished with a queen-sized Sleep Number® bed, a private bathroom, cable television, and its own air conditioning system. Electrodes are placed on the patient and they sleep through the night. A recording device monitors the sleep cycle, number of interruptions, oxygen levels, and other metrics.

“We are very excited to have this sleep disorders center, which will allow us to conduct in-depth studies on patients,” says William T. Hart, M.D., board certified sleep specialist. “Having such a facility is critical in understanding, diagnosing, and treating patients who suffer from sleep disorders.”

The consolidation of Endocrinology, Diabetes Education, and Nutrition Education will provide a convenient one stop location for patients who are living with hormonal imbalances and will provide a new “home” for the Nutrition Educators.

Endocrinologists care for many conditions including diabetes, thyroid diseases, metabolic disorders, menopause, osteoporosis, hypertension, cholesterol (lipid) disorders, infertility, lack of growth (short stature), and cancers of the endocrine glands.

“Placing the Endocrinologists with the Diabetes Educators makes perfect sense for working with patients who are diagnosed with diabetes,” said Larry C. Levin, M.D., board certified endocrinologist, “this new office offers us a better team environment and enhances our ability to provide quality care to our patients”.

The new 6,467 square feet office is located in the Bay Avenue Shopping Center at 815 Bay Avenue Suite B, Capitola. The offices can be contacted by phone at the following phone numbers - Diabetes Education, Endocrinology, Nutrition Education: 831-460-7333, Sleep Medicine: 831-460-7300.

For more information, contact:

Mark Riley
PAMF Marketing
831-460-6034
rileym1@pamf.org

PAMF Santa Cruz Division First in County to Offer Digital Mammograms

2009-04-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

Santa Cruz, Calif. — The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) Santa Cruz has opened the first digital mammography facility in Santa Cruz County. The recently renovated office on the first floor of PAMF’s clinic at 2025 Soquel Avenue offers full field digital mammography, private consultation rooms, and early morning and Saturday appointments.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), breast cancer is still the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. Studies have shown that, when detected early, the chance for successful treatment of breast cancer is nearly 100 percent.

The ACS recommends that all women have a baseline screening mammogram between the age of 35 and 40 and beginning at the age of 40, should have an annual screening mammogram.

“We want to ensure that we have the latest technology to help women in the fight against breast cancer,” says Margaret Hansen, M.D., medical director of radiology at PAMF Santa Cruz. “Digital mammography is more convenient for the patient, uses less radiation, and studies show that it is better at detecting cancer in younger women and in women with dense breast tissue.”

Mammograms play a central part in the early detection of breast cancer because they can detect changes in the breast that may be early signs of cancer, but are too small or subtle to be felt. The use of mammography has greatly enhanced the ability to detect breast cancers at earlier stages. Digital mammography uses computers and specially designed digital detectors to produce an image that can be displayed on a high-resolution computer monitor and transmitted and stored just like computer files.

Unlike film-based mammography, digital mammograms produce images that appear on the technologist’s monitor in a matter of seconds. There is no waiting for film to develop, which means patients spend less time in the breast imaging suite. With the digital, high-resolution images, patients also receive much quicker results.

When breast tissue is x-rayed, it creates an image that looks something like a smoky haze, making it difficult to see tiny “spots,” called microcalcifications, and other subtle signs of early cancer. With digital mammography, the radiologist can adjust the brightness, change contrast, and zoom in for close ups of specific areas of interest. Being able to manipulate images is one of the main benefits of digital technology.

Another convenience of digital mammography over film-based systems is it can greatly reduce the need for retakes due to over or under exposure. This saves additional time and reduces exposure to x-rays. Digital images can also be easily stored, transmitted and copied without any loss of information; eliminating dependence on only one set of “original” films.

Patients can receive mammogram reports as interpreted by radiologists, along with all other x-ray results performed at PAMF Santa Cruz through the convenience of their home computer using PAMFOnline. For more information about the capabilities of PAMFOnline and to view a demo, go to: https://mychart.sutterhealth.org/pamf

Digital mammography appointments can be scheduled through the Radiology Department at 831-458-5521. For more information, visit www.santacruzmedical.org.

For more information, contact:
Mark Riley
PAMF Marketing
831 460-6034
rileym1@pamf.org

Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center and Palo Alto Medical Foundation Receive 2009 Champion for Children Award

2009-01-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

Santa Cruz, Calif. — Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center (SMSC) and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) - Santa Cruz Division were presented the 2009 Healthy Kids "Champion for Children Award" yesterday in recognition of its $800,000 investment in children’s coverage programs and ongoing support since 2003.

County Supervisor John Leopold presented the award to Larry deGhetaldi, M.D., president of the Santa Cruz Division of PAMF. Ali Spickler, field representative for California Assembly Member Bill Monning also presented Dr. deGhetaldi with a certificate of appreciation on behalf of Assembly Member Monning.

Dr. deGhetaldi expressed his thanks to the community and said supporting Healthy Kids was a clear choice for SMSC and PAMF. "Healthy Kids improves the health of local children, reduces missed school days, helps parents be more productive at work, reduces cost and supports a more cost effective system of care," he said.

SMSC and PAMF have donated $575,000 to pay for Healthy Kids premiums since 2004 and $225,000 to subsidize the cost of premiums for low-income families for the Healthy Families program since 2003. PAMF and SMSC will continue to support Healthy Kids and Healthy Families in 2009.

Over the past five years, Healthy Kids has helped cover more than 12,000 individual Santa Cruz County children by launching its new Healthy Kids health plan, as well as by enrolling thousands of children into Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. According to a 2008 study by USC, between 2000 and 2005 Santa Cruz, along with 8 other California counties operating a Healthy Kids program, showed a 25% reduction in preventable hospitalizations per year. Thus 1,050 hospitalizations were prevented annually for asthma, bacterial pneumonia, gastroenteritis, etc, resulting in cost savings of over $7 million per year to the State.

The award was given during the Healthy Kids Coalition's annual celebration event. About 70 business and community leaders, elected officials, health care providers and children’s advocates celebrated the accomplishments of Healthy Kids at the Sesnon House in Aptos.

For more information, contact:

Mark Riley
PAMF Marketing
831 460-6034
rileym1@pamf.org

PAMF Receives $2.5 Million Grant for Groundbreaking Asian-American Diabetes Study

2009-01-26T11:15:00.000-08:00

Study will inform physicians and policymakers on how to prevent and treat diabetes in different Asian ethnic groups

Palo Alto, Calif. – The Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s (PAMF’s) Research Institute announced today that it has received a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct a five-year study on diabetes and its risk factors among the six largest Asian ethnic groups in California – Asian Indians, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese.

“By the end of the study, we hope to gain a much better understanding of what puts certain Asian ethnic minorities at greater risk for diabetes, one of the most costly and prevalent chronic health conditions,” said Dr. Latha Palaniappan, M.D., M.S., principal investigator for the study. “The study also holds substantial promise for clinicians and policymakers as we will offer information and recommendations on how to identify and target high-risk Asian populations for diabetes prevention, treatment and management.”

Diabetes, a chronic disease characterized by high blood sugar levels, occurs at significantly higher rates among blacks and Hispanics than among whites – a documented health disparity. Asians, although they consist of more than 30 ethnic groups from more than 20 countries of origin, have always been grouped together in previous diabetes studies and reports. Therefore, the prevalence of diabetes and related risk factors, such as obesity, remains largely unknown in specific Asian ethnic groups.

“In some of our preliminary studies, we’ve seen that certain Asian ethnic groups, such as Asian Indians and Filipinos, are at much higher risk for diabetes than others,” said Dr. Palaniappan. “These findings reinforce the need to study Asian subgroups separately instead of grouping these diverse populations together. We’re also hoping the study will have an international impact because we’re studying racial/ethnic differences in how our bodies metabolize insulin and glucose in a similar environment.”

The Pan Asian Cohort Study (PACS), as the study will be called, will examine existing clinical records of more than 60,000 Asians in California for diabetes risk, the largest Asian-American cohort ever assembled for a study. The study will include examination of the medical records, minus any personal identifiers, of PAMF patients.

“We want to assure patients that we will only have access to information in their health record that enables us to conduct this important study,” said Dr. Palaniappan. “We are very careful to follow all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations and patient confidentiality guidelines.”

PAMF’s electronic health record (EHR) system, in place for nearly a decade, allows researchers a unique resource to better understand variations in treatment for diabetes, identify best practices and recommend ways to improve care both inside and outside of the organization. In addition to reviewing existing medical records as part of the study, researchers will use the EHR system to select and follow a group of patients over more than a decade to further study diabetes risk factors that may be unique to Asian Americans.

PACS will also study how obesity should be defined for Asians, because it is the most important risk factor for developing type II diabetes. In 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended lower body mass index (BMI) cutoff points to define people of Asian descent worldwide who are overweight and obese. The PACS study results could indicate that the recommendations should be different for Asians living in the United States.

“Traditionally, Asian-American minorities have received less medical research attention than other racial/ethnic minorities and studies focused on Asian Americans have received less than one percent of federal research funds,” said Dr. Palaniappan. “Asian Americans make up more than 25 percent of the Bay Area’s population alone, and this NIH grant allows us to conduct what we believe is a truly groundbreaking study.”

For more information about the study and preliminary findings, visit www.pamf.org/pacs.

For more information, contact:

Ben Drew
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
650-691-6228
drewb1@pamf.org

Understanding Medicare -- Choices during Medicare Open Enrollment

2008-12-13T07:26:00.000-08:00

At the Palo Alto Medical Foundation we believe that our patients should be empowered to make informed decisions about their health care. This includes understanding your options and eligibility for health insurance benefits. But health insurance issues can be confusing, particularly when it comes to Medicare.

You can get the most from your Medicare benefits by learning what Medicare covers and by taking advantage of all that Medicare has to offer. The following are some frequently asked questions about Medicare, and resources to help you choose the right plan for your individual circumstances and needs.

Understanding Medicare

Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center Receives Press Ganey Summit Award

2008-11-25T13:45:00.000-08:00

SMSC only hospital in California to receive prestigious patient satisfaction award

Santa Cruz, Calif. — Press Ganey Associates, Inc. recently named Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center (SMSC) a 2008 Summit Award Winner for top industry performance. The Summit Award recognizes top performing facilities across the country that sustain the highest level (95th percentile or above) in Press Ganey’s independent quality care measures for three or more consecutive years. The Press Ganey Summit Award is the health care satisfaction industry’s most coveted symbol of achievement bestowed annually during their National Client Conference in Grapevine, Texas.

According to Jacci Sterling, SMSC’s assistant administrator, chief nursing officer and perinatal director, the award was as much a result of SMSC’s culture as its specific policies and practices. New hires and all staff are coached in Patient/Family Centered Care principles that teach the importance of patients’ perception of quality and care and gives them the tools to handle conflicts.

“We know that employee satisfaction goes hand in hand with patient satisfaction,” Sterling says. “And we have a very satisfied staff as is shown in annual surveys. We truly believe that patient satisfaction must be an institutional goal that is modeled from top management down and included as a performance expectation for the staff.”

SMSC also maintains some environmental choices to promote healing and caring, including:

No overhead paging, except for codes
Twenty-four hour room service for all patient meals, no food tray lines
“Guest Services” staff are members of the Patient Centered Health Care Team who welcome patients, clean rooms, and deliver meals

According to Press Ganey’s Web site, recipients of the Summit Award truly set themselves apart from the competition. They do so through demonstrating their dedication to improvement and sustaining excellence in both quality of care and employee and physician satisfaction.

Press Ganey currently partners with more than 7,000 health care facilities—including over 40 percent of U.S. hospitals—to measure and improve the quality of their care. The company’s databases are the largest in the industry, and allow facilities nationwide to benchmark their results against peer organizations.

For more information, contact:

Mark Riley
PAMF Marketing
831 460-6034
rileym1@pamf.org

PAMF and Sutter Health Support Ravenswood Family Health Center with $100,000 Grant

2008-11-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

Grant will allow Ravenswood to expand its diabetes management program.

Palo Alto, Calif. -- The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF), a Sutter Health affiliate, recently helped secure $100,000 in grant funding for Ravenswood Family Health Center (RFHC) in East Palo Alto.

The grant represents a portion of the $2.5 million that Sutter Health awarded in October to 26 medical and dental care centers across Northern California that serve large percentages of low-income, uninsured and underinsured patients. PAMF helped secure nearly $600,000 of that funding for local community clinics in Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, including RFHC.

“Caring for and supporting the communities we serve is a fundamental part of PAMF’s mission,” said Tony Marzoni, M.D., president of PAMF’s Palo Alto Division. “We have developed a partnership with Ravenswood Family Health Center through the years and value the important role they play in caring for low-income, uninsured and underinsured patients in our community. We are pleased that our recommendation and endorsement could help Ravenswood receive this generous grant from Sutter.”

In addition to financial support, PAMF’s partnership with RFHC has included implementation of a software program, Solutions, designed by Tomas Moran, PAMF’s director of Quality and Planning. The program enables RFHC to capture population health management information and identify ways to improve its quality care processes, particularly in disease management.

RFHC will use the $100,000 grant to further support the health center’s integrated, interdisciplinary chronic disease management program, specifically focusing on diabetes. In 2007, RFHC served 814 diabetes patients, a 136 percent increase over 2004. The number of new diabetes cases has continued to grow, with RFHC now providing care for more than 1,021 adults with diabetes. These patients were 58 percent Latino, 23 percent Pacific Islander, 15 percent African-American, and 4 percent other races/ethnicities.

Specific activities that will be covered by the grant include:

1) In-depth medical assessment and development of chronic care treatment plans for newly diagnosed patients by their primary care physician and coordinated by the Diabetes Nurse Case Manager, who acts as liaison to ensure the patient receives the appropriate level of case management;

2) Case management by the Nurse Case Manager for high-risk patients with complicating medical issues and by Diabetes Health Educators for low-risk diabetic patients;

3) Identification and referral of patients needing behavioral health assessment by a RFHC Integrated Behavioral Health provider;

4) Coordination with Diabetes Health Educators and Health Navigators to make sure diabetic patients receive education and training in self managing diabetes, are scheduled for and receive an annual eye exam, and get assistance enrolling in the 304B (U.S. Public Health Service) pharmacy program and Pharmacy Assistance Programs (PAPs) to help pay for medications.

“Rates of new diabetes cases among RFHC patients of ethnic minorities are increasing annually. By developing the infrastructure for a coordinated, seamless continuum of care, our diabetic patients will benefit and be better informed and aware of the resources available to them, know how to access the support they need, and understand what steps they need to take to improve their condition,” said Luisa Buada, CEO of RFHC. “Without the support of Sutter Health and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, we would not have been able to expand this vital and much needed community program. We appreciate the Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s continued support of our clinic.”

The grant is part of the Community Clinic Access to Care Grant program, a commitment by the Sutter Health network of physicians, not-for-profit hospitals and other health care service providers to improve access to needed health care services – in the communities served by Sutter and its affiliates – to those who cannot afford to pay.

“Through the Community Clinic Access to Care Grant Program, we’re pleased to further support local health clinics that are providing vital services to individuals and families in need,” said Sutter Health president and CEO Pat Fry.

For more information, contact:

Ben Drew
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
650-691-6228
drewb1@pamf.org

Kathleen Alexander
Ravenswood Health Center
650-330-7418
kalexander@RavenswoodFHC.org