Scripps Health - All News

Miraculous Recovery of Scripps Cancer Survivor Featured on NBC-TV

2009-07-01T12:43:09-07:00

Scripps cancer survivor Gerry Black reaches a milestone in 2009 that doctors consider a medical miracle — 10 years of being healthy, active and disease-free after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

Patients with multiple myeloma have an average life expectancy of 3 years and their mortality rate is 100 percent. Gerry was part of a cutting-edge clinical research program at Scripps Green Hospital's blood and marrow transplantation program that combined stem cell transplantation with immune therapy.

NBC 7/39 News profiled Gerry and his oncologist, Dr. James Mason, in the following report:

Medical Miracle—Cancer and stem cell treatment

Health, Wellness and Safety Classes You'll Love

2009-06-29T17:00:43-07:00

See our quarterly Health Connections calendar for a list of health-related classes, screenings and events.

Events range from support groups to general health seminars to special training. Examples include:

Cooking classes
CPR and basic first aid class
Gynecological cancer support group
Help for headaches
Prenatal yoga
Prostate cancer: symptoms and treatments
Cardiac screening

For more information, or to sign up for a class, call 1-800-SCRIPPS.

You can also visit our online classes and screenings listing to search for classes, and register online.

Robot Performs Delicate Heart Surgery: CBS Channel 8

2009-06-29T17:05:38-07:00

A new robotic heart catheter system offers new hope for the more than 2.2 million Americans who suffer from atrial fibrillation. The procedure, called a catheter ablation for supraventricular tachycardia, is a common arrhythmia that typically occurs in healthy people and is characterized by palpitations or a racing pulse. Driven by a joystick from a control station next to the patient, physicians at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla are now able to maneuver the robotic catheter with pinpoint precision, much like a video game.

See the news clip of the Hansen Robotic System

Meet Our Doctors at a Health Fair in Rancho Bernardo

2009-06-29T14:05:28-07:00

Participate in a Day of Wellness at Scripps Clinic Rancho Bernardo on Saturday, July 25 and get to know members of the medical team at one of the newest health care facilities in San Diego.

From primary care to podiatry, physicians from multiple specialties will be on hand to say hello at our hybrid health fair.

Part fun and part function, a Day of Wellness is an event designed to keep you and yours healthy and safe.

From 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, participants will find the following freebies within reach:

Body fat testing
Blood pressure and skin cancer screenings
Child identification safety registration
Face painting for the kids
Healthy snacks prepared by a local restaurant

Health fair goers will also get a chance to checkout the new Scripps Clinic Rancho Bernardo, which is located near the I-15 and I-56 intersection in Carmel Mountain Ranch.
Before you join us in person, take a visual tour of the facility through a slideshow.

When

Saturday, July 25
10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Where

Scripps Clinic Rancho Bernardo
15004 Innovation Drive
San Diego, CA 92128
Directions

Who

You, your family and the people who provide care to the community at Scripps Clinic Rancho Bernardo

Plan Budget-Friendly Meals from the Bottom Up

2009-06-29T16:11:02-07:00

by Dot Nevarez, RD, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla

When you’re trying to cut back on your food budget, it may seem like the only budget-friendly foods are ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese. But the fact is, you can enjoy healthy, delicious meals without spending a fortune.

The first step is to set reasonable expectations for your food budget. Often, people don’t have a good understanding of how much they need to spend on food in order to meet the daily dietary recommendations. To help determine this, the USDA has developed food cost guidelines for four levels of spending, ranging from thrifty to liberal. These guidelines tell you approximately how much you can expect to spend per person depending on the age of each family member and your spending level.

The USDA guidelines are based on the assumption that all meals and snacks are prepared at home—a major factor in how much you spend on food. In any given restaurant, the cost of the food represents approximately 35 percent of what you’re paying for the meal. The remainder covers the costs of preparation, service, and so on. In other words, you can make the same meal at home for less than half the cost.

Use the USDA calculations to help create your own family’s monthly food budget. Save all your grocery receipts for a month and compare how much you spend with the guidelines; this gives you a starting point and helps you set realistic spending goals.

Once you have your budget, the easiest place to start saving is on meals you eat away from home. Where do you go most often? What are your favorite restaurant meals? Let’s say you have a submarine sandwich twice a week, and each sandwich costs five dollars. If you make those sandwiches at home instead of buying them, you can probably save five to seven dollars a week.

Next, identify the most expensive foods you eat at home. Meat is usually one of the main culprits. How can you manage this part of your budget more effectively?

Start by thinking about the meals you prepare, and how you might be able to cut costs. For example, I often make beef stir-fry. I can buy flap meat for four or five dollars per pound, or I can purchase a less expensive cut of meat such as top sirloin and prepare it so that it works equally well. If I wait until the sirloin goes on sale, I can often buy it at half the price of flap meat, so I try to stock up.

Look for versatile cuts of meat that you like and can use across the board in your meals. Top sirloin can be cut into strips or chunks, or marinated and broiled or grilled. Ground beef or turkey is another excellent choice: buy it on sale, cook it and drain off the fat, and freeze it for tacos, burgers, chili, spaghetti sauce and more.

Create a file of fast, simple recipes that you can prepare using those particular meat cuts. Since lack of time for meal preparation is a main reason for eating out for, this provides quick, easy ideas at a moment’s notice. Most recipes include rice, potatoes or pasta. These keep a long time in the pantry—so buy them on sale and store a pre-cooked batch in the fridge for fast meal preparation.

Fresh fruits and vegetables may also be near the top of your “expensive foods” list. Buy them in season, and check farmer’s markets, especially near the end of the day when the vendors are getting ready to go home. They don’t want to take produce back home and may reduce their prices to sell what’s left. Also, ask vendors if they have products that aren’t perfect. You may be able to buy slightly bruised or misshapen apples or smaller strawberries for less than full price.

Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are another cost-saving option and may be even more nutritious than fresh, which may spend several days in transport and are picked before their peak.

Much of learning to eat well on a budget involves simply planning ahead and learning new shopping habits. Once they become ingrained, you may be surprised by how much you save—in both time and money.

Dot Nevarez, RD, is a registered dietitian with Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. For more information on staying healthy or for a physician referral, please call 1-800-SCRIPPS.

Media Contact: Lisa Ohmstede
Phone: 858-626-7142
Email: ohmstede.lisa@scrippshealth.org

Travel Clinic at Scripps Coastal Keeps You Healthy for Your Trip

2009-06-26T15:36:09-07:00

Our travel clinic helps you stay healthy during and after your trip, especially if have special health considerations or are visiting a remote destination. At Scripps Coastal Medical Center, we provide you with the most current recommendations to protect you from illness, and keep you healthy.

We work with people of all ages and backgrounds. No trip is too small, large, close or far.

Travel health risks depend upon the itinerary, duration of trip and season of travel. During your visit to our travel clinic, we’ll assess your individual travel plans and medical history to determine your risks. Patients with chronic medical conditions, as well as generally healthy patients, benefit greatly from a pre-travel consultation, which should be scheduled at least one month prior to travel.

Services

Our travel clinic physicians will:

Assess your health history and individual needs based on your itinerary and medical history
Provide you with the latest information on health risks, required and recommended immunizations, safety precautions and security tips, and medical evacuation
Discuss precautionary measures for dietary and recreational activities
Administer and prescribe immunizations and medications

Many illnesses are caused by food, water and insect-borne bacteria conditions. A consultation with our physicians can also help you prepare for your trip and receive recommended precautions to avoid illness.

You can also lessen the likelihood of illness by receiving pre-travel advice, asking questions and learning about your destination.

Appointments

To schedule an appointment please call:

760-806-5820 for our Vista site at 2120 Thibodo Road.
760-827-7390 for our Carlsbad site at 2176 Salk Avenue.
619-278-4440 for our Hillcrest site at 501 Washington St., San Diego.

Scripps Health Statement in Response to June 26 Tri-City News Conference

2009-06-26T16:20:10-07:00

San Diego – Scripps Health has a very positive relationship with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and we cooperate fully with the agency whenever asked. We also are proactive in bringing information to them when patient safety issues involving our care are raised.

Tri-City’s claim that Scripps has “not agreed to open its records to the Department of Public Health” is not true. CDPH always has access to patient records, by virtue of the state’s licensing authority.

In fact, following the June 2 filing of Tri-City’s lawsuit against Scripps, we informed CDPH on June 5 of the unidentified case referenced in the lawsuit alleging that a patient has been harmed as a result of a transfer to one of our facilities. Tri-City did not provide specific information that would allow us to identify the case and our internal reviews could not determine that such a case existed. Therefore, we thought it appropriate to inform CDPH.

As we’ve stated before, physicians determine where patients should be sent for care based on what is best for the patient. Anything more or less than that impedes upon the clinical and professional judgment of the physician. While we encourage admission to Scripps facilities, and our affiliated doctors encourage their specialists to use Scripps facilities, we never require this if the physician believes a different clinical care location is more appropriate or necessary.

It should be noted that prior to filing its lawsuit, Tri-City did not contact Scripps regarding patient care concerns, nor did they file a complaint with CDPH.

Scripps is very proud of the care we provide all of the communities we serve, including coastal North County where we have been for more than 30 years. We believe patients deserve a choice in health care providers and we are thankful so many are choosing Scripps.

Personal Genetic Testing Study Featured On TV News Nationally

2009-06-19T16:10:20-07:00

Scripps Translational Science Institute is leading a landmark research study to see if taking part in personal genetic tests helps people lead healthier lives. The study is offering genome scans to up to 10,000 participants to identify their risk for 20 health conditions, and will then will track changes in their health and lifestyle habits after they receive their scan results. The 20-year study represents a partnership between Scripps, Navigenics, Microsoft and Affymetrix. This news story has been broadcast on TV stations nationwide, including this segment on WAVE-TV in Louisville, Ky.

See Critical Mention clip of Scripps genomic health initiative conducting study to see if DNA tests have a positive impact on behavior.

Scripps Shares Best Practices as a Top Health Care Employer

2009-06-19T16:26:18-07:00

Hospitals & Health Networks magazine recently explored how the nation’s leading health care organizations are dealing with staffing challenges. Vic Buzachero, Scripps Health’s senior vice president of human resources, shared best practices implemented by Scripps to help its workforce thrive. Scripps has earned national recognition for workplace excellence from Fortune magazine, AARP and Working Mother magazine.

Read Hospitals and Health Networks article on How to Become a Top Employer

Meet MDs Who Followed in Their Father's Footsteps

2009-06-18T15:23:37-07:00

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, two physicians at Scripps Clinic must feel honored. Their sons followed in their footsteps, first enduring a tough road to earn medical degrees and complete specialty training, then practicing alongside their dads as members of the same medical group in San Diego, Calif.

As Father’s Day was recently celebrated in June and people in dozens of countries honored men who’ve served as positive role models, we thought it fitting to profile a couple of fathers who’ve made a difference in the health of our community for decades – and the sons who are carrying on the tradition.

	Jake and Merlin Hamer, MD
	Edward and Mark Wuchner, MD