July 31, 2017
Investment in leading-edge technology for cancer treatment places Montefiore in an elite group of health systems worldwide. Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care recently deployed two devices, the Radixact™ Treatment Delivery System and the APOTECAchemo robotic system, both designed to deliver unparalleled accuracy and increased safety for patients.
“OUR INVESTMENT IN THESE LEADING-EDGE DEVICES ILLUSTRATES OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING OUR PATIENTS WITH THE MOST ADVANCED CANCER TREATMENTS.”
—Roman Perez-Soler, MD, Chairman, Oncology; Chief, Medical Oncology; Deputy Director, Albert Einstein Cancer Center; Guttman Professor of Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology
Montefiore is one of only four hospitals in the U.S.—and seven worldwide—to use the Radixact system, which is known for its precision targeting of tumors while reducing normal tissue exposure to radiation. APOTECAchemo empowers our Pharmacy through robotic technology that automates the drug compounding process. This technology is found at only five other major academic medical centers nationwide.
MONTEFIORE AMONG FIRST TO ADOPT ROBOTIC DRUG COMPOUNDING TECHNOLOGY
The APOTECAchemo consists of a robotic automation and information platform to prepare intravenous doses of chemotherapy. Risks to healthcare workers associated with compounding hazardous drugs are minimized while patient safety is improved. Montefiore’s APOTECAchemo makes every step of the process programmable, controllable, traceable and accountable. Patients benefit from the high degree of accuracy of the system, and built-in sterility measures that increase safety.
Introduction of the Radixact™ Treatment Delivery System makes Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care the first in New York to treat patients with this state-of-the-art technology. The system uses a built-in CT scanner coupled with an ultraprecise modulating linear accelerator to precisely shape highly complex radiation dose distributions to the tumor target, thus reducing unwanted radiation exposure and treatment side effects. Imaging is performed to determine the tumor’s exact shape and position, after which radiation is delivered from 360 degrees for precision targeting. “The Radixact System is an exciting step forward, solidifying our place on the frontier of cancer treatment. This technology is so sophisticated and adaptive to instant position and shape, that patients are better protected from side effects and tumor control is enhanced,” says Shalom Kalnicki, MD, Chair and Professor, Radiation Oncology, Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care.
From left: Vera Galeas, Program Coordinator, Family Learning Place, CHAM, and parents who are part of CHAM’s Family Advisory Council in Washington, D.C.
Parents of three current and former Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) patients went to Washington D.C. in July to urge Congress to protect children’s Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) funding. As participants in the Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day, sponsored by the Children’s Hospital Association, the families met with the staffs of Senators Kirstin Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, Congressman Eliot Engle, and had a face-to-face meeting with Congressman Joseph Crowley. They shared their children’s stories and struggles, with one parent remarking that access to Medicaid is “a matter of life or death” for her child with sickle cell disease. “It was emotional, but their message that they were fighting to get the care and services their children need was so powerful,” says Mariela Salazar, Government and Community Relations Manager, Montefiore. Federal funding for CHIP is set to expire at the end of fiscal year 2017, and Medicaid coverage is threatened, which would disrupt health coverage for millions of children. CHAM, which sponsored the families’ trips to D.C., supports ensuring access to care for all children.
Montefiore’s Nursing Department has participated in compelling research on falls prevention with positive implications for patient care in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety 2017. Montefiore nurses collaborated with colleagues at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Partners HealthCare in Boston, with the goal of reducing falls by partnering with patients and families to create individualized fall prevention plans. Using the Fall TIPS (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) Toolkit in this pilot study, nurses on Klau 4, Moses Campus, detected a decrease in fall-related injuries during the six-month study, and patients reported being more aware of their fall risk factors, says Mary Ellen Lindros, RN, EdD, Director, Professional Practice, Montefiore. “This study is significant in that the research demonstrated a positive link between patient engagement on the falls prevention process and a decrease in falls-related injuries,” says Maureen Scanlan, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Vice President of Nursing and Patient Care Services, Montefiore.
Recent policy changes impacting undocumented immigrants have led the Pediatric Behavior Health Integration Program team to develop guidelines to help our clinicians assess whether a child’s/parent’s immigration status is a source of stress or anxiety for the patient.
To address these changes, Miguelina Germán, PhD, Director, Quality & Research, Pediatric Behavioral Health Integrated Program (BHIP), Montefiore Medical Group, and Janelle Bercun, LMSW, Healthy Steps Specialist, Comprehensive Family Care Center, Montefiore Medical Group, partnered with the Legal Aid Society to hold a training session at Montefiore to provide information on immigration rights and remedies to care providers and members of the public. Comprehensive advice was offered on what immigrants can do in the event of an arrest, along with tips on how they can avoid deportation. Congressman Adriano Espaillet, representing New York’s 13th District, spoke at the event, advising attendees that the most important thing is to get good legal advice. "New York City has the infrastructure to help you," he says.
Our doctors at the ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION RESEARCH PROGRAM at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine are dedicated to finding new and improved treatment options for adults, 18–75 years of age, suffering from major depressive disorder.
Please call 718-920-2933 or email depression@montefiore.org to learn more about our current clinical trial opportunities.
Director: Eric Hollander, MD
Associates involved in recruitment and staffing are invited to attend an in-service. The seminar is designed to provide guidelines to ensure effective and compliant staffing process.
Thursday, August 24, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Thursday November 16, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Human Resources Executive Conference Room
3411 Wayne Avenue, 1st Floor
Contact 718-920-8440 for more information or fax registration form to HR/Recruitment & Staffing at 718-920-2242. Learn more and access the registration form by visiting the Intranet.
Come and enjoy live music, carnival games and food in support of Helping Hands, a philanthropic fund providing support to Montefiore transplant patients. Since 2013, Helping Hands has served more than 400 patients and families with emergency housing support, medication assistance, yoga classes, cooking classes, parking vouchers, braces and more. Helping Hands reassures patients that Montefiore is doing more to ensure that any transplantation challenges will be met head on together.
Thursday, August 17, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
East Garden, Moses Campus
More information: www.montefiore.org/supporthelpinghands
