Volume XV | Issue 2 | February 2023 | |
HCI's Monthly Review of the Healthcare Industry | |
Robert J. Stilley
President, CEO
HeartCare Imaging, Inc.
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Dear Colleagues –
Perspective…
Recently, I took my dog, Abaco, on a boat ride to the sandbar in our river. Abaco is normally a well behaved dog. When we go to the sandbar and it’s time to leave, she’ll swim to the boat and jump on for the ride home. On this particular day however, she had already chased other dogs through the neighborhood, ran our cat up the tree, scared a delivery person…in other words wasn’t being a ‘well behaved dog’. I don’t know why I thought things would be different at the sandbar and once there, she continued her rambunctious behavior. She evidently came to the conclusion that it was much more fun chasing dogs and kids than getting on the boat to leave. After chasing her for what seemed like hours, I was exasperated. (Side note, chasing included Abaco allowing me to get within a few inches of putting the leach on when she would look me straight in the eyes and run away…while I know it isn’t possible…I thought I heard her laughing too!). So, in a frustrated tone I asked one of the other dog owners at the sandbar if his dog ever had a bad day, like Abaco was having. He looked at me, smiled, and answered that he suspected Abaco thought she was actually having a great day. Which brings me to our subject this month…perspective. People (and dogs) can look at things from various points of view. As a supplier of medical services, it’s important for us to make sure we’re always looking at what matters not only for HCI, but more importantly for our Partner/Clients and their patients. We continue to do our best to ensure our Partner/Clients have a service that meets not only the needs of their patients, but also provides financial support for their operations. Our employees look at each patient understanding that their care is why they go to work in the morning…and to treat them as though they were a family member. We might look at upgrading equipment or staying late as an extra expense, but we need to remember that from our partner/client’s point of view this is what makes our service so valuable to their patients and physicians. So, we’ll keep doing our best to ensure we look at all points of view in order to provide the very best…and having a great day doing it!
Best,
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New ACC, AHA, SCAI Interventional Cardiology Training Guidance
The American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) have jointly issued new guidance outlining competency-based advanced training requirements for interventional cardiology trainees.
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The Impact of Psychological Stress on Cardiovascular Disease Risk
A substantial body of research highlights the association between psychological stress and mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. Additionally, extensive research points to a significant link between stress and physical illness, with the bulk of these studies focused on cardiovascular risk.1
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Myocarditis a Significant Postacute Complication of COVID-19 Infection
Myocarditis is a cardiovascular complication of a COVID-19 infection that has been reported at approximately 1 year following the index infection, according to the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
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All-cause, CVD mortality highest in Black patients among those with cancer
Researchers observed significant racial disparities in all-cause and CVD mortality among adults with cancer, with wider gaps found among patients younger than 55 years, according to a study published in JACC: CardioOncology.
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Greater survival benefit in simultaneous heart-kidney transplant vs. single organ
Heart-kidney transplantation relative to heart transplantation alone was associated with superior survival regardless of dialysis status and for patients with moderate kidney disease, according to a national transplant registry analysis.
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The connection between menopause and cardiovascular disease risks
Hot flashes and night sweats – they are the hallmark symptoms of menopause.But there's something else happening to women entering their late 40s and early 50s that they can't see or feel and may not even know about: Their cardiovascular disease risks are rising.
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Researchers use AI to triage patients with chest pain
Artificial intelligence (AI) may help improve care for patients who show up at the hospital with acute chest pain, according to a study published in Radiology.
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Cardiovascular benefits of lipid-lowering drugs apply across ethnicities and regions, study finds
Minority ethnicities and regions derive at least as much cardiovascular benefit from lipid-lowering therapies as majority groups despite being underrepresented in clinical trials, according to a study published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
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Heart disease deaths declining, but not for everyone
Fewer people are dying from cardiovascular disease in the U.S., according to new research from the University of Georgia. But rural counties and those with a higher percentage of Black residents consistently experienced higher rates of cardiovascular disease than urban and more predominantly white counties.
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ChatGPT provides mostly accurate responses about cardiovascular disease
ChatGPT, a popular online artificial intelligence (AI) tool, provides largely appropriate responses to simple cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention questions, according to a research letter published online Feb. 3 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Social Isolation, Loneliness Increase Risk for New Heart Failure
Social isolation and loneliness are independently associated with a higher likelihood of incident heart failure, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in JACC: Heart Failure.
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Quality of Care and Outcomes Among Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure in Rural vs Urban US Hospitals
In this cohort study including 774,419 patients in the Get With The Guidelines–Heart Failure registry, patients at rural hospitals were significantly less likely to be prescribed cardiac resynchronization therapy, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker, and angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor therapy at discharge, but other quality metrics were similar to urban hospitals. After adjustment for confounders, there were no significant differences between rural and urban hospitals regarding in-hospital or 30-day outcomes.
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Black cardiologists are rare, but vital for Black patients
Sixty percent of African Americans have cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association. But fewer than 3% of cardiologists are Black, according to to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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20 more minutes of daily exercise lowers hospitalization risk for common ailments
Exercising 20 minutes more every day was associated with a reduced hospitalization risk for a variety of common health conditions, including infection, stroke, venous thromboembolism and more, according to data in JAMA Network Open.
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U.S. Deaths Involving Meth Are Skyrocketing, Fentanyl a Big Factor
Deaths from methamphetamine among Americans increased 50-fold between 1999 and 2021, a chilling new study reports.
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Measles Outbreak in Ohio Declared Over After 85 Cases
A central Ohio measles outbreak among children who were not fully vaccinated is now over, public health officials announced Saturday.
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What Doctors Are Learning About Marijuana and Surgery
People who use cannabis may need more anesthesia during procedures, but many remain wary of mentioning their habit.
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Ohio to open a clinic amid growing health concerns over train derailment
The clinic will open for any East Palestine-area residents with questions related to the Feb. 3 train derailment.
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Scientists manage to detect pancreatic and prostate cancer with a urine test
Early detection of cancer is very important to successful treatment and improving a patient’s prognosis. As such, researchers continue looking for ways to improve on detection of various forms of cancer. A team led by researchers from the Surface & Nano Materials Division of the Korea Institute of Materials Science recently published a study in Biosensors and Bioelectronics showing a new way to detect pancreatic and prostate cancer using a urine test.
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Irregular Sleeping Habits May Increase Risk of Atherosclerosis in Older Adults
People over 45 who sleep a varying number of hours or fall asleep at different times could increase their risk of developing atherosclerosis, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Multiple sclerosis (MS): High doses of omega-3 reduce symptoms in animal study
Recently, researchers investigated how omega-3 fatty acid consumption reduces inflammatory responses in mice.
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Healthy, plant-rich diets help lower the risk of early death, new study confirms
Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA, recently led a study to see how long-term eating patterns affect mortality risks.
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What is hospice care? CNN medical analyst explains
Former US President Jimmy Carter will begin receiving hospice care at his home in Georgia, according The Carter Center. CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen explains what hospice care entails.
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Health Care Industry News | |
14 health systems with strong finances
Here are 14 health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions, according to reports from credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings, Moody's Investors Service and S&P Global.
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Amazon closes $3.9B buy of One Medical
Amazon completed its $3.9 billion acquisition of primary care chain One Medical, significantly increasing its healthcare offerings with the addition of physical medical clinics.
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US to Allow Medicaid to Pay for Drug Treatment in Prisons
Soon, the federal government will allow states to use Medicaid funds to treat prisoners for drug addiction and mental health services.
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GoodRx leaked sensitive health information to Facebook and Google, FTC alleges
The 41st annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference wrapped up in San Francisco on Thursday following a four-day schedule packed with presentations from dozens of health systems, insurers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and technology companies.
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Quality over quantity? Changing how doctors get paid presents new complications
Physician pay is top of mind for many health systems struggling under the weight of rising costs and reduced Medicare reimbursement. Organizations want to attract the best doctors, but inflation, staffing shortages and supply chain issues add pressure to their bottom lines, making it difficult to keep compensation competitive.
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Adventist Health lays off workers, streamlines operations to cut costs
Adventist Health is consolidating its seven care networks into five and laying off administrative staff to cut costs and strengthen operations.
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Brain Circuit Involved in Fentanyl Abuse and Relapse Identified
Fentanyl enhances direct pathway medium spiny neurons activity in the striatum. During withdrawal from the opioid, inhibitory signals from direct pathway medium spiny neurons to dopaminergic neurons become enhanced. The enhanced suppression of dopaminergic neurons contributes to the negative emotions associated with fentanyl withdrawal. Inhibiting the direct pathway medium spiny neurons can reduce withdrawal symptoms and associated anxiety behaviors.
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Support from others in stressful times can ease impact of genetic depression risk, study suggests
Reaching out to support a person when they're under stress is always a good idea. But a new study suggests that support could be especially important for someone whose genetic makeup makes them more likely to develop depression.
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Monogamous Prairie Voles Reveal the Neurobiology of Love
The prairie vole is a small Midwestern rodent known for shacking up and settling down, a tendency that is rare among mammals. Mated pairs form bonds, share a nest and raise young together. In the laboratory, a pair-bonded vole will work for access to its mate. Prairie voles even exhibit something like empathy for their partners, getting stressed when they are stressed, and consoling each other through touch. As the pandemic has brought into stark relief, such social connections are essential to human well-being as well. Researchers are turning to these unusual rodents to understand how relationships have a profound impact on health.
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Time of Day May Determine the Amount of Fat Burned by Exercise
Researchers say that late-morning exercise may be more effective in boosting metabolism and burning fat than late-evening exercise. The findings could prove valuable to those who are overweight and looking to lose fat by implementing an exercise program.
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Domestic Abuse in Pregnancy Linked to Structural Brain Changes in Babies
Babies born to mothers who experience domestic violence during pregnancy have altered brain development and changes in brain structure.
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Health Care Policy In 2023: Five Areas To Watch
While one could assume that little will be accomplished in the absence of a strong majority, there are a host of health care issues with bipartisan backing.
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After Staying Away During Pandemic, Doctors Return to Lobby Congress
About 350 physicians came to Capitol Hill this month to lobby Congress on behalf of the American Medical Association.
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CMS Prior Authorization Proposal Aims to Streamline the Process and Improve Transparency
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule designed to address the administrative hassles of prior authorization by requiring certain payers to implement an automated process, meet shorter time frames for decision making, and improve transparency.
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HIPAA complaints, breaches increased from 2017 to 2021 as HHS urges more funding
HIPAA complaints and breaches increased from 2017 to 2021, but the agency in charge of auditing compliance said it doesn’t have the resources to handle the uptick.
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California Says It Can No Longer Afford Aid for Covid Testing, Vaccinations for Migrants
Gavin Newsom said the state can no longer afford to contribute to medical screening centers, which also receive federal and local grants.
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For over 25 years, HRSI has provided Authorized User (AU) classroom and laboratory training to physicians. HRSI's training is recognized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and fulfills the didactic training required by law. | | |
Free CME
Title: Why Does My Patient Have Angina?
To view this FREE CME activity, please register.
You must achieve a score of 75% or above to receive credit.
You may take the test up to 3 times. Thank you for your participation.
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Free CME
Title: We've Measured Flow. Now What Does IT Mean?
To view this FREE CME activity, please register.
You must achieve a score of 75% or above to receive credit.
You may take the test up to 3 times. Thank you for your participation.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This lecture will detail the scientific literature describing myocardial perfusion dating back to the first measurements in 1949. The goal is to synthesize the entire spectrum of myocardial perfusion in order to understand objective limits for distinguishing normal from abnormal. We first discuss myocardial perfusion in normal people (not patients!) aged less than 40 with no risk factors. From this cohort we can understand truly normal perfusion, not accessible or measured invasively due to unethical risk of invasive catheterization for people. At the other end of the spectrum, transmural or nontransmural infarcts as verified by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging permit a boundary of low resting flows identifies nonviable myocardium. Frank ischemia (angina, ST-segment depression, and a relative perfusion defect) and its associated myocardial perfusion can be imaged to understand how stress flows must fall in order to reach this low level. A wide continuum falls between normal flows and ischemia and relates to risk factor burden, anatomic atherosclerosis, clinical heart disease, and previous revascularization procedures.
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Free CME
To view this FREE CME activity, please register.
You must achieve a score of 75% or above to receive credit.
You may take the test up to 3 times. Thank you for your participation.
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:
- Identify reasons for diagnostic challenges in chronic abdominal pain
- Define conditions that require objective testing
- Explain relevant radio-pharmaceuticals & physiology
- Explain consensus recommendations for CCK-CS
- Explain standardized reporting of CCK-CS
- Identify essential CCK-CS findings and relevant diagnoses
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Free CME
To view this FREE CME activity, please register.
You must achieve a score of 75% or above to receive credit.
You may take the test up to 3 times. Thank you for your participation.
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:
- Identify reasons for diagnostic challenges in chronic abdominal pain
- Define conditions that require objective testing
- Explain relevant radio-pharmaceuticals & physiology
- Explain consensus recommendations for CCK-CS
- Explain standardized reporting of CCK-CS
- Identify essential CCK-CS findings and relevant diagnoses
| | |
Free CME
To view this FREE CME activity, please register.
You must achieve a score of 75% or above to receive credit.
You may take the test up to 3 times. Thank you for your participation.
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:
- Use a systematic interpretational approach for CCK-CS
- Use a structured reporting checklist for CCK-CS
- Identify rare but essential gallbladder findings and responses to stimulation on CCK-CS
- Identify causes for unexpected gallbladder contraction
- Identify rare but essential findings in the bowel on CCK-CS that could contribute to patient management
- Optimize CCK-CS imaging time to capture critical information by omitting unessential imaging
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Free CME
To view this FREE CME activity, please register.
You must achieve a score of 75% or above to receive credit.
You may take the test up to 3 times. Thank you for your participation.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Clinicians who treat patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are faced with the challenge of making a therapeutic decision to recommend revascularization or medical treatment. A conflict often exists between making that decision based on assessing myocardial ischemia through measurements of coronary flow and function versus visualizing anatomical stenosis through angiography. The purpose of this lecture is to provide insight into the measurement of myocardial blood flow (MBF) and it’s interpretation. The presentation will provide clarity concerning the tools to measure MBF and their interrelationship. The concept of coronary flow capacity (CFC) will be presented and its relevance and impact on clinical practice and patient care will be discussed. Clinicians who participate in this program will gain an appreciation for the use of positron emission tomography (PET) scanning with CFC to help identify patients who will benefit from revascularization.
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HeartCare Imaging, Inc. | Phone: 561-746-6125 | Fax: 561-741-2036 | info@heartcareimaging.com | | | | |
