HCI's Monthly Review of the Healthcare Industry
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Robert J. Stilley
President, CEO
HeartCare Imaging, Inc.
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Dear Colleague -
A number of years ago I was having a particularly bad day when I stopped for a quick lunch at the hospital coffee shop. The day was during the recession that had our nation reeling and our industry in disarray. It seemed that most of my time was putting out fires, trying to find ways to cut costs, and begging customers and employees to hang in there. Honestly, as I sat down to eat my sandwich I was thinking of ways to get out. There were a few companies that had expressed interest in buying HCI...maybe it was time to talk. Then, something miraculous happened, I guess you could say my eyes were opened. What I saw from my small table was physicians, nurses, and administrators hurrying in and out of the café to get a quick bite so they could get back to what was important, taking care of patients. It hit me so hard I can still feel it to this day...this is why we all chose this profession - we want to make a difference by taking care of those in need. I realized that while there were certainly some challenges ahead, if we focused on our true mission we would succeed, I also realized immediately that there was no way I could ever get out of 'the game' and left the café with a renewed purpose for myself and my company. Years later, at HCI we have allowed this patient and customer focus lead us to successfully navigate the challenging medical marketplace. Our focus on excellent patient and customer care starts with selecting dedicated employees who share our vision. These employees have worked to ensure HCI continues to be not only viable but the standard bearer for outstanding care in our industry. So, I am proud to announce that HeartCare Imaging has been selected one of
Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work for the second straight year! We are excited to have such a great group of professionals to work with on a daily basis and look forward to our continued growth personally and professionally.
Best Regards,
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Heart failure: The Alzheimer's disease of the heart?
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Similar to how protein clumps build up in the brain in people with some neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, protein clumps appear to accumulate in the diseased hearts of mice and people with heart failure, according to a team led by Johns Hopkins University researchers
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At Low Temps, Air Pollution May Up Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
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Exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) is associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) at low temperatures in women, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society, held from May 9 to 12 in Boston.
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Artificial intelligence could help diagnose a deadly heart condition
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AliveCor, a medical device start-up, and Mayo Clinic used artificial intelligence to identify LQTS in patients whose EKG results appear normal. Their findings from a study, published in an abstract Thursday at the Heart Rhythm Scientific Sessions conference, found the technology accurately diagnoses the genetic condition 79 percent of the time.
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Body Weight Fluctuation Linked to CV Events in Diabetes
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Patients with type 2 diabetes whose weight fluctuates appear to be at increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) events, such as stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and death, compared with those whose weight remains stable, an analysis of previously published trial data suggests.
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Folic Acid May Cut Stroke Risk in High-Risk Hypertensive Patients
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Hypertensive patients may lower their stroke risk with folic acid supplements, according to a study published in the May 15 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Speed of Heart Attack Treatment Can Vary by State
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Heart attack patients get their blocked heart arteries opened faster if they live in states where they can be taken directly to hospitals that perform the specialized procedure, a new study shows.
Not all hospitals can provide the treatment, called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). So some states permit emergency medical responders to take heart attack patients directly to a hospital that offers PCI, even if that means bypassing hospitals that are closer.
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Expert Consensus on Ionizing Radiation in CV Imaging
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The document's goal is to enable cardiovascular practitioners to select the optimal imaging technique for a given clinical circumstance while balancing a technique's risk and benefits, and to apply that technique optimally to generate high-quality diagnostic images that deliver the greatest clinical value with minimal radiation exposure," the committee writes.
The document recommends that patients participate with their physician in the decision to have procedures that require ionizing radiation and notes that it's the physician's responsibility to explain the radiation component along with other aspects of a procedure.
It also emphasizes the need for quality assurance, which requires verifying equipment performance and calibration and monitoring metrics for patients and personnel exposure, as well as proper training to ensure that all clinical personnel have a good understanding of radiation physics, biology, and protection.
Training should create a "culture of respect for radiation hazard and a commitment to minimize exposure and maximize protection," the committee says.
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Air pollution during pregnancy tied to high blood pressure in kids
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Women who breathe polluted air during pregnancy may be more likely to have children who develop high blood pressure, a U.S. study suggests.
Researchers focused on what’s known as fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter that’s found in traffic exhaust and can include dust, dirt, soot, and smoke.
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Thromboembolic risk greater in direct oral anticoagulants vs. warfarin when adherence low
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Among patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation prescribed an oral anticoagulant who had low adherence to their medication regimen, those assigned warfarin had lower risk for thromboembolic events than those assigned a direct oral anticoagulant, according to findings presented at the Heart Rhythm Society Annual Scientific Sessions.
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BWXT developed a new medical isotope technology to produce Mo-99
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Cirtain noted that unlike the traditional process of producing Mo-99 and Tc-99m generators from a nuclear fission process, this process doesn’t use fission. As a result, it doesn’t produce uranium or other fission products as waste, which is costly and difficult to dispose of and can be a proliferation concern.
BWXT expects this new medical isotope technology to provide a reliable domestic supply of Mo-99 and Tc-99m for North America. But the company has competition from a handful of companies with the same goal.
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U of A cyclotron can produce steady supply of medical isotopes
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Technetium is usually supplied through nuclear reactors that produce molybdenum-99, a radioactive isotope that decays to produce technetium. The U of A's cyclotron can produce the technetium directly.This allows scientists to generate a steady supply, potentially addressing the needs of the entire province, said Sandy McEwan, a professor of oncology at the university.
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PET scan tracer predicts success of cancer 'vaccine,' study reports
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By engineering a special molecule to track certain immune cells in the body, scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have invented a litmus test for the effectiveness of a newly devised cancer therapy.
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Enzyme blocker stops growth of deadly brain tumor
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Investigators were able to halt the growth of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, by inhibiting an enzyme called CDK5, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in Cell Reports.
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New dementia risk factors uncovered
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Using a large and comprehensive database, researchers unearth new combinations of factors that increase the risk of dementia later in life. The findings could help clinicians to spot at-risk people.
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Surgery for Hip Fx Cuts Mortality in NH Residents With Dementia
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For nursing home (NH) residents with dementia and hip fracture, surgical hip fracture repair is associated with lower mortality, according to a study published online May 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Curium to market xenon-133 gas in the U.S.
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Global nuclear medicine firm Curium has expanded its U.S. offerings to include xenon-133 gas, sourced from its Petten manufacturing facility in the Netherlands and using low-enriched uranium targets.
Xenon-133 gas is useful for diagnostic inhalation studies to evaluate pulmonary function and for lung imaging, and it may also be used to assess cerebral blood flow, the company said.
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Neuroinflammation seen in spinal cord, nerve roots of patients with chronic sciatica
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A study by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has found, for the first time in humans, that patients with chronic sciatica—back pain that shoots down the leg—have evidence of inflammation in key areas of the nervous system. In their paper published in the May issue of the journal Pain, the research team reports finding that average levels of a marker of neuroinflammation were elevated in both the spinal cord and the nerve roots of patients with chronic sciatica. Additionally, the study showed an association between neuroinflammation and response to anti-inflammatory steroid injections, with levels of neuroinflammation differing between those whose pain was and those whose pain was not relieved by steroid injection treatment.
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Retinal Changes on OCT Angiography May Flag Early Alzheimer's
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Microvascular changes in the retina detected by using noninvasive optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography align well with imaging and biomarker evidence of preclinical Alzheimer's disease, a new study shows.
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Earlier Mammograms May Mean Less Need for Aggressive Treatments
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Much of the debate over when to start having mammograms has focused on lives saved, but new research suggests that early screening might also translate into smaller tumors and less aggressive breast cancer treatments.
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Daily aspirin may double skin cancer risk in men
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Men taking aspirin every day may have double the risk of melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, compared to those who are not exposed to daily to the common pain reliever, says a large study involving almost 200,000 patients.
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Why don't patients show up for imaging exams?
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Researchers found a strong association between no-show rates and the type of modality being used, with mammography reporting the highest no-show rate and radiography the lowest. Also, appointments with longer lead times had higher no-show rates, with more no-shows for those scheduled six months in advance than for appointments booked just one week ahead of time.
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Survey: Roughly 80% of commercially insured patients don't find it 'easy to understand' or 'convenient to pay' medical bills
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Patients desire transparency and convenience when addressing medical bills, but some providers have challenges meeting these expectations, according to a Waystar survey released May 3.
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JACR: Diagnostic radiologists serve the most patients
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Radiologists serve the most Medicare beneficiaries per year compared with physicians across a range of other medical specialties, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
The finding underscores the importance of radiology's role in patient care -- and points to opportunities to expand that role, wrote a team led by Dr. Andrew Rosenkrantz of NYU Langone Medical Center.
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FDA Issues Updated Guidance on Clinical Trial Imaging Standards
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an updated guidance for the standardization of imaging data collected and managed as part of clinical trials. Its stated purpose is “to assist sponsors in optimizing the quality of imaging data obtained in clinical trials intended to support approval of drugs and biological products.”
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Politics that Affect Medicine
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U.S. to consider expanding Medicare drug price negotiation
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The Trump administration is considering expanding Medicare’s ability to negotiate the cost of drugs by giving private payers a role in setting the price of medicines administered in hospitals and doctors’ offices, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Monday.
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House Panel Advances Opioid Legislation, Readies
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A House panel approved more than 20 bills intended to address the national opioid crisis, including a proposed study of Medicare Part D policies and a bid for a new loan-repayment plan for medical professionals willing to serve hard-hit communities.
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Senators to Azar: Why aren't you fixing Medicare wage index?
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Senators on Thursday asked HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday why the CMS' newly unveiled rural health strategy does not address the Medicare wage index, which they claim poses one of the greatest threats to access to care in these areas.
Under the index, payments to hospitals are adjusted for market conditions such as the differences in hospital wage rates among labor markets and it also takes into account cost of living.
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CMS plan to improve rural care includes greater use of IT
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has unveiled a new rural health strategy that includes supporting information technologies, improving interoperability of health information and increased use of telemedicine.
Initial goals of the strategy, announced by CMS Administrator Seema Verma, include applying a rural perspective to CMS programs and policies; improving access to care through provider engagement and support; advancing telehealth and telemedicine; empowering rural patients to make decisions about their care; and leveraging partnerships to reach strategic goals.
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CMS to simplify Medicare plan selection
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The CMS is taking steps to make it easier to sort through Medicare coverage options, after a report said its current search options were badly presented and confusing and could lead some to make poor plan selections.
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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.
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Annual Scientific Session of the
American Society of Nuclear Cardiology
Bridging Quality Imaging and Patient Care
September 6-9, 2018 | San Francisco Marriott Marquis | Calif.
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Mark your calendar! The Radiological Society of North America’s 104
th
Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting is scheduled to take place November 25 to 30 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Every year, radiology’s best and brightest convene at the RSNA annual meeting to learn from the specialty’s top experts and get an exclusive look at the latest in medical imaging technology. RSNA 2017 brought breakthrough science in machine learning, artificial intelligence and 3D printing to the forefront, affirming the Society’s position as the leader promoting scientific innovation for better patient care. Save the date now to see tomorrow’s medical imaging discoveries today at RSNA 2018!
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HeartCare Imaging, Inc. | Phone: 561-746-6125 | Fax: 561-741-2036 | info@heartcareimaging.com
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