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Show She had surgery, and her prognosis is good because all her lymph nodes are clear. MAJQ.l CUBICAL PROGRAMS AT I H C Six major programs have been created so far under the leadership of Gregory A. Schwitzer, MD, and Linda C. Leckman, MO. Additional programs are planned or in development. The Breast Care Services team is part of the IHC Oncology Clinical Program, which fosters collaboration among physicians and other clinical experts who care for cancer patients at IHC facilities. Teams work to identify and implement best medical practices, supported by IHCs computerized data collection and management systems. "How amazing it would be if every Medical Director Donald L Lappe, MD Recent Projects: Discharge medications; responses to cardiac emergencies; Heart Failure Prevention and Treatment Program; leading-edg- e therapies and clinical research. woman with breast cancer had this service," said Rochelle. "I had a whole team working on my nurses, surgeons, and case-physi- cians, social workers. I was so well cared for, and I'm sure that feeling of security is helping my physical recovery." Medical Director William T. Sause, MD Recent Projects: Adaptation of best practice guidelines; collection, sharing, and analysis of treatment data by teams. i i Medical Director Bryan T. Oshiro, MD Recent Projects: Perinatal care management; reducing the incidence of deliveries due to labor; best practices in the use of induction medications. pre-ter- MANAGING DIABETES Timothy Tincher is "your typical according to his mother, Jana. He likes to sing, listen to music, work on the computer, and play with his friends and siblings. The youngest of four children, Tim was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 15 months old. Every four months or so he visits a clinic offered by IHC's Primary Children's Medical Center, reviews where he gets a check-uhow his condition is being managed, and receives advice and support. p, and that of his family-- got a bit easier when Primary Children's opened a pediatric diabetes outreach clinic in another IHC hospital, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. Tim gets the same services, but the visits are more convenient because the clinic is closer to his home. Tim's life CANCER CARE THROUGH THE IHC ONCOLOGY CLINICAL PROGRAM The IHC Oncology Clinical Program facilitates networking among physicians who care for cancer patients at IHC hospitals. Teams of physicians and nurses review best practice guidelines The Primary Children's clinic at Utah Valley Regional is one example of the improvements in diabetes care at IHC. Diabetic patients can take advantage of numerous services in addition to outreach clinics. For instance, care management services are available, in which a diabetes educator serves as a personal health "coach" to patients, helping them check their blood sugar levels, adjust their diets, life styles, and medications, and find access to special services. Special diabetic clinics are also offered, and IHC Health Plans contacts diabetic members regularly to encourage them to use preventive benefits. As a result, among patients at IHC facilities, the number treated of diabetics who receive the annual established by national specialty societies and work to implement those best practices in a consistent way to better serve their patients. Regular multi- disciplinary conferences are held to discuss management of individual cases. This brings those who treat cancer-surge- ons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and together as a team to share best practices and others determine treatments for specific patients. Their efforts are supported by IHC's advanced computer systems, which help Medical Director Wayne H. Cannon, MD Recent Projects: Diabetes Care Management Program; The Children's Asthma Program; integration of mental health services with primary care. these clinicians track patient outcomes and improve care processes. In addition, the Huntsman Cancer Medical Director Kent Samuelson, MD M. jff 1 4 University of Utah has partnered with Recent Projects: Reducing back pain; improving outcomes tor total joint replacement patients. s Medical Director Edward 1. B. Clark, MD Recent Projects: Coordinating pediatric services throughout IKC; bronchiolitis guidelines; IHC Pediatric Education Program. S Institute at the IHC to form the Huntsman Cancer Care Program. This program is designed to share outcome data from cancer treatment and clinical practice protocols that will help both institutions provide an exemplary level of care for patients with cancer. fl Tm |