News
BEAUMONT
For physicians and office managers
Six Beaumont Health System physicians and
former CEO recognized for outstanding service
GLADIOLUS blooms at
Beaumont
The accomplishments of six Beaumont
Health System physicians and a retired
CEO were honored at a Sept. 30 reception.
The Outstanding Doctors’ Awards were
created six years ago by Beaumont’s retired
chief medical officer Ananias Diokno,
M.D. to recognize those who have made a
big difference in the lives of patients and
contributed to community well-being and
to the success of Beaumont Health System.
New leaders, programs
help advance Beaumont
Children’s Hospital
Dr. Diokno, and David Wood, M.D.,
Beaumont’s current chief medical officer,
presented awards to:
September • October 2013
IN THIS ISSUE
Electronic system rolled out
for Human Investigation
Committee submissions
Chief of Epidemiology named
Crain’s Health Care Hero
Health, education, legal and
religious groups collaborate in
support of Detroit
Survey highlights physician
engagement progress, needs
Employed physicians must
complete mandatory education
Kenneth Myers,
Beaumont’s chief operating
officer from 1969-1980
and president and CEO
from 1981 to 1997.
During his tenure, Myers was a major force
in Beaumont’s growth from a financially
challenged hospital in the 1960s to a
financially sound multi-hospital system
with renowned leaders, medical, educational
and research programs. Myers was honored
with a “Special CMO Citation” award.
George Wilson, Ph.D.,
chief of Radiation Biology,
scientific director of
Beaumont’s BioBank and
the director of the Erb
Family Core Molecular Laboratory. With
more than 180 scientific articles and
chapters to his credit, Dr. Wilson has a
longstanding research interest in the use of
biomarkers to predict the response of
tumors to radiotherapy. His extensive stem
cell research is aimed at finding new
strategies or targets for treatment of
breast, head, neck and rectal cancer.
Dr. Wilson was honored with a “Seeker
of Truth” award.
Peggy Nowak, M.D.,
an ear, nose and throat
physician who serves as
president of the medical
staff at Beaumont Hospital,
Royal Oak. Dr. Nowak has a long list of
humanitarian accomplishments. Several
times each year, she travels to Nicaragua to
help hearing-impaired children and to train
local otolaryngologists. Dr. Nowak and her
colleagues also helped to build a school for
deaf children in Nicaragua, providing them
with educational opportunities. Because of
this work, combined with her commitment
to other causes such as Gilda’s Club, the
Girl Scouts, and helping with the health
care needs of the uninsured, she was
honored with the “Modern Hippocrates”
award.
continued on page 2
News
BEAUMONT
Physicians and former CEO recognized for outstanding service continued from page 1
Marc Sakwa, M.D., chief
of cardiovascular surgery at
Beaumont Hospital, Royal
Oak and physician leader of
Beaumont’s Heart &
Vascular Center of Excellence. Dr. Sakwa has
embraced a minimally invasive approach to
heart surgery, putting Beaumont’s
cardiovascular service in the national
spotlight. His efforts contributed to the
creation of Beaumont’s Tyner Center,
offering hybrid, high-tech, minimally
invasive procedures for heart and vascular
patients, and the Ernst Center, offering
multidisciplinary specialty clinics for those
with high risk heart and vascular conditions.
Dr. Sakwa was honored with an award as
“A Leader Who Delivers.”
James Lynch, M.D.,
senior vice president and
physician-in-chief at
Beaumont Troy. Dr. Lynch’s vision for safety
and quality is infectious, driving quality
outcomes, financial results and physician
engagement scores at Beaumont, Troy. He is
focused on the best interests of patients
while holding his team to high standards
and encouraging creativity in problem
solving. Dr. Lynch was honored with an
award as “A Leader Who Delivers.”
David Bloom, M.D.,
pediatric radiologist,
Beaumont Children’s
Hospital. Dr. Bloom is
passionate about working
with children and their families. He also
serves as a mentor for students at the
Oakland University William Beaumont
School of Medicine who recently honored
him as a national finalist nominee for the
Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in
Medicine Award. Dr. Bloom is also the
recipient of the OUWB Founders Award in
recognition of his dedication to the school.
Dr. Bloom was recognized with “The
Modern John Morgan, Father of Medical
Education” award.
Alan Koffron, M.D., chair
of Surgery, Beaumont Health
System. Dr. Koffron is an
accomplished surgeon with
expertise in minimally
invasive approaches to many surgical
procedures, including live-donor liver
transplants. He has presented his liver
surgery techniques to audiences worldwide.
His research has advanced the science of
solid organ transplantation and has been
featured in many peer-reviewed journals and
in major surgical forums. Dr. Koffron was
recognized for his excellence as a physician,
teacher and researcher with a “Triple
Threat” award.
Electronic system rolled out for Human Investigation Committee submissions
After much planning, developing and
testing, the Human Investigation
Committee is implementing the iMedRIS
Electronic HIC System.
Following implementation of iMedRIS,
researchers will no longer be required to
print and submit multiple copies of
applications and forms. All transactions
will be done electronically, including
signoffs by the clinical research managers
and department chairs, correspondence
with the HIC, responses to required
modifications and the submission of other
study forms. Researchers will have ready
access to the status of their submissions
and actions which need to be addressed.
Most importantly, iMedRIS will be
accessible from any computer – inside or
outside the Beaumont system.
“We are confident that this system will
streamline our HIC application process
and the correspondences/responses that
accompany applications,” says David
Felten, M.D., Ph.D., vice president,
research and medical director of the
Research Institute. “We thank all
researchers for your help and cooperation.”
iMedRIS opened for entering studies,
follow-up forms and reports in midAugust. Additionally, an abbreviated study
application now must be completed for
each open study before entering a progress
report, amendment, protocol deviation or
unanticipated event.
2
Starting in early October, all initial HIC
application submissions, amendments,
progress reports, unanticipated problems,
protocol deviations and final reports must
be submitted in iMedRIS. Paper forms/
documents no longer will be accepted.
The first HIC meeting using iMedRIS will
be held Friday, Nov. 1. All submissions to
be reviewed at this meeting must be
entered into iMedRIS – initial applications,
amendments, progress reports, protocol
deviations, unanticipated problems,
final reports.
For more information about the iMedRIS
implementation, contact the Beaumont
Human Investigation Committee at
248-551-0662.
GLADIOLUS blooms at Beaumont
$3.9 million grant will support urology research
Beaumont has been
named the recipient of
a multimillion dollar
urology research grant
from the National
Institutes of Aging.
Ananias C. Diokno, Ananias C. Diokno,
M.D.
M.D., Beaumont’s
retired chief medical officer, is the principal
investigator for this multi-center project,
called GLADIOLUS, for Group Learning
to Accomplish Decreased Incidents of
Lower Urinary Symptoms.
The $3.9 million three-year grant started
Sept. 1. Other GLADIOLUS clinical sites
include the University of Michigan, the
University of Alabama at Birmingham and
the University of Pennsylvania. Beaumont,
Royal Oak staff are providing
administrative support for the research
study, including Dr. Diokno; Ann
Robinson, Research Administration, and
Michael Maddens, M.D., Geriatric
Medicine. The Beaumont Research
Coordinating Center, under the direction
of David Felten, M.D., Ph.D., and Gloria
Kopper, will manage regulatory, site
monitoring and data management services.
GLADIOLUS will compare the clinical
and cost-effectiveness of a groupadministered behavioral treatment program
to no treatment in older women with
urinary incontinence.
“This study involves a novel intervention to
treat urinary incontinence that has the
potential for treating large groups of
incontinent older women throughout the
United States, including those with limited
access to health care resources,” says Dr.
Diokno. “Urinary incontinence is one of
the three chronic health conditions that
have the greatest effect on a woman’s
health-related quality of life. More than
one in three adult U.S. women suffers
from UI.”
Work on what was to become the
GLADIOLUS project began in June 2007
as a natural progression of Dr. Diokno’s
work with group behavioral modification
and urinary incontinence. The NIA
awarded Beaumont a 12-month planning
grant (April 2008 to March 2009) for the
development of a full project application.
The project team included clinicians from
Beaumont, Oakland University, University
of Alabama at Birmingham, University of
Michigan, University of Pennsylvania,
University of Arkansas at Little Rock,
University of California San Francisco and
University of Kansas Medical Center.
Based on the work of the project team,
Beaumont submitted an NIA project
application named Group and Individual
Treatment for Urinary Incontinence, or
GrAIT, in February 2009. NIA reviewer
comments prompted revisions to the
project. In November 2012, a new
application was submitted for
GLADIOLUS.
Although there are several therapeutic
options available for urinary incontinence,
behavioral treatments are recommended by
most evidence-based guidelines as an initial
approach to treatment. Behavioral
treatments are usually delivered in
individualized visits in medical offices, but
3
Offering the intervention
in community-based
settings may help
identify more cases of
urinary incontinence,
raise awareness in
the community of the
condition and treatment
options available and
improve adherence
to treatment.
a group session model of care delivery has
not been applied and tested in a large-scale
multicenter study.
“Group-administered behavioral treatment
programs have the potential to reach a
larger population of older women with
urinary incontinence,” says Dr. Diokno.
“Offering the intervention in communitybased settings may help identify more cases
of urinary incontinence, raise awareness in
the community of the condition and
treatment options available and improve
adherence to treatment. For health care
providers, treating urinary incontinence
with a group-administered behavioral
treatment program may increase office
productivity by releasing more time to
focus on patients who need other medical
treatments.”
News
BEAUMONT
New leaders, programs help advance Beaumont Children’s Hospital
Several new services and leaders are helping
Beaumont Children’s Hospital to continue its
development as a leader in pediatric care.
served in that role for 21 years. Dr. Gebara joined the Beaumont
Children’s Hospital faculty in 1995, after completing fellow
training at the Cleveland Clinic. He is recognized throughout the
region as a superb clinician and educator.
Earlier this year, Anne Fischer, M.D.,
Ph.D., was appointed chief of Pediatric
Surgery for Beaumont Health System
and surgeon in chief of Beaumont
Children’s Hospital. She came to
Beaumont after serving on the faculty
at the Children’s Medical Center Dallas
and UT Southwestern Department of Surgery since 2007. Her
clinical interests include pediatric oncology, complex congenital
anomalies, fetal intervention and minimally invasive surgery. She
served as the surgical director for ECMO (extracorporeal
membrane oxygenation) and the EXIT (Ex Utero Intrapartum
Treatment) Program at Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, and led
the multidisciplinary fetal anomalies program.
24/7 physician-to-physician access hotline
It’s now faster and easier than ever to connect with a Beaumont
Children’s Hospital colleague – anytime, day or night.
Beaumont Children’s Hospital is committed to providing
community physician colleagues with around-the-clock access to
our expertise and resources. To help you better serve your patients,
we have created a professionally staffed 24/7 hotline designed to
optimize physician-to-physician communication.
Physicians are encouraged to call 855-480-KIDS (5437) anytime
for any of the following:
• admit or transfer a patient to Beaumont Children’s Hospital
• speak with an attending physician in our Pediatric
Emergency Center
In addition, three medical leaders were appointed as section heads
in the Department of Pediatrics, Beaumont Health System and
Beaumont Children’s Hospital.
• consult with an on-call Beaumont Children’s Hospital specialist
L. Kate Gowans, M.D., was named section head, Pediatric
Hematology/Oncology. She succeeds Charles Main, M.D., who
retired after years of service to Beaumont and to pediatric cancer
patients. Dr. Gowans joined Beaumont from the Cleveland Clinic
Children’s Hospital Division of Pediatrics, Department of Hematology/Oncology, where she served as director of the Comprehensive
Sickle Cell Program and director of the Fellowship Training
Program. She also served on the faculty at the Cleveland Clinic
Lerner College of Medicine. Dr. Gowans has special interests in
cancer treatment trials, quality/safety and blood product utilization.
We are equally committed to providing unrestricted access to
families referred to our specialists. Referring patients to specialty
services for outpatient evaluations can be as simple as having
families call 855-480-KIDS (5437). Different, simple menu
options are available for physicians and families.
24/7 pediatric EC physician coverage at Beaumont,
Royal Oak
Board-certified/board-eligible pediatric
emergency medicine coverage is now
available 24/7 at the Beaumont,
Royal Oak Pediatric Emergency Center.
Wan Tsai, M.D., was appointed section head, Pediatric
Pulmonology. She joined Beaumont from the University of
Michigan Mott’s Children’s Hospital, where she had extensive
experience in clinical program development. She also earned a
master’s in clinical research design and statistical analysis from the
University of Michigan School of Public Health and Biostatistics.
She currently holds several executive administrative roles in the
Pediatric Assembly of the American Thoracic Society.
“Clearly, this raises the level of pediatric
emergency care to that which rivals or
Brian Berman, M.D.
exceeds what is available anywhere,” says
Brian Berman, M.D., health system chair,
Department of Pediatrics, Beaumont Health System, and
pediatrician in chief, Beaumont Children’s Hospital. “The pediatric
EC group is committed to excellence in patience care, family
service and optimal physician-to-physician communication.”
Souheil Gebara, M.D., was named section head, Pediatric
Gastroenterology. He succeeds Robert Truding, M.D., who has
4
Chief of Epidemiology named Crain’s Health Care Hero
This summer, Jeffrey
Band, M.D., was
named a Health Care
Hero by Crain’s
Detroit Business.
He led a team of
epidemiologists at
Jeffrey Band, M.D.
Beaumont that found
the source of an infection that affected up
to 16 patients at the Royal Oak hospital
and promptly alerted the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and the
Food and Drug Administration. Their
investigation led to a nationwide health
alert and recall of one of the most
commonly used items in a hospital:
ultrasound gel.
Near the end of December 2011, a clinical
infection preventionist at Beaumont,
Royal Oak, noticed an uptick in patients
testing positive for Pseudomonas
aeruginosa.
“Because the infections were all in the
respiratory tract, we focused our
investigation on medications such as
inhalers, as well as the differences in the
ventilators the patients might have used,
respiratory care techniques and nursing
care,” says Paul Chittick, M.D.,
Epidemiology. “But we didn’t find
anything that pointed to why these 16
patients tested positive for Pseudomonas.”
Finding nothing on the unit that pointed
to the source of the infection, the
epidemiology team talked to the
anesthesiology team and observed in the
operating room. They found that the 16
patients had a transesophageal echocardiogram, a type of imaging performed
during surgery. The team did additional
research and found several reports of
pneumonia outbreaks linked to contaminated probes. So, they tested the probes.
Negative. But they were on the right track.
The team then focused on the gel that
helps insert the ultrasound probe down
the throat during the exam. The gel being
used was in multi-dose bottles and was not
labeled whether it was sterile or not.
“Once we discovered this, we had the gel
immediately replaced with single-dose
sterile gel while cultures of the gel were in
process,” says Dr. Chittick. “We tested the
gel and found Pseudomonas. Immediately
we pulled the remaining gel from the
entire Beaumont system.”
With additional fingerprint molecular
typing, the team was able to demonstrate
that the bacteria in the bottles had the
same DNA as the bacteria from the
patients. They now had proof that the gel
was the source of the outbreak.
“We initially thought that we received the
bottles uninfected and during the course
of use, they became infected,” says
Dr. Chittick. “But that wasn’t the case.”
Additional testing on sealed bottles from
the manufacturer also tested positive for
the same strain of Pseudomonas. Now the
situation called for involvement with local
health departments, the CDC and the
FDA. With involvement from the FDA,
the investigation moved forward with
additional testing confirming the
Beaumont team’s findings: bottles of
ultrasound gel were tainted during the
manufacturing process. This led to a
nation-wide health alert and recall to stop
using the gel. The gel had been used in
many other hospitals but no other
institution noticed a connection between
gel use and infection.
The investigation that led to the recall was
so involved, Dr. Chittick, Victoria Russo,
Dr. Band and several other members of
the divisions of Infectious Disease and
Epidemiology, wrote an article on it in the
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,
which is published by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
Two other Beaumont physicians received Honorable Mentions:
Edward Walton, M.D., director of pediatric emergency medicine at Beaumont,
Royal Oak, was honored for his efforts in support of the North Star Reach camp in
Ann Arbor. Dr. Walton is on the board of the North Star camp, which is dedicated
to providing life-changing experiences for children and families with serious health
problems. He also is a U.S. Navy reservist who has deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Michael Lutz, M.D., Urology, was recognized for cofounding the Michigan
Institute of Urology Men’s Health Foundation, which funds prostate cancer research
and work involving men’s health issues. Dr. Lutz also helps stage the institute’s Men’s
Health Event at Ford Field, where hundreds of men get an opportunity to evaluate
their health with free screenings, as well as education and treatment.
5
News
BEAUMONT
Health, education, legal and religious groups collaborate in support of Detroit
Project offers free medical, dental, legal services to Brightmoor residents
In a show of regional cooperation,
Beaumont Health System, two legal services
agencies, a federally qualified health
provider, a medical school and a law school
are joining together to help residents of one
of Detroit’s poorest and most medically
underserved neighborhoods.
The Brightmoor Health Outreach
Collaborative launched in early September
with a four-day health fair held at the City
Covenant Church and Mission, in
cooperation with the Brightmoor Alliance.
Project partners will hold quarterly, fourday health fairs where free medical, dental
and legal services will be offered to
Brightmoor residents.
The $268,000 project is supported by a
three-year grant from the Jewish Fund and
corporate donations from Comerica
Charitable Foundation.
The only collaboration of its kind in
Michigan, partners in the project include:
• Beaumont Health System, providing
adult and pediatric medical care
and screenings by Beaumont doctors
and nurses
• Covenant Community Care, a Detroitbased federally qualified health provider,
offering dental services, including exams,
fillings, cleanings and basic restorative
work, as well as assistance with insurance
enrollment
• Legal Aid for Children and Families and
the Legal Aid and Defender Association,
offering assistance with legal issues related
to housing, disability, insurance, personal
protection and guardianship
Beaumont nurse
Heather Gutpell,
administrative nurse
manager, 9 Center,
takes the blood pressure
of Jacqulinn Langley
from the Brightmoor
neighborhood. Heather
volunteers her time at
the clinic established
by Beaumont and
Covenant.
• Student volunteers from the Oakland
University William Beaumont School
of Medicine
• Student volunteers from Cooley
Law School.
“Beaumont’s mission as a not-for-profit
organization includes providing health care
for people regardless of where they live or
their financial circumstances,” says David
Wood, M.D., executive vice president and
chief medical officer, Beaumont Health
System. “This project fits with our mission
and also with our commitment to support
revitalization of the city of Detroit.”
Brightmoor is a four-square mile area in
northwest Detroit that was created as a
planned community of inexpensive housing
for migrants in the early 1920s. Most of the
residents worked in the automobile
industry. Over decades, it has been
transformed from a thriving working-class
neighborhood to one of abandoned homes
and businesses.
According to the 2010 U.S. Census,
50 percent of its 12,836 residents have
incomes below $25,000 annually and
one-third live below $15,000.
Participants screened at the events will be
referred to local clinics for follow-up care,
including the Covenant Community Care
Clinics in Detroit and Royal Oak, the
Newton Healthcare Clinic in Detroit and
the Outpatient Clinic at Beaumont
Hospital, Royal Oak.
For more information or to volunteer to
help with the Brightmoor Health Outreach
Collaborative, call Elizabeth Schnadt at
248-898-7004.
6
Survey highlights physician engagement progress, needs
Beaumont conducted its first annual Physician Engagement
Survey in 2012. The responses sent a clear message: Physicians
want be better informed of the decisions, opportunities and
challenges facing the health system. In response, Beaumont
leadership rolled out a plan to improve communication
between administration and the medical staff.
previous survey. More than 73 percent of independent
physicians identified as being “aligned” or “loyal,” compared to
71 percent in the previous survey. With these improvements,
Beaumont employed physicians are now in the 69th percentile
in the national survey population, while independent
physicians climbed into the 80th percentile.
The 12 months since the survey was conducted have been a
period of rapid change, punctuated by a potential merger,
which underscored the importance of effective communication
with our medical staff. In this climate, Beaumont built on a
culture of transparency to share information and solicit
feedback. From partnering with physicians in the due diligence
process to providing updates at department meetings and town
halls, meaningful two-way communication remained the focus.
A closer look at survey responses reveals the impact of
improved communication efforts. In a question targeting the
effectiveness of clinical leaders communicating difficult
messages, survey responses indicated a 12 percent year-overyear improvement. Similarly, there was a 12 percent increase in
physicians who felt they were kept informed of Beaumont’s
strategic plan and direction.
While the survey results showed significant improvement,
Beaumont is still focused on ways to continue to strengthen
communication efforts while addressing other opportunities
identified by the survey, such as creating more leadership
development opportunities and improving IT support. These
efforts are both a response to the valuable feedback but also
essential steps to position Beaumont for future success.
The Physician Engagement Survey was repeated this past
spring, and the 2012-2013 survey results are now available.
The results indicate that the level of physician engagement has
seen marked improvement in nearly all areas. Nearly 83
percent of employed physicians identified themselves as being
“engaged” or “content,” compared to about 78 percent in the
What is Beaumont doing to support employee health & wellness?
Lucy Sternburgh, M.S., RCEP, manager, Employee Wellness, provides an overview of Beaumont’s employee health & wellness initiatives.
Creating a fit-friendly workplace
Beaumont has focused on making it easier
and more convenient to move more and sit
less at work – from marked walking routes
on campus, to promoting the use of stairs
instead of elevators, to discounted access to
Fitbit activity monitors and onsite fitness
centers. Beaumont is also providing sit-stand
workstations to certain employees with
highly sedentary jobs.
Healthier nutrition options
Each day, thousands of Beaumont
employees, patients and visitors eat a meal
or grab a snack at Beaumont. That’s why
Beaumont cafeterias and vending machines
have substantially expanded their healthy
options through an initiative called
myHealthier Choice. By increasing the
number of healthy food options, making
them more visibly recognizable, we aim to
make the healthier choice, the easier choice.
Work/life balance
Managing emotional health can be a
contributing factor to improving one’s
physical health. One of the key resources
Beaumont offers to support emotional
wellness is a free and confidential Employee
Assistance Program, available to all employees
7
and household members. The EAP helps
resolve personal problems before they negatively affect health, relationships and work.
A breath of fresh air
A few years ago, Beaumont joined other
leading companies by offering a smoke-free
environment. In addition, the dress code
was expanded to require that employees not
smell of smoke while at work. Most
recently, as of Jan. 1, 2013, Beaumont
launched a nicotine-free hiring policy,
which specifies that any new applicants will
be screened for nicotine use as part of the
hiring process.
continued on page 8
News
BEAUMONT
Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak
3601 West 13 Mile Road
Royal Oak, Michigan 48073-6769
Employed physicians must complete
mandatory education
All physicians who have an employment relationship with Beaumont,
including residents and fellows, must complete Beaumont’s mandatory education by
year-end. Beaumont’s board expects 100 percent compliance with mandatory education.
2013 mandatory education requirements
One-time Modules (upon hire):
OUWBSOM Faculty:
• Emergency Operations Plan: Physicians
• Hazard Communication: Physicians
FERPA for Faculty and Staff
• Standards of Conduct:
Teacher Learner Relationship
• Clinical Clerkships
Annual Modules:
• Patient Confidentiality: Physicians
• Fire & Life Safety: Physicians
• Corporate Compliance: Physicians
• Infection Control for Physicians
To access mandatory education from a Beaumont computer:
Inside Beaumont online > Education > Mandatories/Student Center
From a non-Beaumont computer: employee.beaumont.edu
Please call Beaumont University, 248-27-36300, with any questions or concerns.
Health & wellness
continued from page 7
Rewarding action!
Because wellness is a key value of our
organization, healthy behaviors are
rewarded. In the past, myOptimal Health
participants received financial incentives
for participating in certain programs.
More recently, however, the goal of the
myOptimal Health Rewards Program has
expanded to reward participants for taking
action and achieving measurable results,
as opposed to simply participating. The
most notable example is the Premium
Credit program in which employees can
earn a health plan premium credit of $480
each year.
Our efforts recognized
In October, Beaumont was named Metro
Detroit’s Healthiest Employer by Crain’s
Detroit Business.