Message from the CEO
Momentum Through People, Technology and Teamwork

This edition of Connections highlights the efforts of our Medical Center staff to maximize every asset and resource for one purpose—to elevate our mission of excellent, discovery-driven patient care. Our investments in technology, people, quality and safety are producing tangible and visible results. As we approach the final months of 2006, you will see momentum throughout the Medical Center.

You will read in this edition about progress in robot-assisted surgery, electronic medication orders, and the expansion of the Shock Trauma Center. Let me also share a large dose of organizational pride by congratulating each of you on our recognition as one of the top hospitals in the country, according to the Leapfrog Group. We are working hard to create a culture of quality, safety and communication. The Leapfrog recognition tells us we are truly making progress. Thanks to each of you for your teamwork and contributions to our success.

I am also pleased to welcome E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, the new dean of the School of Medicine. We share many aspirations for the greater success of both the Medical Center and the School of Medicine. Dr. Reece’s vision for the School of Medicine will be especially valuable to all of the clinical programs in the Medical Center.

Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Jeffrey A. Rivest
President & CEO

October Department/Employee of the Month

Katherine High, LCSW-C
Division of Community Psychiatry
Dual Diagnosis Program Coordinator

The clients that Katherine High, LCSW-C, works with each day are struggling with two types of mental illness: an addiction to drugs or alcohol and a disease such as bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia. This dual-diagnosis requires an approach that treats both illnesses.

“Many people think that drug addiction is a moral problem and not an illness,” says High, who goes by Kathy and is the Medical Center Employee of the Month for October. “But in my career, I’ve seen that if you treat addiction in an integrated fashion as a primary illness, people can get better. I’ve seen these treatment models work.”

High runs and promotes the Division of Community Psychiatry Dual Diagnosis program. The division has one of the few mental health clinics in the city that treat what are called “co-occurring disorders” in an integrated treatment program, she says.

She began her career at Sheppard Pratt Hospital, where she worked first as an addictions counselor and then as a licensed clinical social worker. She helped start the dual diagnosis inpatient program at Sheppard Pratt before coming to the Medical Center six years ago. She is responsible for carrying on the dual diagnosis therapy model that had been designed by a physician in the department.

“This is now seen around the state as a model treatment program,” says Eileen Hastings, LCSW, High’s supervisor and deputy director of the Division of Community Psychiatry. “Much of that success is really Kathy’s doing. She has really been the creativity and the energy behind it.

“Kathy is always doing more than her job calls for,” Hastings says. “She’s an excellent therapist and works well with some of our sickest patients.”

High conducts both individual therapy and seven hours of group therapy each week for the 20 to 30 patients on her caseload. She also oversees and trains the therapists who run other group sessions. There are 19 dual diagnosis groups in all.

High travels throughout the state with Suzanne Cox, LCSW-C, a colleague from the Division of Community Psychiatry, to educate providers about the dual diagnosis program.

“We teach other therapists about our program and about how to do this work,” High explains. The two have also presented at statewide conferences of the National Association of Social Workers and at the national Tuerk Conference on addiction.

High says she is glad to help this neglected population, work that many others might find very difficult. “I feel like I’ve found my niche,” High says. Her co-workers, she says, are the best group she’s ever worked with.

“They are so experienced, so professional. They have a commitment to working with people who don’t have any other resources, and I feel blessed to be here and be part of that.”

High lives in the Lutherville area with her extended family—sister, niece, nephew-in-law and 11-yearold great niece—and her shepherd-mix dog, Jessica. She loves to garden and is a Ravens football fan and season ticket holder. On game days, she is usually wearing purple.

In recognition of her contributions, High received a $100 check and a certificate of appreciation from Jeffrey A. Rivest, Medical Center president and chief executive officer.

November Department/Employee of the Month

Susan Morris, LCSW-C
Department of Social Work

A social worker for a large medical center deals with any number of obstacles that patients face, and copes with all the inherent pressure that involves. Susan Morris, LCSW-C, the November Employee of the Month, wouldn't have it any other way. Where others might see obstacles, she sees opportunity to solve problems and make a difference for each patient and family.

“I wouldn’t trade my job for anyone’s!” says Morris, who works in the Department of Social Work as a clinical social worker. “The daily gratification, the teamwork, the challenges and the immediate bond with patients and families are all important to me. I love the fast pace as well.”

Morris, one of 35 social workers in the department, works in the cardiology and cardiac surgery units with a caseload of 25 to 30 clients a week. She helps patients and their families understand and cope with circumstances around illness and hospitalization. That could involve assisting a homeless patient to plan for discharge, finding resources for patients who can’t afford their medicines, calling the utility company to make sure that a patient will have electrical service when he or she returns home, or dealing with any other obstacles patients might encounter.

One of the most important aspects of her job is to simply be there for patients and families who are overwhelmed by the enormity of a medical crisis.

“They need to trust someone with their fears, frailties, and concerns,” Morris continues. “They need someone to genuinely listen and help.”

Morris is wonderful at doing just that, says Diane Gregg, LCSW-C, director of social work and human services. “Susan is very poised and always practices at the highest clinical standards, regardless of the situation she’s faced with and the pressures that are on her. She exemplifies the ‘We Care’ standards. We see many different patients from all ages and socioeconomic groups, and she treats all of them with respect and tailors her interventions based on their individual needs.”

“Susan is passionate about her work,” adds Becky Latham, LCSW-C, associate director. “Her level of commitment is very high. The work can be daunting, but Susan keeps her optimism and enthusiasm. She’s a wonderful role model for the newer social workers coming into the hospital.”

Morris has, in fact, served as a field instructor supervising master’s-level students from the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She also chairs a policy committee for her department.

A graduate of Penn State University, Morris received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh. She remained in Pennsylvania for several years, working in hospice care, case management, skilled nursing facilities and acute care. She came to the Medical Center five years ago and says she is glad to be working in a city hospital.

“I love the energy and diversity here,” she explains. “It has made my life more interesting. It’s so nice to be part of a large department where we help and support one another. I value the friendships I have made here.”

Morris carries her enthusiasm into her afterhours activities as well.

“I really like being busy,” she says. “I’m active in my church. Indoors, I love reading, cooking, decorating and theater. Outdoors, I enjoy gardening, bicycling, golf, tennis and travel.

“And I cherish time with my three daughters, Megan, Abigail and Lindsay.”

Morris will receive a $100 check and a certificate of appreciation from Jeffrey A. Rivest, Medical Center president and chief executive officer, in recognition of her contributions.

A Patient's Story

Groundbreaking Bilateral Nephrectomy and Transplant

Jamie Cadiz and family

When she thought she had nowhere left to turn, Jamie Cadiz found help at the Medical Center.

After struggling with the effects of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) for more than 10 years, Jamie Cadiz faced a difficult choice—dialysis or transplanta- tion. She was in end-stage renal failure and needed a kidney transplant. She also faced an additional challenge—finding a transplant center that would take her case, and also be willing to remove her enlarged, diseased kidneys and transplant a new one during the same operation.

She already had a volunteer willing to donate a kidney.

From her home near Dallas, Texas, she finally found the one place that had the kind of staff coordination and expertise that could perform these operations at the same time: the University of Maryland Medical Center.

“Jamie and her family shopped around for a long time to find a place to accept her case—some refused transplant at all, and everyone else refused to do the combined nephrectomy/transplant based on risk,” said Andrew Kramer, MD, a urologist at the Medical Center and an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Cadiz, 47, is now recovering well after surgeons here removed her two cyst- filled kidneys, each weighing 9.5 pounds, and immediately transplanted a kid- ney from the living donor. Her diseased kidneys were 10 times the normal weight and twice the normal length.

Cadiz’s surgery, on July 20, 2006, was performed by a multidisciplinary surgical team with clearly defined roles and expertise: Kramer performed the

bilateral nephrectomy (removal of the two diseased kidneys), Eugene J. Schweitzer, MD, director of kidney transplantation at the Medical Center and a professor of surgery at the School of Medicine, transplanted the donor kidney, which was removed from the donor through a laparoscope by Adrian Park, MD, head of general surgery at the Medical Center and professor of surgery at the School of Medicine.

Kramer says that team approach was important to the success of the surgery. “The surgery showcases the services offered at the University of Maryland—an experienced team of surgeons working together, starting from the donor surgery team, the urology team and the transplant team to the plastic surgery team,” Kramer says. “That team approach is what makes us unique.”

Both Cadiz and her husband were impressed with the experience of the doctors and the care they received at the Medical Center.

“I think it’s very top-notch, first class,” says Jess Cadiz, Jamie Cadiz’s husband. “They are very knowledgeable because they took a high-risk patient like Jamie with a high PRA [panel reactive antibody] and they were willing to do a transplant at the same time as the nephrectomy. Most kidney transplant centers will not do that. But they did it at University of Maryland.”

As far as Jamie Cadiz is concerned, “It’s been terrific care. The doctors and the nurses have been absolutely fabulous.”

People Spotlights

Honored
Gopal Gupta, MD, a fifth-year resident in urologic surgery, has won first prize in the basic science essay competition at the 64th annual meeting of the Mid-Atlantic section of the American Urologic Association, held in Washington, DC, Oct. 13. Gupta has been studying bladder urothelial dysfunction, using intracellular calcium imaging and electrophysiological techniques in patients suffering from overactive bladder syndrome and interstitial cystitis. He plans to present his work at the National Meeting of the American Urologic Association May 7 in Anaheim, Calif.

Constance Husman, CRNP, MSH, MN, research coordinator and nurse practitioner in the Adolescent and Young Adult Center, and an instructor in the Department of Pediatrics, received the 2006 National Nurse Practitioner in Women's Health Inspirational Award for outstanding clinical practice and promotion of women’s health. The award ceremony was part of the Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health annual conference in Las Vegas. Husman just finished a longitudinal study of 350 adolescent females, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. She is currently developing the Young Women’s Health Service, which will include HPV vaccination for the prevention of cervical cancer in women.

Stephen Reich, MD, co-director of the University of Maryland Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, received the Buddy Award for Enduring Spirit from the Parkinson's Action Network in September. The award honors an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the betterment of humankind through his or her work, family life or charitable endeavors. Reich was honored at an awards dinner that included actor and advocate Michael J. Fox and former US Attorney General Janet Reno, both of whom have Parkinson’s Disease.

Welcome
Stephen W. Long has been named associate director for administration at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center. In this newly created position, he will oversee the cancer center’s research activities. Since 1999, Long had been the associate director for administration for the National Institutes of Health and executive officer of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). He oversaw facilities, administration, ethics, contracts, human resources and financial management for research programs. Previously, he served in other administrative positions for the NIAAA. He also was director of financial management for the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration and a budget analyst in the Department of Health and Human Services. During his tenure in these federal government positions, he received more than a dozen service and achievement awards. He is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, and lives with his family in Bethesda.

Kimberleigh Nash is the new director of diversity for the Medical Center. She is responsible for coordinating and expanding the diversity efforts, including the work of the Diversity Council and of the Respect Conversation facilitators. She previously worked for the Child Welfare League of America as director of cultural competence. Nash has an undergraduate degree in business administration from Temple University and a master’s degree in organization management from University of Phoenix.

Austin J. Yang, PhD, is the new director of the Proteomics Research service in the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center. He is an associate professor in the University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology. Yang previously worked at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Pharmacy. He completed his undergraduate work at the National Taiwan University, and received his doctorate and post-doctorate degrees in cell biology from the University of California, Irvine. His research focuses on neurodegenerative diseases, with particular emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease, and using proteomics to study the effects of synaptic protein oxidation on cellular dysfunction and cell death. He is a member of several scientific societies and is an associate editor for the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Promoted
Susan Ostovitz, RN, BSN, has been promoted to the position of senior contract manager in the Department of Managed Care. She has worked at the Medical Center since 1999, and in a managed care environment since 1990. In her new position, she manages and negotiates global contracts, leading the effort for the solid organ transplant, orthopaedic and cardiac programs. Her work has also led to recognition of the cardiac program as a Center of Excellence by the two largest managed care payors in the area. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Nursing

Peggy Pardoe, RN, BSN, CCM, has been promoted to the position of senior contract manager in the Department of Managed Care. She has worked in the managed care field since 1991 and at the Medical Center since 1997. In her new position, she manages and negotiates global contracts. Her previous accomplishments include leading the contracting efforts for the Cancer Center, gamma knife, and self-pay programs. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Nursing

After an extensive national search, Andrew N. Pollak, MD, has been appointed chief of the Division of Orthopaedic Traumatology within the Department of Orthopaedics, and associate director of trauma at the Shock Trauma Center. Pollak is also an associate professor of orthopaedics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He came to UMMC after completing a fellowship in orthopaedic traumatology at the University of California, Davis. He is director of the Shock Trauma GoTeam, medical director for the Baltimore County Fire Department, current chairman of the Board of Specialty Societies of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, immediate past president of the Maryland Orthopaedic Association, and a member of the Maryland Health Care Commission.

Calendar/Events