Please join the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute’s Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Health and the Health Learning Centers on Feb. 24, 2010, at the Third Annual Heart Symposium: Heart Health—What Smart Women Need to Know.

This unique symposium will provide the latest information on cardiovascular health for women, including a debate on hormone replacement therapy.

Be there as we explore heart disease risk factors, and learn how you can fit a heart-healthy lifestyle into your busy schedule.

Heart Health: What Smart Women Need to Know

Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010
8am – 11:30am
Prentice Women’s Hospital
250 E. Superior Street, Chicago, Ill.
Third Floor, Conference Center

Registration fee of $25, per person, includes lectures, materials, refreshments and discounted parking.

To register or for more information, call Health Resources at 312-926-8400. Space is limited.

A portion of this program was funded by the Nancy and James Farley Women’s Heart Health Lecture Series.

Symposium Programs:

Debate on Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is used to relieve menopausal symptoms but has been linked as a risk factor for cardiovascular health. During the symposium a gynecologist and cardiologist discuss the pros and cons of this treatment.

The presenting gynecologist is Lauren F. Streicher, MD, obstetrician and gynecologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and assistant professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

The presenting cardiologist is Nanette K. Wenger, MD, chief of Cardiology, Grady Memorial Hospital and professor at Emory University School of Medicine. Marla A. Mendelson, MD, cardiologist and medical director of the Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Health, will moderate the debate.

Heart at Work: Keeping on Target with Heart Disease Risk Reduction

A general overview of cardiovascular risks for women and prevention will be presented by Vera H. Rigolin, MD. Dr. Rigolin is a cardiologist and associate medical director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute’s Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Health.

Groove is in the Heart: Moving Your Way to a Healthy Heart

Martha Gulati, MD, lectures on fitting heart health and physical activity into your daily schedule. Dr. Gulati is a cardiologist and associate medical director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute’s Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Health.

Recipe for Life: Eating Well for Heart Health

Learn to improve your nutrition and maintain a heart healthy weight with this program presented by Robert F. Kushner, MD. Dr. Kushner is the clinical director for the Northwestern Comprehensive Center on Obesity.

Heart Healthy Cooking Demonstration

Watch and learn from experts how you can improve your diet and cooking techniques.

This demonstration is presented by registered dieticians from the Center for Lifestyle Medicine, Holly Herrington, MS, RD, LDN and Erin McCarthy, MS, RD, LDN.

Third Annual Women’s Cardiovascular Symposium Open to the Public Feb. 24 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital received a commitment of almost $5 million from the F.H. Prince 1932 Trust that was established by colorful Boston Capitalist, Fredrick Henry Prince (1859-1953), as directed by descendants of his well-known and personally selected successor, the late Mr. William Wood Prince.

Mr. Wood Prince is the former chairman and chief executive of Chicago meatpacking giant, Armour & Co and former Chairman of F. H. Prince & Co., a private investment company.

The generous gift was earmarked by the Wood-Prince family supports three specific program areas including nursing leadership, cardiovascular outcomes and leading-edge research studies and novel patient care projects being conducted at Northwestern.

“We are grateful for the longstanding commitment to Northwestern Memorial by one of Chicago’s most charitable families,” said Dean M. Harrison, President and CEO of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare.

For more than 25 years, the late Mr. Wood Prince was a trustee of Passavant Memorial Hospital, one of Northwestern Memorial’s founding institutions.

“It’s been among our greatest honors to have his support continue through his sons and their wives and children, several of whom sit on The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial today.”

“As the children and grandchildren of William Wood Prince, we consider it an honor and a privilege to be able to support Northwestern Memorial Hospital in this way. On behalf of the Wood-Prince family, we are pleased to direct this donation from The Frederick Henry Prince Memorial Fund” said Wendy Wood-Prince Sherman.

The gift will endow the existing Eleanor Wood Prince Grants Initiative; a Project of The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital which was named in honor of Mr. Wood Prince’s late wife Eleanor, the beloved matriarch of the Wood-Prince family and a dedicated member of The Woman’s Board for more than 60 years.

Established in 2001, the Eleanor Wood Prince Grants Initiative is a unique, competitive grants process that helps fund vital medical, nursing and management projects at Northwestern Memorial.

To date, nearly $900,000 has been awarded to more than 35 grant recipients, all of whom are united in their quest to improve patient care. With this gift the Eleanor Wood Prince Grants initiative will now last in perpetuity.

The gift also establishes the Outcomes Management Program within Northwestern Memorial’s Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute and names the Wood-Prince Family Chief Nurse Executive position in recognition of a new nursing endowment which will support nursing initiatives for patient care leadership training and education.

The Wood-Prince Family Chief Nurse Executive position is the hospital’s first and only endowed executive seat, which joins the ranks of a limited few of its kind nationally.

Northwestern Memorial Senior Vice President Michelle Janney, RN, PhD, NEA-BC will be Northwestern Memorial’s first chief nursing executive to hold the endowed seat.

“A gift of this stature lends additional honor and prestige to our nursing program,” says Janney.

“The Wood-Prince family’s generosity will go a long way in enabling Northwestern Memorial to continue to innovate, advance patient care, patient safety and outstanding quality outcomes for patients.”

Northwestern Memorial’s nursing program is a leader in nurse training and education and has achieved Magnet Status, the gold standard for nursing excellence.

“Our nurses appreciate being recognized in this way.”

Wood-Prince Family Gives Northwestern Memorial $5 Million Endowment Gift | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, parent company to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, has been named one of America’s 100 Best Companies by Working Mother magazine for the 10th consecutive year.

The hospital was one of eight Illinois companies recognized for dedication to providing family-friendly benefits and pioneering programs that support working moms, such as on-site child care, advancement opportunities, private lactation rooms, flextime and more.

The magazine praised its 2009 award recipients for creating cultures of work-life balance and for upholding the commitment especially during the present lean times when so many businesses are cutting back.

“As our organization continues to grow, we are committed to supporting our working parents by offering meaningful benefits that assist employees with career growth and family priorities. We take great pride in providing high quality care for our patients, as well as creating a supportive environment for our working mothers and fathers,” said Dean L. Manheimer, senior vice president, human resources, Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “It is an honor to be recognized for our efforts.”

Northwestern Memorial offers an adoption assistance program that has assisted seven families adopt a child to date.

Based on growing demand, there are also plans to expand its on-site employee children’s care center, which will accommodate at least 100 additional children by 2012.

The hospital received honors for the prevalence of women among its workforce (77 percent) and for training and development as well as continuing education opportunities, which earned the hospital a “Best in Class” honor.

Companies were selected for the 2009 Working Mother 100 Best Companies based on an extensive application with more than 500 questions.

Seven areas were measured and scored: workforce profile, benefits, women’s issues and advancement, child care, flexible work, parental leave and company culture, with particular weight given to benefits, flexibility and parental leave.

The 2009 Working Mother 100 Best Companies are featured in the October issue of Working Mother magazine and online at workingmother.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jennifer Monasteri, 312-926-2955
Manager
jmonaste@nmh.org

Northwestern Memorial HealthCare Ranks Among the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers for the 10th Consecutive Year | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Lake Forest Hospital and Northwestern Memorial HealthCare announced today that they have signed an affiliation agreement to form an integrated healthcare system.

Lake Forest Hospital will become a subsidiary of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, the corporate parent of Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

“The pairing of our academic medical center with such a respected community hospital will greatly benefit our patients at both campuses.” said Dean M. Harrison, president and chief executive officer, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare.  “The affiliation between Northwestern Memorial and Lake Forest Hospital will enable better access to care, clinical trials, new and expanded services and the latest technologies for patients in Lake and Cook Counties and the surrounding regions.”

Northwestern Memorial, along with the Feinberg School of Medicine, also looks forward to the participation and engagement of the medical staff at Lake Forest Hospital as we create this new health system. “We value the community physicians at Lake Forest and recognize the important role they play in their respective communities,” added Harrison.

“Once affiliated, Northwestern Memorial and Lake Forest Hospital will offer patients integrated primary, secondary and advanced tertiary services that are currently not broadly available,” said Thomas J. McAfee, Lake Forest Hospital’s president and chief executive officer. “We are excited about the possibilities this affiliation will provide our area residents, employees and physicians.

Northwestern Memorial and Lake Forest Hospital expect to close the affiliation following receipt of the necessary federal and state approvals. This process could take several months.

Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and Lake Forest Hospital Sign Affiliation Agreement to Form Integrated System | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

More than 40,000 women are diagnosed with endometrial cancer every year in the United States, and most of those women will undergo some form of surgical treatment of the disease. It is estimated that 80 percent of those surgeries are performed the traditional open method, and less than 10 percent are performed by laparoscopic surgery in the state of Illinois, but results of a new study evaluating the outcomes of robotic surgery for endometrial cancer may change these statistics and encourage more women to seek less invasive options.

The study, appearing in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, evaluated a multiinstitutional database of 405 patients who underwent robotic surgery for endometrial cancer between April 2003 and January 2009. Results of the study were conclusive with previous smaller studies and found short operative times, minimal blood loss, decreased length of hospital stays, a dramatic reduction in surgical complications, and reduced recovery times for those women with endometrial cancer who underwent robotic surgery.

“This is the largest study to date and the first multiinstitutional study to look at the effectiveness of robotic surgery for endometrial cancer, which has the potential to greatly influence surgical treatment of the disease,” says M. Patrick Lowe, MD, lead author of the study and a gynecologic oncologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “Many women are unaware that a robotic alternative to treat endometrial cancer exists, and the advantages of this minimally invasive approach may provide them with their best surgical option.”

The study also evaluated the individual surgical outcomes and learning curve for the five participating surgeons who incorporated robotic technology. The number of robotic surgeries performed by each surgeon in the study ranged from 41 to 119, and results found that patient outcomes for intraoperative complications, length of hospital stay, lymph node yield, and blood loss were similar among the group of surgeons, regardless of experience. Surgeons with extensive laparoscopic experience and those without any laparoscopic experience also had similar outcomes, resulting in a more level playing field among surgeons when performing robotic surgery.

“When compared to published literature on the surgical outcomes of the traditional open or laparoscopic technique to treat endometrial cancer, robotics is at least equivalent if not superior to both modalities in several areas.” adds Dr. Lowe, who is also the director of the robotics and minimally invasive surgical program for the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “Based on the promising results of this study, the era of traditional open surgery to primarily treat women with endometrial cancer has come to a close.”

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kimberly Arndt, 312-926-6503
karndt@nmh.org

Study Finds Robotic Surgery to Treat Endometrial Cancer Associated with Improved Surgical Outcomes and a Shortened Learning Curve | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital is rated in 11 clinical specialties—six of which make it the highest ranked in Illinois—as part of U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 America’s Best Hospitals issue. This year, editorial staff for the authoritative and influential guide evaluated 4,861 medical centers nationwide and 174 were chosen and ranked according to the Top 50 programs in 16 clinical areas.

The 16 specialties include cancer; diabetes and endocrine disorders; digestive disorders; ear, nose, and throat; geriatric care; gynecology; heart and heart surgery; kidney disorders; neurology and neurosurgery; ophthalmology; orthopaedics; psychiatry; rehabilitation; respiratory disorders; rheumatology; and urology. Northwestern Memorial is rated in the following 11 specialties: cancer (31), diabetes and endocrine disorders (28), geriatric care (19), gynecology (18), heart and heart surgery (22), kidney disorders (39), neurology and neurosurgery (11), orthopaedics (22), respiratory disorders (32), rheumatology (12) and urology (22). Rankings in the areas of geriatrics, gynecology, heart, neurosciences, rheumatology, and urology are the highest achieved by an Illinois hospital as rated by the U.S. News guide.

In 12 of the 16 specialties, the rankings weigh three elements equally: reputation, death rate, and a set of care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. In these 12 specialties, hospitals have to pass through several gates to be ranked and considered a “Best Hospital”:

1. The first gate determines whether a hospital is eligible to be ranked at all by requiring that any of three conditions be met–to be a teaching hospital, to be affiliated with a teaching hospital, or to have at least six important medical technologies from a defined list of 13.

2. The second gate determines whether a hospital is eligible to be ranked in a particular specialty. To be eligible, the hospital had to either have at least a specified volume in certain procedures and conditions over three years, or had to have been nominated in our yearly specialist survey.

3. The third gate is whether a hospital does well enough to be ranked, based on its reputation, death rate, and factors like nurse staffing and technology.

In the four other specialties–ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and rheumatology–ranking is based solely on reputation, derived from the three most recent physician surveys.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kris Lathan, 312-926-2963
klathan@nmh.org

Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Among America’s Best Hospitals in 11 Clinical Specialties According to U.S. News’ 2009 Rankings | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.