UVA Health launching comprehensive, national program for connective tissue disorders
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Sentara RMH plans to close inpatient pediatric unit
Sentara RMH plans to close its pediatric care unit. An employee at the hospital said children will have to go to University of Virginia. Chief Nursing Officer Gina Yost said families should not be concerned about where their child will be transferred. Patients will still receive care within the emergency department, Yost says. The 17 nurses in the care unit will be moved to other locations within the hospital, she says.. The hospital is developing a plan for observation for pediatric patients. It is also looking to evolve that to our emergency department. The decision was made due to a lack of general pediatric physicians as well as a national shortage of pediatricians, Ysto said. It will continue to provide pediatric care until Sept. 30, she said. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details.
“These kids will have to go to University of Virginia,” an anonymous employee at the hospital said. “UVA is challenging to transfer to, because they’re frequently full and we can only transfer if a hospital accepts them, and a hospital is only obligated to accept them if they have available beds.”
In response to the the concerns made by the employee, Sentara RMH Chief Nursing Officer Gina Yost said families should not be concerned about where their child will be transferred as they will work with families on finding alternatives.
“We actually have an easier time finding placement for pediatric patients in high census times than we do our adults, so we are not worried about that,” Yost said. “We will be able to find a comprehensive children’s care center for pediatric patients.”
Yost said thanks to new vaccines, better outpatient treatments and more services within communities, RMH has only had 70 overnight patients in the pediatric care unit between January and August.
“We’re seeing trends with lower admissions for pediatric patients from the emergency department, and we’re seeing this because healthcare for pediatric patients has really improved significantly,” Yost said. “We looked comprehensively at the situation and the type of care that we were giving our pediatric patients in the unit. We are looking to evolve that to our emergency department. Our emergency department sees about 9,000 patients a year in that pediatric age range from newborn to adolescent, and we’re able to very effectively take care of those patients.”
When Sentara RMH made the decision on cutting the care unit, Yost said a major factor in the removal was the lack of general pediatric physicians as opposed to specialized physicians.
“There was really two main drivers that we looked at, and one was that low volume of only two to three admissions per week, and then the other significant factor was a national shortage of pediatricians that’s also affecting us here at Sentara RMH,” Yost said. “As physicians are graduating and finishing their fellowships, they’re choosing to specialize. So we have pediatric cardiologists and pediatric neurologists … We are seeing that national trend, which makes it more difficult to get generalist providers.”
As the hospital transitions away from the care unit, it is developing other ways to still help younger patients.
“We’re developing a plan for [emergency department] observation for pediatric patients — which is when a patient may need a little bit of extra time and care for IV fluids, medications, respiratory treatments — so we can transition that care into the emergency department very effectively,” Yost said.
Despite the concerns, little is changing, Yost said. Patients will still receive care within the emergency department.
“We want to reassure the community that we’re here for them if the need arises within our emergency department to provide that care, and that care can range from minor illnesses or injuries all the way up to emergency care for pediatrics. We’re very well equipped to be able to take care of those patients,” Yost said. “Please understand that we are not ending our pediatric care at Sentara RMH, but rather, this is an evolution in the care of serving our children nationally.”
Yost said pediatric care at the hospital will continue until Sept. 30. As for the 17 nurses in the care unit, they will be moved to other locations within the hospital.
Copyright 2024 WHSV. All rights reserved.
National EDS, connective tissue disorder treatment program to open…
A national program at the University of Virginia (UVA) will provide comprehensive support for connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The program will include multidisciplinary specialists to provide integrated care. EDS is made up of several types that affect connective tissues, which are important for the structure of joints, skin, blood vessels, and other organs and tissues. A $3 million donation will enable the clinic to open, according to a UVA Health news release. The new center at UVA will serve patients and providers in Virginia and elsewhere in the U.S. and around the world, the news release says. The center is expected to open in late this year or early 2026.
With a targeted opening date for late this year or early 2026, the program will include multidisciplinary specialists to provide integrated care. Dacre Knight, MD, currently heading the EDS clinic at the Mayo Clinic, will oversee adult patients. Ina Stephens, MD, of UVA Health will continue in her role leading pediatric EDS care.
“Patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome need ongoing, tailored care to manage the unique challenges they face with this condition,” Knight said in a UVA Health news story. “We are going to provide an integrative approach to helping patients best manage this chronic, debilitating illness.”
Fifteen specialized EDS treatment programs exist in the U.S., and there’s about 18 globally, according to the press release. The new center at UVA Health will serve patients and providers in Virginia and elsewhere in the U.S.
A multidisciplinary approach to EDS care
Caused by mutations in at least 20 different genes, EDS is made up of several types that affect connective tissues, which are important for the structure of joints, skin, blood vessels, and other organs and tissues. Problems with connective tissue can lead to joints that move past the normal range of motion and fragile skin. But because connective tissues are so widespread, EDS symptoms can also manifest as gastrointestinal issues, orthopedic injuries, problems with the cervical spine, and heart disease.. This can make a diagnosis complicated, according to Stephens.
“Patients can be referred to multiple subspecialists for years prior to formal diagnosis, and often receive fragmented care,” Stephens said. “That’s what this program is designed to address.”
The effort will approach patient care from a multidisciplinary perspective, centralizing treatment in the program. ”Patients require multisystem, multidisciplinary care, and the integrative medicine approach is what patients need to diagnose and fully care for these conditions,” Stephens said.
Genetic specialists will help patients pinpoint the causes of their EDS, while physical therapists will help design a treatment approach to address specific symptoms. Sessions with psychologists will help address chronic pain and other specialists will also be available, as needed. UVA Health hopes to add a third EDS specialist to join Knight and Stephens.
For people with EDS who live within a few hours of Charlottesville, the UVA Health program will coordinate care. Patients from farther away will develop a plan in coordination with the program and local providers.
A $3 million donation will enable the clinic to open, according to the news release. “We greatly appreciate the help from a generous donor to provide a needed destination for patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome to get the highly specialized, comprehensive care they need,” said Wendy Horton, CEO of UVA Health University Medical Center. “Their donation will help us build out a program that will serve patients from across Virginia as well as throughout the United States.”
VDH: ‘Unusual’ pneumonia activity detected in Virginia
The Virginia Department of Health has reported increased pneumonia cases across the Commonwealth. VDH anticipates higher infection numbers during winter because of the travel season and colder weather. Kids between the ages of 0-4 are hospitalized exponentially more than VDH’s predictions, Lisa Sollot said. V DH is encouraging people who have immunocompromised family members or people in high-risk groups to take extra precautions while traveling for the holidays.
Lisa Sollot, respiratory disease coordinator for VDH, said data reports suggest an “unusual” increase in respiratory infections. She said respiratory diseases and their tracking have not been consistent since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the expectations are exceeded with airway infections.
Kids between the ages of 0-4 are hospitalized exponentially more than VDH’s predictions, Sollot said.
Respiratory diseases — COVID-19, pneumonia, common cold and influenza — are spread through germ molecules. Sollot said transmittable diseases often adversely affect children because they are in large public spaces like schools and daycares.
Though pneumonia is a respiratory disease, it lasts longer than typical airborne respiratory disease. According to the National Institute of Health, pneumonia is an infection that affects one or both lungs, causing them to fill up with fluid or pus.
VDH is encouraging people who have immunocompromised family members or people in high-risk groups to take extra precautions while traveling for the holidays.
”Now that respiratory season is officially in full swing, the most important thing we can do is take care of ourselves so we can take care of each other,” Sollot said.
At Sentara RMH in Rockingham County, there have been fewer emergency department visits for respiratory infections in 2024 than in 2023, but pneumonia cases have more than doubled. In 2023, the hospital reported 11 pneumonia cases, while it reported 26 in 2024. Out of those 26, one of them was considered pediatric pneumonia.
Sollot said vigilant hand washing and surface cleaning can help eliminate germs before they hit the immune system. Common wipe-down locations Sollot emphasized were door knobs, counters and light switches because many hands touch them throughout the day.
Copyright 2024 WHSV. All rights reserved.
Augusta Health expands with new Harrisonburg location
Augusta Health will expand in Harrisonburg. Rockingham Family Physicians will join Augusta Medical Group on Sept. 1. This will be Augusta Health’s second location inarrisonburg. Augusta Health Primary Care is the other location in the Harrisonburg area. The practice will continue operating at 1751 Erickson Ave.
Kris Doan, FACHE, president of Augusta Medical Group, said Augusta Health and Rockingham Family Physicians share a core value of providing “the highest caliber care” to the community, which inspired their partnership.
“With the addition of Rockingham Family Physicians into Augusta Medical Group, we will enhance our capacity to provide comprehensive medical solutions and compassionate care to a larger patient base in the Harrisonburg area,” Doan said in a press release. “We are excited to work with the talented team at Rockingham Family Physicians and are enthusiastic about integrating their practice into our existing network.”
Stephen Godshall, M.D., of Rockingham Family Physicians said the practice’s new partnership with Augusta Health will help offer “expanded healthcare resources through a robust, interconnected network.”
Rockingham Family Physicians will continue operating at 1751 Erickson Ave. in Harrisonburg under the Augusta Health umbrella. Augusta Health Primary Care is the other location in Harrisonburg at 644 University Blvd.
Copyright 2024 WHSV. All rights reserved.
Renowned Cancer Biology Researcher to Chair UVA Department of Dermatology
Lu Q. Le, MD, PhD, a nationally renowned cancer biology researcher, will chair the UVA Department of Dermatology. He will begin January 29, 2024. Le is an international leader in the field of cancer biology, an outstanding patient-care provider and a passionate educator. His lab has secured more than $17 million in grant funding from multiple sources, including the National Cancer Institute, National Eye Institute, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, and the Department of Defense. He has mentored more than 50 fellows and students while also helping lead the physician-scientist residency track in the DepartmentofDermatology, UVA says. He is a co-author of more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and holder of three patents. He earned his medical degree and a PhD in microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics from the UCLA School of Medicine.
The University of Virginia School of Medicine has named Lu Q. Le, MD, PhD, a nationally renowned cancer biology researcher, to chair its Department of Dermatology. He will begin January 29, 2024.
Le comes to UVA from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he serves as professor of dermatology and associate director of the physician-scientist track for the residency program in the Department of Dermatology.
“Dr. Le is an international leader in the field of cancer biology, an outstanding patient-care provider and a passionate educator who enjoys mentoring the next generation of physicians and researchers,” said Melina R. Kibbe, MD, dean of the UVA School of Medicine and chief health affairs officer for UVA Health. “His commitment to all aspects of our mission makes Dr. Le an excellent choice to serve as the next chair of our Department of Dermatology.”
A co-author of more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and holder of three patents, Le works to better understand how certain cancers develop from adult stem cells, as well as how adjoining non-cancerous cells direct the development of cancer cells. As a physician-scientist, he has made significant contributions to clinical care and biology of the common tumor predisposition genetic disorder known as neurofibromatosis type 1.
His lab has secured more than $17 million in grant funding from multiple sources, including the National Cancer Institute, National Eye Institute, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, and the Department of Defense, among others. In addition, he has led efforts to fundraise more than $5 million to support his laboratory’s research.
Le is also an active care provider to his dermatology patients and is the co-founding director and attending physician of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Comprehensive Adult Neurofibromatosis Clinic in the Department of Dermatology and the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.
As an educator, he has mentored more than 50 fellows and students while also helping lead the physician-scientist residency track in the Department of Dermatology.
“A ‘triple threat’ as a researcher, clinician, and educator – as well as a servant leader – Dr. Le is an ideal fit to help us implement our 10-year strategic plan, which calls for expanding our research programs, translating those discoveries to advance our outstanding clinical care, and strengthening our excellent educational programs,” Kibbe said. “I look forward to his leadership of our high-quality dermatology team.”
Le earned his medical degree and a PhD in microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics from the Medical Scientist Training Program at the UCLA School of Medicine. He went on to complete an internship in internal medicine at UCLA/St. Mary Medical Center, along with a residency in dermatology and a fellowship in cancer biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Le is excited to join UVA’s Department of Dermatology and build on its long tradition of excellence, with a focus on career development and mentorship to enhance the department’s patient care, research, education, and community missions.
“I believe strong leadership is all about providing strategic vision and opportunities to inspire and empower others to be their best and most productive selves,” Le said. “I believe that mentoring, advising and developing individuals to be the best version of themselves is not only essential to providing exceptional patient care but is also key to increasing career satisfaction.”
Le will succeed Barrett J. Zlotoff, MD, FAAD, who has served as interim chair since April.
“I am very appreciative of Dr. Zlotoff’s outstanding leadership of the department while we conducted this search for the next chair,” Kibbe said. “I look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Zlotoff in the years to come.”