- Community, Giving, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAt age 75, Anne Arundel Medical Center Foundation Board Member Anthony Izzo has everything he could hope for: a wonderful wife, a healthy family and four grown grandsons. When friends and family asked his wife Angelina for Anthony’s birthday wish list last year, she decided to surprise him with an idea that aligned with his passion for supporting the community. Instead of gifts for Anthony, Angelina asked party guests to bring new toys to be donated to AAMC’s Pediatric Emergency Department. His friends and family were excited to oblige, bringing several thousand dollars’ worth of new toys. “People get to a certain point in life where they no longer need anything,” says Angelina. “We were hoping it would inspire others to do something like this in the future. We were incredibly surprised by the generosity of our friends.” The gifts were shared among AAMC’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit–Teddy’s Place, the Geaton and JoAnn DeCesaris Family Foundation Pediatric Inpatient and Emergency Center, the Thomas J. Frank Family Birth Center and the Hackerman-Patz House. The toys were given to pediatric patients and their siblings to help relieve the stress of a hospital visit during the holidays and to play with during treatment.0
- Pregnancy & Birth, Women's Health, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnnapolis, MD – At a celebratory ceremony attended by community leaders, clinicians, and advocates, Luminis Health unveiled its new TeamBirth program today at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center. The event marked an advancement in perinatal care, aimed at improving birth outcomes and reducing infant mortality across Maryland. With this launch, Luminis Health becomes the first health system in the state to implement this proven model of care.TeamBirth is an evidence-based initiative that promotes transparency and teamwork in perinatal care. At its core is a simple yet powerful tool: a planning board in each birthing room that allows patients, nurses, midwives, and physicians to align on care plans, share updates, and make decisions together. While aspects of this communication already occur, TeamBirth introduces greater consistency, clarity, and accountability. It enhances existing care practices by standardizing communication and fostering a shared approach, empowering teams to deliver safer, more respectful, and continuously improving care tailored to each patient’s needs. “TeamBirth is about making sure every patient has a voice during one of the most critical and joyous moments of their life,” said Dr. Monica Jones, system chair of Luminis Health Women’s and Children’s Service Line. “By fostering open communication and shared decision-making, we are adding another layer of safety and empowerment to the childbirth experience. Our teams are committed to delivering exceptional quality patient-centered care, while advancing birth equity for everyone who seeks our services.”Despite advances in modern medicine, the U.S. continues to face alarming rates of maternal and infant mortality overall. Luminis Health has taken significant steps in recent years to address the maternal health crisis and reduce disparities in care, including:Requiring implicit bias education and training for all maternal care staffImplementing strategies to reduce C-Section ratesEncouraging the use of doulas and nurse midwives to provide continuous, culturally responsive support during laborLaunched CenteringPregnancy® programs in both Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties to improve prenatal care through group-based education and support“At Luminis Health, we believe that by using evidence-based programs and listening to the people and communities we serve, we can end the maternal health crisis,” said Tori Bayless, CEO of Luminis Health. “Eliminating maternal and infant mortality is one of the bold goals outlined in our Vision 2030 strategic plan, and our teams remain dedicated to expanding access at every level of care.” Today’s event featured remarks from Luminis Health executive and clinical leaders and patient advocates, a demonstration of the TeamBirth toolkit, and opportunities for attendees to engage with members of the labor and delivery team. The announcement took place in the Rebecca M. Clatanoff Pavilion, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Since 1995, the Thomas J. Frank Family Birth Center has been a trusted space for families, where more than 145,000 babies have been born, making it one of the busiest birth centers in Maryland and a special part of the community. The TeamBirth program is fully funded through the generosity of long-time supporters of the hospital. “We are deeply grateful to our generous donors whose support makes innovative programs like TeamBirth possible,” said Sherry Perkins, president of Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center. “Their gifts directly enhances the quality of care we provide and help us better serve the families in our community—a community we’ve proudly served as a trusted place of care for more than 120 years.” Luminis Health also plans to implement the TeamBirth model at Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center in Lanham when it adds inpatient obstetric services. Scheduled to open in 2028, the new women’s health center is expected to deliver approximately 2,000 babies a year once fully operational.Implemented by Unravel Healthcare, TeamBirth was developed by Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA.0
- Community, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThis week is National Volunteer Week, and though the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has kept our team of dedicated volunteers out of the hospital in recent weeks, we remain grateful for all they have done for our community. AAMC President Sherry Perkins shares her appreciation for our auxilians and volunteers. To our wonderful auxilians and volunteers, This week, we celebrate National Volunteer Week. Though our halls are not currently bustling with auxilians and volunteers, we at Anne Arundel Medical Center want to honor your efforts and express our gratitude for everything you do. Just weeks ago, your smiles were the first introductions our patients had to AAMC as they walked through our doors. You provided a warm and welcome distraction when families popped into the gift shop. You supported our staff all over the hospital and beyond by providing an extra component of care and compassion to patients and their families. I know those days will come again. The history of volunteerism here at AAMC has deep-seated roots. When a donated farmhouse developed into our downtown Franklin Street location in the early 1900s, we received incredible support from our community. Now, many years later, and more than ever, we rely on that help. I learned the meaning of an auxiliary in my first 10 years at AAMC – you set the bar for what a Blue Crew looks like! Thank you for teaching me. I’m so proud to be back and work and lead with you. Our community members, including many of you, have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by coming together to make masks for patients, procuring valuable personal protective equipment for our staff, donating food to feed our health care heroes, and working to ensure we can make it through this crisis together. We thank you. Volunteers and auxilians strengthen our organization’s mission to enhance the health of the people we serve. Your assistance in providing patient and family centered, high-quality care is part of what makes AAMC unique. I want you to know how much we appreciate you. And when we come through this, we all look forward to seeing you back in our hallways and beyond again. We miss you terribly. We all love our Blue Crew. And cannot wait to welcome you back with that Blue Crew chant. My deepest thanks and warmest regards for all you do, Sherry0
- Cancer Care, Men's Health, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogUntil recently, experts typically found early stage lung cancer by accident. Since you rarely have symptoms with early lung cancer, finding it early was often a matter of luck. Take, for instance, the person who fell off a ladder and needed a chest x-ray to look for injuries. In turn, the x-ray found an abnormality and additional tests then found lung cancer. But times have dramatically changed. The results of the National Lung Screening Trial led to the new recommendation of a yearly low-dose chest CT scan for those at high risk of lung cancer. While there are a few exceptions, private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid should fully cover your screening. Take our pledge to love your lungs, and be entered to win a $50 Visa gift card! Am I High Risk? Smoking is the biggest risk factor for lung cancer. It’s also the primary risk to determine if you’re eligible for screening. Other risks include exposure to asbestos, radon gas, or prolonged contact with other environmental toxins. You should talk to your doctor about your personal risk factors and if you’re a candidate. Guidelines recommend the low-dose chest CT scan for lung cancer if you’re between the ages of 55 and 80, and have smoked at least 30 pack-years (number of packs per day x number of years). This includes people who still smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Ready to Quit? Quitting may not be easy. If you smoke or use smokeless tobacco and it’s difficult to quit on your own, you likely suffer from nicotine dependence or tobacco addiction. Like any other disease, tobacco dependence requires ongoing treatment and support. And just like diabetes and heart disease, tobacco dependence often requires a combination approach of expert help and lifestyle changes. We often think of tobacco use as a public health issue – and it is. But it’s also a disease that needs individualized and specialized treatment. Research shows the most effective treatment includes a combination of counseling and medication(s). Counseling can include one-on-one sessions between you and a trained tobacco treatment specialist, or a group approach with classes designed to give you tools for letting go of your tobacco dependence. There are seven FDA approved medications for treating tobacco dependence. You can use these medications to ease nicotine withdrawal symptoms while you work on changing your habits and routines linked to tobacco use throughout the day. Work with your health care provider on a treatment that’s right for you. One of the biggest hurdles you may face is the shame of continued use of tobacco despite serious health effects and pleas from your loved ones to stop. The key is for you to understand that dependence on nicotine is very powerful. Asking for help is okay. Once you move past this hurdle, find the right treatment plan and a qualified, supportive health care team, you can take control of your life and let go of tobacco for good. If you’re ready to quit, Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) can help. Visit askAAMC.org/QuitSmoking or call 443-481-5366 to learn more. Authors By Stephen Cattaneo, MD, medical director of Thoracic Oncology, and Joanne Ebner, Cancer Prevention program supervisor, at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Originally published April 17, 2017. Last updated Nov. 15, 2018.0
- Cancer Care, Men's Health, Women's Health, PediatricsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe Geaton and JoAnn DeCesaris Cancer Institute at Anne Arundel Medical Center is partnering with two leading area pediatric practices to help raise awareness, and educate parents and health care providers about the importance of the HPV vaccine as a form of cancer prevention. About nine in 10 people will be exposed to HPV, or human papillomavirus, in their lifetime. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly all cases of cervical cancer can be linked to HPV. Experts say HPV also causes between 50 to 60 percent of cancers, including cervical cancer, vaginal and vulvar cancers, anal cancer, throat cancer and penile cancer. “Despite the potential to drastically reduce the number of HPV-related cancers and other diseases, the HPV vaccine has not gained widespread use,” said Luqman Dad, MD, radiation oncologist at AAMC and chair of the medical center’s HPV vaccine taskforce. “We want to see that change because when HPV infections persist, people are at risk for cancer. Raising awareness about the safety and effectiveness of the HPV vaccine is important to us as health care providers. We want parents to know that the HPV vaccine is cancer prevention, and vaccine benefits far outweigh the risks.” “We are excited to join this group of experts to highlight the importance of HPV immunization for children in our community,” said Charles L. Parmele, MD, chief medical officer of Annapolis Pediatrics. “We understand there are many misconceptions about the safety and effectiveness of this vaccine. As pediatricians, this is a great opportunity for us to provide accurate information so parents can make the best decisions on behalf of their children today to reduce their risk of cancer in the future.” The CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have studied the vaccine carefully and determined it is safe. The HPV vaccine has many of the same, mild side effects as other vaccines. The most common side effects reported after vaccination are minor and include pain, redness or swelling in the arm where the patient received the shot; fever; headache or feeling tired; and nausea. “HPV vaccination is an integral part of preventing cancers in young women and men. It is important for families and primary care providers to have an early, open dialogue about the benefits of the HPV vaccine,” said Robert G. Graw, Jr., MD, chief executive officer and founder of the Pediatric Group and a pediatric oncologist at AAMC. Doctors recommend that children get the vaccine before they become sexually active, which is when it is most effective. Boys and girls who are 11 or 12 years old should get two shots of HPV vaccine six to twelve months apart. Children who receive their two shots less than five months apart will require a third dose of HPV vaccine. If your child is older than 14 years, three shots will need to be given over 6 months. Visit askAAMC.org/HPVvaccine for more information.0
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