- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation has recognized Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) as a “LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Top Performer.” The HRC Foundation is the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization. AAMC earned the distinction for its LGBTQ-inclusive policies and practices in four categories: patient-centered care, patient services and support, employee benefits and policies, and community and patient engagement. “We are proud to be recognized for our commitment to an equitable, inclusive environment for both our patients and our workforce,” said Maulik Joshi, executive vice president of integrated care delivery and chief operating officer at AAMC. “We are constantly working to identify opportunities to create a more inclusive culture, and this designation is a testament to our efforts.” As part of its efforts, in 2016, AAMC launched its Health Equity Task Force (HETF). The diverse and multi-disciplinary group is dedicated to eliminating health disparities in the community, and strengthening AAMC’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. AAMC’s LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Top Performer designation is reported in the 11th edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). A record 626 healthcare facilities actively participated in the 2018 HEI survey. Among the HEI participants, 95 earned a “LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” designation. “With some of our biggest battles still ahead of us, it is crucial that institutions continue to demonstrate that the march toward full equality is not slowing down,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The 626 participants in this year’s HEI continue this march in partnership with the LGBTQ community. For the past decade, the HEI has been the roadmap to closing the gap in ensuring equal care to LGBTQ patients and their families, and we urge every healthcare facility to join us in this continuing effort to provide inclusive care to all.”0
- Community, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogTwo shots at once? Last year, we had a very mild flu season: A combination of stay-at-home orders, mask mandates, travel restrictions, and other COVID-19 control measures kept flu cases at bay. In fact, there was a 98% decrease in the number of hospitalizations between Oct. 1, 2020 and Jan. 30, 2021 compared to the same time the previous year. That seems like a good thing, right? While it certainly helped get us through an already difficult time, it may have done us a disservice for this upcoming season. You see, every time we’re exposed to the flu virus, our bodies get a little better fighting it off. But because so many of us didn’t get sick last season, we’re left a little more vulnerable to the flu than in years past. And researchers believe we’re likely in for a rough flu season – on top of new COVID-19 variants that continue to spread rapidly through our communities. The solution? Get your flu shot. Even better: Get your COVID-19 vaccine (or booster) at the same time. It’s safe, effective and convenient. The history of the flu shot Vaccinations against the seasonal flu first became widespread in the U.S. in 1945 – nearly 12 years after the influenza virus had been identified and 27 years since the Spanish Flu swept across the country. Those vaccinations continue to save lives and prevent serious complications. In 2019-2020 alone, the flu vaccine prevented: 52 million influenza illnesses 69 million doctor’s visits 105,000 hospitalizations 6,300 deaths If you’re still on the fence about a flu shot, consider: Experts are concerned this flu season could be particularly bad. Natural immunity may be down. Mask mandates and most travel restrictions have been lifted. School and workplaces are shifting back to in-person hours. This combination could lead to an especially busy flu season for health systems already caring for many COVID-19 patients. Flu shots are safe and effective. The numbers alone tell the story of how effective flu is at preventing serious illness. The most common side effects — a sore arm and tenderness at the injection site — are worth getting an illness that can cause symptoms for a week or longer. Most individuals are eligible. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that almost everyone, ages six months and older, receive an annual flu vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe The flu vaccine isn’t the only one to consider this fall. If you’ve been hesitant to get a COVID-19 vaccine, it’s okay. Here are a few reasons you can be confident that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and very effective at preventing serious illness: 185 million individuals have been vaccinated in the U.S. (a number continues to climb every day). Serious side effects have been very rare, and research continues to prove the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. 34 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been given around the world. As more countries and individuals have access to vaccine, that will grow even more. The COVID-19 vaccines are effective. Vaccines effectiveness among adults without immunocompromised conditions ranged from 93% to 71%. Those numbers are significant, consider one study found that the flu shot reduced the risk of hospitalization by 41% in a primarily older population. Save time. Get the COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot at once. No one likes the idea of getting one shot, let alone two. So why not get it all over with at the same time? After all, the CDC suggests that getting a flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time is perfectly safe. You may have two arms sore instead of one, but in just one trip you can be on your way to staying healthy and strong this flu season. Still, we know it can feel overwhelming to navigate the latest information when it comes to COVID-19 and the seasonal flu. Know that your medical provider and we’re here – right by your side – to guide you to answers, reassurance and peace of mind for your good health. Authors Jean Murray, is director of Infection Prevention and Epidemiology0
- Cancer Care, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogOver the past 15 years, rates of new breast cancer have remained stable. However, breast cancer deaths have steadily declined, driven by improvements in many aspects of breast cancer care. The good news is that better treatment doesn’t necessarily mean treatment that is more aggressive. In fact, during the same time period many breast cancer treatments have scaled back, and specialists are working hard to find even more ways to treat less while delivering better results. Here are just a few ways breast cancer treatment has scaled back over the past decade: Fewer lymph nodes removed. Most women with breast cancer need surgery to check the lymph nodes in the underarm for cancer cells. Usually, the surgeons will remove the first lymph nodes in a larger ‘web’ of lymph nodes under the arm. In the past, if any of the first lymph nodes had cancer, surgeons would remove all of the remaining lymph nodes as well. Unfortunately, the more lymph nodes that are removed, the higher the risk of side effects, such as swelling of the arm from backed up fluid. A few years ago, researchers proved that many women with cancer in the first lymph nodes do not need the remaining lymph nodes removed. As a result, surgeons are performing far fewer extensive lymph node surgeries, which has led to fewer complications for women with breast cancer. Less radiation. In the past, women who had a lumpectomy needed six or seven weeks of radiation afterward to treat the rest of the breast. More recently, however, many women have options for less radiation treatment, sometimes taking as little as one week. Targeted medical therapy. Medications particularly targeted at a more aggressive form of breast cancer, known as HER2 positive cancer, have dramatically improved survival. At the same time, women who receive these targeted treatments do not need as many chemotherapy drugs, so they experience fewer serious side effects. These and other improvements in breast cancer treatment are possible because of scientific research studies. Locally, specialists at the Rebecca Fortney Breast Center at Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) are also engaged in research to find ways to provide better care, while at the same time decreasing the side effects of treatment. Here are some of the exciting ways that research studies are moving breast cancer treatment forward today: Exploring the possibility of doing no surgery for some breast cancers that have shown excellent response to chemotherapy. Some women with breast cancer benefit from receiving chemotherapy before surgery. Sometimes, chemotherapy can shrink a tumor so that the patient requires less surgery. On occasion, the final microscopic analysis of the breast tissue removed after chemotherapy will even show that no cancer cells are detectable. If doctors could accurately predict which tumors would have no remaining cancer after chemotherapy, some breast cancers that show excellent response to chemotherapy might not need surgery at all. These women might be treated with chemotherapy and radiation alone. Although the approach of not having surgery would not be safe today, research studies are underway to determine if and when an approach of no surgery might be appropriate. Ultrasound to do less extensive lymph node surgery. Ultrasound, or sonogram, is a technique used to diagnose breast cancer in the lymph nodes before surgery. AAMC breast surgeons are studying information from ultrasound exams to tailor a patient’s treatment. Ultrasound may help to identify which patients with cancer in their lymph nodes should go to surgery, and which patients should start with chemotherapy prior to operation. For some patients, receiving chemotherapy prior to surgery may clear cancer from the lymph nodes, allowing the surgeon to remove fewer lymph nodes at the time of surgery. AAMC breast surgeons recently published research in the Annals of Surgical Oncology journal in this area in order to help specialists across the country improve their patient care. With rapid changes in the field of breast cancer care, medical decisions are complex. Talk to your doctor about which treatment option is best for you. We’ve seen amazing advances in breast cancer care in just a short time. I wonder what the next 15 years will bring? Author Rubie Sue Jackson, MD, is a breast surgeon at Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC). To learn more about the Rebecca Fortney Breast Center at AAMC, visit askAAMC.org/Breast. Originally published Oct. 2, 2017. Last updated Oct. 21, 2019.0
- OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogFirefighter Donny Fletcher was bending down to lift a patient at a 2009 fire call when he felt pain shoot down his left arm. Donny, a Mayo resident who serves as battalion chief for the Prince George’s County Fire Department, knew something was wrong. But he finished the call and headed back to the firehouse, where he popped a few Tylenol and tried to tough the injury out. But the next day, as his neck stiffened up, he knew he needed medical attention. And Donny knew exactly where he wanted to go for treatment. The former high school football player had several knee injuries as a teenager when he played for Archbishop Spalding High School. Peter Ove, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Anne Arundel Medical Center Orthopedics, took care of him then. It was the beginning of a long-term relationship between Anne Arundel Medical Center and Donny, now 31, who says the care he’s received at AAMC “is second to none.” After visiting the Emergency Department, and learning he had two slipped discs in his neck, Donny saw Alex Speciale, MD, orthopedic surgeon, to begin treatment. Speciale guided him through the rehabilitation process, which included strength exercises, stem work, heat therapy and other activities. Some of that physical therapy continues to this day, but Donny was back doing the job he loves within a month. But that wasn’t the last time an injury sent him to AAMC Orthopedics. Four years later, Donny was at the scene of an apartment fire when he was injured again while handling tools. He felt a tightening across his shoulder and the next day, it was difficult for him to move his arm. When an MRI didn’t detect any damage to his shoulder, Daniel Redziniak, MD, orthopedic surgeon, ordered an arthrogram – a test that gives high definition images with contrast. The test detected a full labral tear. “This is why I like AAMC,” Donny says. “I was kind of stunned when the MRI didn’t show anything – deep down, I knew something was wrong.” He immediately began non-operative treatment, and struck a deal with Dr. Redziniak. He would keep going to rehab, as long as he was allowed to keep working. “Donny’s work is very important to him, so I wanted to help him return to his job as quickly as possible,” Dr. Redziniak said. For Donny, being a Prince George’s County firefighter is more than just a job. He’s been with the fire department for 13 years and says a drive for public service runs in his family. His grandfather and two of his uncles were Prince George’s County firefighters, and his father was a Prince George’s County police officer. “This is our second family,” Donny says. Today, he still does exercises two to three times a week, and plans to continue them for the rest of his life. “It obviously worked,” he says. “I feel that I’m a stronger person now than when I was injured.” Not only did his treatment help him get back to the work he loves, it has also helped him to enjoy other activities that are special to him. He can play with and pick up his children, 4-year-old Chandler and 19-month-old Zoe, without fear of further injury. Donny is also able to maintain an active lifestyle outside of work by lifting weights and playing softball, golf and soccer. Without the treatment he received at AAMC, “there’s no way that I would be able to live the life that I have right now,” Donny says. Donny is featured in commercials for AAMC Orthopedics for its Your Comeback Starts Here campaign. Contributor Peter Ove, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon with AAMC Orthopedics. To reach his practice, call 410-268-8862. Daniel Redziniak, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon with AAMC Orthopedics. To reach his practice, call 410-268-8862. Alex Speciale, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon with AAMC Orthopedics. To reach his practice, call 410-268-8862.0
- Community, Pediatrics, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogHow can you keep your high-energy child occupied when you can’t leave the house? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are nine things you can do to keep your child entertained: Play games The first few days – or maybe even hours – might seem easy. But your child will eventually say the famous words, “I’m bored!” Games can become your go-to solution. Puzzles are great to keep kids—and adults—entertained for hours. Puzzles stimulate problem-solving skills and boost memory. You should also consider science kits. These are fun and a great way for kids to learn about how things work. Get creative with play dough This one never fails. Play dough is actually easy to make at home. You probably already have most of the ingredients on hand. It’s a great way to get kids’ imaginations going. You can challenge them to make something specific or let them get creative on their own. Create your own coloring books You can’t go wrong with coloring books. If you need a last minute coloring book, you can download and print images from home. Coloring reduces stress and anxiety, improves motor skills, helps with better sleep and increases focus. Read books Staying home for long periods of time is a great opportunity to grab a book and get reading. Revisit your book library and choose a couple of books together with your child. To make it more fun, you can set aside time each day to go over what your child has learned during their reading time. Build toys LEGO, of course, is the classic go-to. But consider other safe things around your home that kids can use to build structures for a few hours of fun. Building activities help kids with critical thinking and can teach important lessons about engineering. Use a tablet Whether you like to admit it, there will be a lot of screen time happening during your child’s time off. Instead of cringing at the thought of your child spending a large amount of time with their tablet, think of ways you can leverage this. You can download Amazon FreeTime Unlimited or other educational apps so that you don’t have to feel guilty about letting your kids zone out in front of a screen. Bring out the art supplies This is a good time to bring out the markers, crayons and other art supplies to keep a child busy for long stretches of time. Art supplies can spark creativity and get them excited about completing an activity. Pair the supplies with a couple of white sheets and watch the magic happen. Do activities together Cooking is a great opportunity to teach kids a new skill and get them involved. Give them their own tools, ask them to help you find the right ingredients and let them do some kitchen experimenting for delicious creations. Like cooking, cleaning as a group can also become a fun task when done together. Get active At some point, you will all want to get moving. It’s easy to feel frustrated or bored if you’re not being physically active. Try some creative exercise ideas, like setting up an obstacle course in the backyard or in your living room. You can also try some micro-exercises, such as jumping jacks, running up and down the stairs or dancing around to music. Making the Most of Time Indoors For whatever reason you might be stuck indoors, it can be challenging for individuals and families. But this time can also be an opportunity to find new ways of enjoying the simple things in life — for both you and your child.0
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