- Cancer CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogKimberly Collins lives in southern Maryland, about two hours away from Anne Arundel Medical Center. Yet she still traveled to AAMC to get a second opinion on her breast cancer diagnosis — and then, ultimately, treatment and breast reconstruction. “That’s a drop in the bucket for getting good care,” Kimberly says. She opted to undergo a double mastectomy with Wen Liang, MD, a breast surgeon at The Rebecca Fortney Breast Center at AAMC, followed by reconstructive surgery with Devinder Singh, MD, chief of Plastic Surgery at AAMC and medical director of AAMG Plastic Surgery. AAMG Plastic Surgery’s plastic surgeons work closely with the breast surgeons, oncologists and radiologists at The Rebecca Fortney Breast Center — a level of collaboration that is unusual in highly specialized care. “When I walked into the breast center, I knew I was in the right place,” Kimberly says. Dr. Liang, she says, treated her not just as a cancer patient, but as an individual person. A breast cancer diagnosis is terrifying, Kimberly says. She was drawn to Dr. Liang’s compassion as well as her expertise and knowledge. “Dr. Liang wanted to see for herself what she was looking at,” she says, adding Dr. Liang didn’t give the scans to the radiologist until she reviewed them. “And she actually had some questions,” Kimberly says. “She went that same afternoon during my consult to the Radiology department and had them read my films with her questions included. When you have a doctor with that much buy-in and partnership in your diagnosis and treatment — you don’t question it.” Kimberly says she’d spent a lot of time researching Dr. Liang, but no time researching a plastic surgeon. That’s when the partnership between The Rebecca Fortney Breast Center and AAMG Plastic Surgery was especially important. “If I had had to research a plastic surgeon — it would have changed my whole emotional journey,” she says. “When I meet with a breast cancer patient after hermastectomy, there are always a lot of questions. And rightfully so,” says Dr. Singh. “Chief among them, what kind of reconstruction are we talking about?” Kimberly opted for silicone implants to eliminate the need for extra incisions. Other methods of reconstruction, including deep inferior epigastric perforator artery (DIEP) or superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA) flap reconstruction involve using the patient’s tissue from another part of her body, such as the abdomen or thigh. Dr. Singh was “the jewel in my crown” of treatment, Kimberly says. Dr. Singh says it’s a team effort. Ken Collins, Kimberly’s husband, adds that the team approach was evident as Drs. Liang and Singh worked to include all members of their family, including their two children, in discussions about Kimberly’s care. “Everybody was a part of it,” he says. “It was an incredible experience that I wish I had never had.” Like AAMG Plastic Surgery on Facebook for the latest updates from the practice’s medical team.
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe American Hospital Association (AHA) has recognized Anne Arundel Medical Center for leadership and innovation in quality and performance improvement. AAMC is a finalist for the AHA Quest for Quality Prize for demonstrating an alignment with AHA’s five commitments of access, value, partnership, well-being and coordination to advance the health of the communities it serves. AAMC is being recognized for its innovative patient- and family-engagement strategies, use of sophisticated information technology, focus on employee wellbeing, leadership and Board commitment to quality, and outstanding patient safety and quality outcomes. “Anne Arundel Medical Center is committed to delivering the best quality care to our patients,” said Victoria Bayless, AAMC president and CEO. “We are constantly engaged in ways to improve quality and create new dynamic ways of care delivery. We are honored to be recognized by one of the industry’s leading organizations for our efforts.” Announcing the 2018 honorees, AHA’s President and CEO Rick Pollack said, “These hospitals and health systems have been remarkable leaders in elevating the quality of care they provide to their patients and communities while demonstrating an organization-wide commitment to excellence. The lessons provided by this year’s winner and honorees serve as an inspiration to the entire field.” This year, AAMC is also the recipient of the AHA NOVA Award for hospital-led collaborative efforts that improve community health. AAMC is recognized for its Annapolis Community Health Partnership, the collaborative instrument behind AAMC’s Community Clinics. AAMC’s Forest Drive and Morris Blum clinics are doctor’s offices that provide high-quality, low-cost primary care to uninsured and underinsured populations. AAMC will be recognized at the AHA Leadership Summit in San Diego on July 26.
- Behavioral Health, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnne Arundel Medical Center has broken ground on the construction of its mental health hospital. During the groundbreaking ceremony, held Wednesday, June 20, hospital officials also announced the facility will be named the J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center. The McNew family has been connected to AAMC for nearly 50 years. The late Nancy McNew was an AAMC nurse from 1970 to 2006, first as a cardiac care nurse and then as the first nurse leader of Infection Control. Kent McNew served on the AAMC Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2012. To commemorate the groundbreaking, longtime supporters of the project, including Congressman John Sarbanes, Congressman Anthony Brown, Maryland Secretary of Health Robert Neall, Maryland House Speaker Michael Busch, Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh, and the offices of Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, joined AAMC President and CEO Victoria Bayless and Board of Trustees Chair Gary Jobson. READ MORE: CEO Message: Mental health hospital approved The J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center will be located on Riva Road next to Pathways, AAMC’s substance use and co-occurring disorder treatment facility. It is scheduled to open in summer 2020. The 16-bed facility will double Anne Arundel County’s inventory of mental health beds and serve up to 900 patients a year who would otherwise be transferred out of the area. When complete, the campus will provide: Inpatient mental health care A psychiatric partial hospitalization program Intensive outpatient programs Residential and outpatient substance use services Referral and care coordination to community-based treatment and support services AAMC currently provides many of these services in locations throughout the county. Offering a full spectrum of services at one location will allow for coordinated care and improved patient outcomes.
- Men's Health, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThere’s a lot of discussion about the importance of probiotics, “good” bacteria and the role they play in aiding digestion and balancing out the bad bugs in your gut. Research is hinting that probiotics may help treat diarrhea, boost your immune system for fighting colds and flu, help prevent allergy symptoms, treat irritable bowel syndrome and prevent and treat yeast and urinary tract infections, among other things. However, effects can vary from person to person. These active cultures seem to pack a powerful punch, but there are things you should know before you invest in probiotics. Let Food Be Your Source Just like your vitamins, the best source for probiotics is through their natural occurrence in whole foods, not supplements. Not only are supplements costly and unregulated by the FDA, there are questions surrounding the amount of probiotics your body can absorb through supplements. Dairy items with live and active cultures are rich in probiotics, as are pickled or fermented foods. Probiotic-rich foods include: Yogurt with live cultures Kefir (a cultured dairy drink) Pickles Sauerkraut Kimchi (a fermented Korean side dish) Tempeh (a fermented Indonesian vegetarian patty) Pickled vegetables Live cultured salsa Aged cheese, like cheddar, gouda, parmesan and swiss Assorted beverages such as kombucha tea A wide assortment of probiotic-enriched foods have jumped into the market—like juices, cereals and snack bars—but you should use caution with these as the organisms may be decayed and of little health value. Keep Them Alive The benefits of probiotics come from live organisms, so proper storage and shelf life are key to gaining their maximum benefit. Make sure you follow instructions for refrigeration, as well as use items before their expiration date in order to maintain potency. The probiotics won’t work if they’re dead when you use them. Pair Them With Prebiotics Did you know probiotics like food, too? Prebiotics are the food of choice for probiotics. They are dietary fiber that’s nondigestible and able to pass on to the gut to help good bacteria flourish. Prebiotics can be found in foods like: Whole grains Bananas Jerusalem artichokes Asparagus Onions Leeks Garlic Honey Chicory root Unfortunately you won’t find prebiotic fiber listed on labels for products with whole grains, so it’s easiest to focus on boosting your overall fiber intake. Also, prebiotics do not have to be eaten at the same time as probiotics, but there are some great combinations you can put together, like sliced bananas added to your yogurt. Fresh asparagus pairs nicely with tempeh or kimchi. Is There Too Much of a Good Thing? Still considering taking a probiotic supplement? Probiotics aren’t necessarily needed every day like a multi-vitamin, and there are some people, like those who are immunosuppressed, who may need to be careful about how much they take. If you’re considering a probiotic supplement in addition to or instead of adding probiotic-rich foods to your diet, check in with your doctor. There may be specific strains that would benefit you more and guidelines for how much and how often you should take the supplement. Also, since the FDA does not regulate probiotic supplements, your doctor or registered dietitian can steer you toward a reputable product. Ever consider nutritional counseling? Learn more about this service from Anne Arundel Medical Center. Author By Ann Caldwell, nutritionist and registered dietitian at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach her call 443-481-5555. Originally published April 28, 2015. Last updated July 23, 2018.
- Men's Health, Orthopedics, Women's Health, UncategorizedGeneral Page Tier 3BlogPicture your cartilage as a cushion covering all of our joints. In the knee, this cushion is a little less than a quarter inch thick and covers the entire knee joint surface. If your knee cartilage is injured, a painful divot or crater can appear on the surface. In people under 40, this is often caused by an athletic or sports injury. One treatment I have used with great success when repairing cartilage damage in younger adult patients is transplanting the patients’ own cartilage back into the damaged area, specifically known as Carticel Autologous Cartilage Implantation (ACI). You’re an ideal candidate for ACI if you: Have cartilage damage the size of a nickel or larger; Are under 40; Do not have arthritis; and Have healthy surrounding cartilage. ACI is a two-staged procedure. The first stage is a minor cartilage biopsy, where a small piece of the joint cartilage is harvested from a part of the knee that does not bear weight. The small sample—about the size of two Tic-Tacs—is sent to a special laboratory, where it is cultured and grown into several million “baby” cartilage cells. About two months following the first procedure, the surgeon opens the knee again to implant the new cells. First, the damaged cartilage is cleaned out. Then the new cells are put into place, secured with a small membrane sewn over the defective area. Within six hours the new cells cling to the damaged area and begin to grow. The new cells continue to grow, eventually filling in the damaged area in about three months. Healing takes several months, but patients should return to near pre-injury status, allowing you to return to a normal lifestyle. How do I know if I have knee cartilage damage in the first place? Cartilage damage may be identified following an acute injury or following chronic knee pain, which is pain that has re-occurred for at least two to three months. When you experience knee pain, specialists often start with conservative treatment options, including anti-inflammatory medication, rest and physical therapy, and sometimes this is enough to significantly improve the situation. When conservative measures don’t work, an MRI may be ordered. The MRI can help uncover whether there is joint surface cartilage damage and its size. What can I do if I have cartilage damage, and I’m not a candidate for ACI? If you have small damage—about the size of a dime or smaller—you may benefit from an arthroscopic microfracture technique, where tiny holes are punched into the affected area and debrided to promote cartilage healing. This requires the surrounding cartilage to be in good condition. Following this type of procedure, patients are on crutches for about six weeks. For small cartilage defects, we now have some new cartilage transplant techniques that can get you going even faster. If you’re over 40 and/or have arthritis, you may be a better candidate for a partial or full knee replacement. Talk with your orthopedic specialist to uncover how to best treat your knee pain. Author James York, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at AAMC Orthopedics. To reach him, call 410-268-8862. Originally published March 2015. Last updated July 2018.
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