- Giving, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWhen Annapolis artist Bobbie Burnett made her first stained glass angel in honor of a close friend, she thought it would be her last. The year was 1982, and her friend Susie had leukemia. Susie, then 39, had three children under the age of 10, and was undergoing treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Bobbie created the angel as a Christmas gift for her friend and, soon after, found that others wanted angels, too. She ended up making several, and sold them to help pay for Susie’s medical expenses. “I thought that would be it,” she recalls. But it was only the beginning. Susie passed away in 1983, but the angel Bobbie made for her inspired the Caring Collection. The collection is made up of stained glass angels that Bobbie sells to benefit Anne Arundel Medical Center’s (AAMC’s) Geaton and JoAnn DeCesaris Cancer Institute, and the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. The Caring Collection has raised more than $1.2 million in funds over the years, half of which has gone to AAMC. Bobbie’s collection also includes one-of-a-kind stained glass windows, doors and sculptures. For her incredible support of the cancer community, Bobbie recently received the DeCesaris Cancer Institute’s (DCI’s) Fire and Soul Award on National Cancer Survivors Day in June. “Bobbie Burnett and the Caring Collection are, simply stated, angels in waiting ready to help cancer patients and their families treated at DCI,” says Catherine Copertino, DCI’s vice president of cancer services. “Hundreds of individuals have been touched with the funds raised by the Caring Collection.” A former art teacher, Bobbie took a stained glass class after she and her husband bought a boat and sailed from Texas to Annapolis. “That’s when I met Susie,” she says. “And it kind of all fell together.” Bobbie and her team of volunteers have made 45,000 angels. She says she wanted to help support AAMC because it’s her local hospital, the one she would go to if she needed medical care. Catherine says the sale of the angels has helped with the purchase of radiation and chemotherapy infusion technology, genetics counseling software, gowns for women undergoing mammograms, and technology to monitor prostate cancer. “Most importantly, the beautiful stained glass angels and ornaments that adorn DCI remind us each and every day that someone cares about us,” Catherine says. Bobbie says she doesn’t have a favorite angel in the collection. “I love them all,” she says. But right now, Bobbie is in the process of designing one final angel. She’ll be 80 next year, and realizes she may not be able to make the angels forever. Still, she’s not ready to say whether it’s the end of the Caring Collection. “Only the angels know the answer to that question,” she says. To order an angel and view more of Bobbie’s artwork, email [email protected] or call 410-849-5333.
- Plastic Surgery & Skin Care, Pediatrics, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogImagine you’re able to use your gifts to offer life-altering surgeries to children in developing countries. Anne Arundel Medical Center plastic surgeon Devinder Singh, MD, has done this through his work with the international charitable group Changing Children’s Lives. Doctors volunteering with Changing Children’s Lives have performed free reconstructive surgeries on more than 1,000 children in countries including Thailand, Vietnam, Colombia, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Honduras and Uganda. Dr. Singh, AAMC’s chief of plastic surgery and medical director of AAMG Plastic Surgery, says a typical mission includes upward of 25 people and takes a year or more of coordination to pull together. “But the return on investment is just amazing,” Dr. Singh says. “We can help as many as 50 kids with cleft lip or palate in just one week.” Surgical procedures include cleft lip and palate repairs, as well as treatment of congenital and traumatic facial deformities, burn scars and congenital hand deformities. “We also teach the hosting country’s plastic surgeons, so our work can continue after we leave,” he adds. Dr. Singh thanks AAMC for its unwavering support. “This is a hospital with a heart,” he says. “I appreciate that AAMC allows me to donate my time to help others.” Dr. Singh says his goal is to give back, whether it’s repairing a child’s cleft lip or advancing the field of medicine. He’s the former chair of the Maryland Board of Physicians and was recently elected into the exclusive American Association of Plastic Surgeons. He’s published 65 peer-reviewed scientific articles. Plus, he’s received invitations to deliver more than 100 academic lectures throughout the world. Dr. Singh looks forward to his next trip with Changing Children’s Lives, scheduled for Thailand early next year. ”My mission is to serve people who can benefit most from what I’ve learned during my many years as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon,” he says. “I love what I do for a living!” Like AAMG Plastic Surgery on Facebook for the latest updates from the practice’s medical team.
- News & Press Releases, Stroke CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) is among an elite group of hospitals recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) for meeting the highest quality standards for treating patients who suffer severe heart attacks. AAMC has achieved the AHA’s Mission: Lifeline® Silver Plus STEMI Receiving Award and Bronze NSTEMI Award. This year, AAMC was also recognized by the AHA and American Stroke Association (ASA) for meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients. AAMC earned the AHA/ASA Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite. AAMC qualified for these awards by meeting specific criteria and standards of performance for the quick and appropriate treatment in these medical emergencies. Eligible hospitals must adhere to these measures at a set level and duration. “For heart attack and stroke patients, quick actions can save lives,” says Jerome Segal, MD, medical director of Cardiovascular Services at AAMC. “These emergencies require seamless coordination with our Anne Arundel County partners in the Emergency Medical Services Division — a team of top-notch emergency technicians — as well as multiple departments within the hospital. We are proud to say that we have extremely efficient systems, and we are pleased to be recognized for our commitment to delivering advanced heart attack and stroke care quickly and safely.” Services for stroke, heart attack patients Hospitals that meet AHA/ASA quality standards not only know the importance of treating quickly and safely, but they also follow evidence-based research that helps to determine why a patient had a heart attack or stroke in the first place. To learn more about AAMC’s stroke services, visit www.askAAMC.org/stroke, and for more information about AAMC’s heart services, visit www.askAAMC.org/heart.
- Community, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3Blog“I heard a radio playing, I knocked and nothing…I opened the door and found him lying there,” said Austin Wilson, 17, describing the scene where he found an overdose victim in the bathroom of the Glen Burnie, Md., 7-Eleven where he works. Austin had previously graduated from a prevention and education course provided by Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) Pathways. He immediately recognized the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose and quickly called 911. He never imagined the skills he learned would one day save a person’s life. In June, State’s Attorney Wes Adams, along with Keisha Brooks and Amanda Larkins, both of Pathways, surprised Austin at the 7-Eleven. Austin received a citation in recognition of his actions. “He saved a life…Austin is really a hero,” said Adams. “It’s important for me, as the State’s Attorney, to come out and recognize good deeds because we see so many bad ones.” Recognizing the signs of an opioid overdose According to the Maryland Health Department, the state saw 1,468 deaths related to overdoses in the third quarter of 2016 alone. AAMC Pathways offers prevention education as part of its commitment to community outreach. Courses highlight an assortment of topics. On July 7, the treatment center is offering a 45-minute training on how to recognize an overdose and administer Naloxone (“Narcan”), an opioid overdose reversing drug available over-the-counter at Maryland pharmacies. Register by emailing [email protected] or sign up online. If you are ever a bystander at the scene of an overdose, seek immediate medical help. Signs of opioid overdose may include: euphoria drowsiness respiratory depression nausea vomiting constricted pupils
- News & Press Releases, Weight LossGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnne Arundel Medical Center announces its Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program is now accredited as a Comprehensive Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), signifying the program meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality care. Studies show that patients have better weight loss surgery outcomes in accredited bariatric surgical centers, where the center has undergone and passed rigorous evaluation in accordance with nationally recognized bariatric surgical standards. Accredited centers are also recognized for multidisciplinary teams with experts in areas such as nutrition and psychology, to ensure a patient’s success after surgery. “This recognition underscores the daily commitment and high quality the AAMC Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program team demonstrates every day in the care of our patients,” says Alex Gandsas, MD, MBA, program medical director. AAMC’s bariatric surgery center is designated as a Level I facility and was nationally accredited by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) in 2013. The ACS and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) have since combined their respective national bariatric surgery accreditation programs into a single unified program to achieve one national accreditation standard for bariatric surgery centers, the MBSAQIP. Weight loss surgery options The AAMC Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program’s re-accreditation proves that it consistently meets the highest quality standards of care for the weight loss operations it performs, including sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and adjustable gastric band removal and revision. In the United States, more than 11 million people suffer from severe obesity and an estimated 93 million people are obese. Conditions associated with obesity range from diabetes and heart disease to certain types of cancers. Bariatric surgical procedures have been shown to reduce obesity, improve mortality, and decrease the health risks from chronic diseases such as cardiomyopathy and diabetes. The AAMC Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program is located in Annapolis and Easton. To learn more about weight loss surgery, attend a free seminar at AAMC. Visit askAAMC.org/WeightLoss for more information or to register.
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