News & Press Releases
General Page Tier 3
AAMC Recognized for Quality Heart and Stroke Care
Blog
Anne 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 Releases
General Page Tier 3
Recognizing a Hero of the Opioid Epidemic
Blog
“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 Loss
General Page Tier 3
AAMC Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program Recognized as Comprehensive Center
Blog
Anne 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.
Graduate Medical Education, News & Press Releases
General Page Tier 3
AAMC Welcomes First Class of Residents
Blog
Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) will welcome six general surgery residents this summer. In 2014, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education approved Graduate Medical Education (GME) at AAMC. The GME program at AAMC provides training to doctors after they have completed medical school. This year’s cohort will be the first class of residents for AAMC.
Post-graduate year one (PGY-1) 2017- 2022 residents
Udai Sibia, MD, Avalon University School of Medicine (Curaçao); Abdel-Moneim Elfatih Salah Mohamed Ali, MD, University of Khartoum Faculty of Medicine (Sudan); and Whitney Davidson, MD, University of Kansas School of Medicine.
Post-graduate year two (PGY-2) 2017-2021 residents
Brandon Anderson, MD, Howard University College of Medicine; Shyam Jayaraman, MD, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (New Delhi)/Vanderbilt Medical Center; and Bernardo Diaz, MD, Ross University (West Indies)/UCLA Kern Medical Center.
“Anne Arundel Medical Center is committed to excellence and innovation,” says Barry Meisenberg, MD, designated institutional official of Graduate Medical Education at AAMC. “Graduate medical education at Anne Arundel Medical Center helps us fulfill our role in the larger world of health and medicine. It ensures a future of talented and well-trained doctors. It’s also an opportunity to improve population health, provide better individualized care and help lower health care costs.”
While AAMC has a long history of training medical students, visiting residents, fellows, nursing and medical tech students, this begins a new era for AAMC. The residents will begin residency in July. In addition to general surgery, AAMC will establish future GME programs to include Internal Medicine.
Graduate Medical Education, News & Press Releases
General Page Tier 3
Q&A with AAMC’s General Surgery Residency Program Director Alex Gandsas
Blog
After a successful Match Day, Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) will welcome six general surgery residents in July. General Surgery is AAMC’s first residency program, making this year’s resident cohort our inaugural class. What does this mean for AAMC? Alex Gandsas, MD, MBA, FACS, program director for the General Surgery Residency Program, answers this question and more.
As the program director, how do you feel leading the first residency program at Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC)?
I am very excited to be the program director of our first residency [General Surgery] at AAMC. I think all eyes will be on us to set the example and expectation of future programs. It is extremely fulfilling to teach the next generation of young physicians, and we are ready to get started.
How was our applicant pool?
We had over 700 applications for our three first-year positions. We had to narrow that group, and actually reviewed about 100 applications, conducted 57 interviews and finally ranked 47 candidates.
In addition, we had about 60 applications for our three second-year positions. We interviewed 17 candidates to fill those spots.
How would you describe this year’s class of residents?
We are fortunate to have six exceptional residents joining us on July 1. They have diverse backgrounds and excellent recommendations from their schools/former programs.
Dr. Alex Gandsas
How will our new residents become oriented with AAMC?
Our new residents are already getting oriented and completing pre-requisites before they arrive. When they get here, they will have four full days of orientation to complete employment requirements, meet our leadership team, get Epic training, complete TeamStepps and other simulation as well as a meet and greet with our nursing team. The week will end with a surgical “boot camp.” It will be a busy week!
Do you foresee the residency changing the culture at AAMC?
Residents will support and enhance our culture of patient safety and performance improvement. They will be actively involved in research and evidence-based medicine, living on the cutting edge of innovation and technology. They will be integrated into our quality structure and provide even more eyes on the patient.
How will the residents impact patient safety?
Residents will be integrated into the established culture of patient safety at AAMC. We will establish complete transparency with the residents, and even require them to report any patient safety concerns. They will be involved in LEAN processes and root cause analyses, and be an integral part of leading patient-safety projects.
How will residents enhance research activities at AAMC?
As a part of their residency, our residents will be required to complete a research project that can be presented at a local or national forum. With the help of our excellent faculty, the director of surgical research and the Research Institute, our residents will be afforded every opportunity to participate in research.
How would you generally describe our program curriculum, and how does our program stand out from others?
We have put together an amazing curriculum that includes our required surgical rotations, conferences, and more. Residents will have structured clinical work and education hours that will provide them flexibility in the learning environment to care for our patients. We have also carefully developed a full day of educational time that will include conferences and simulation. Each Friday, they will also cover a curriculum in research, quality, wellbeing/leadership and bioethics/humanities. This is truly an educational environment where our residents will have both an excellent clinical and academic experience.
To learn more about Graduate Medical Education at AAMC, www.askAAMC.org/GME