MedStaff Update: April 2014

Bringing Whole Genome Testing to the Clinical Setting

It has been just over ten years since the completion of the Human Genome Project, where the first human genome was sequenced. Now, Stanford clinicians are taking the first steps to applying genome sequencing to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with difficult to diagnose diseases in a new pilot project run by the Stanford Clinical Genomics Service.

Integrated Adult and Pediatric Ear Institute to Open in June

As part of a department-wide effort to expand otolaryngology services, Stanford is opening the Stanford Ear Institute in late June, bringing together all adult and pediatric hearing and balance specialties under one roof in a new off campus location, and freeing up space on Welch Road to expand other services.

Stanford Coordinated Care Reinvents the Classic Disease Management Model

Stanford Coordinated Care has shown that when you care for patients with chronic illness, who account for 80 percent of health care spending, and invest in helping them manage their health, you can achieve the triple aim – Better care, better health and lower cost.

Patient Safety: Lessons Learned
Listening to Your Patient Is Essential

By Steve Chinn, DPM, MS, MBA, Director, Accreditation, Quality & Patient Safety

This story comes straight from the risk management files. A patient injured in a motor vehicle accident had a four-hour hip surgery that required the use of a perineal post pad between his legs, with traction. On post-op day two, he complained of scrotal pain, swelling and bruising. The pain was considerably greater in the scrotum than in the hip or legs. He asked to see an urologist, but the primary medical team told him and the nursing staff to apply ice and the edema should go away on its own. Throughout the day, however, he continued to report scrotal pain and asked again to see an urologist. He was upset and did not feel his concerns were being addressed.

FEATURED GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

State of the Medical Staff Address

By Ann Weinacker, MD, Chief of Staff

As I finish my term as Chief of Staff, I'd like to share a few thoughts on the state of the Stanford Hospital & Clinics medical staff. Over the past three years the medical staff has continued to grow and mature as a self-governing organization of physicians who care about our patients, our colleagues and our organization. We have faced the challenge of increasing clinical needs in a hospital that is bulging at the seams. We have improved quality in nearly every arena. And we have improved the experience of our patients as evidenced by measures like Press Ganey, but also by the unsolicited comments from patients about the outstanding and compassionate care they receive from the physicians and staff at SHC.