MedStaff Update: June 2014

The End of Hepatitis C? New Drugs Offer Cure for Most Patients

New directly acting antiviral agents have transformed treatment for chronic Hepatitis C – bringing the cure rate to 90 percent for most patients, cutting treatment duration by more than half and significantly reducing side effects. The only barrier to a cure for many patients now is cost.

Beyond Medical School: Stanford Holds SOS Training for Physicians

In a six-part training session targeted at SHC's physician and administrative leaders, Stanford brought the fundamental principles of the Stanford Operating System to the very people on the front lines responsible for delivering care. As leaders of care teams throughout the hospital, physicians are integral to driving the transformation of health care delivery at SHC.

3D Mammography Improves Detection, Reduces Call Backs

A new technology being used at Stanford's breast imaging centers – 3D tomosynthesis – improves detection of breast cancer and reduces callbacks, which is great news for women, especially those with dense breast tissue.

Patient Safety: Lessons learned

Beware of URFOs

By Steve Chinn, DPM, MS, MBA, Director, Accreditation and Regulatory Affairs

Unintended Retained Foreign Object (URFO) is a health care-acquired condition that occurs in procedural-related settings. To address the prevalence and severity of this problem nationwide, the Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert in October 2013. 

FEATURED GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Chief of Staff

By Mark Lane Welton, MD, Chief of Staff

I am honored and humbled to serve as your Chief of Staff. As I start out, I am reflecting on what it is I would like to accomplish in my short two-year term and it is nothing less than a complete culture change. Many at Stanford have died on that hill, but this is a different time. The change was started by the likes of Ann Weinacker with her focus on the patient experience, Bryan Bohman with his focus on the physician experience, Joe Hopkins and his focus on professionalism and Norm Rizk who appears to need no focus, but simply does it all. The time is also different because leadership is different. We have C-I-CARE and "Target, Actual, Gap, Please Explain." And I will.