MedStaff Update: February 2015

FIRM Ablation Improves Treatment for Atrial Fibrillation

For years, atrial fibrillation, or arrhythmia, was thought to be completely random. But Sanjiv Narayan challenged this theory, developing a way to map the highly complex, but patterned, electrical activity of the heart. Today, he and others at Stanford can pinpoint the area driving the arrhythmia and then target it for ablation — nearly doubling success rates, while reducing the amount of tissue that’s destroyed.

Researchers Get More Than $23 Million to Launch Centers for Big-Data Research

Big data has been heralded as the next frontier of medical discovery. But enormous amounts of data are buried in isolated locations, undiscoverable and underused. Two new centers of excellence at Stanford are being developed to tease out meaning from the vast amount of biomedical information to make the promise of big data a reality.

New Patch Shows Promise in Healing Diabetic-Related and Pressure Ulcers

With no effective therapy for preventing diabetes-related ulcers, and little available treatment, these chronic wounds are the leading cause of non-traumatic amputations in the U.S. Stanford researchers have developed a skin patch that slowly emits deferoxamine, a medication that in low doses works to heal wounds quicker, improve skin quality and prevent future ulcerations. 

Patient Safety: Create a Culture of Safety

It was late spring when 32-year-old Amy, a wife and mother, entered a prestigious medical center’s ambulatory surgery unit for an elective tonsillectomy. Amy was not worried since the hospital where she was having her procedure performed thousands of similar procedures each year. The surgeon explained to Amy and her husband that she would be able to go home by the afternoon.

Featured Guest Contributor

Mark Lane Welton, MD, MHCM, Chief of Staff, SHC, and the Harry A. Oberhelman, Jr, Professor & Chief of Colon & Rectal Surgery

The Surge of 2014 brought into clear focus a few truths. First, Stanford Health Care is in tremendous demand from patients, referring physicians and health care systems. Second, our care providers invariably rise to the challenge and continue to provide outstanding care even under challenging conditions. Third, the administration is teaming with physicians as never before to optimize our ability to deliver the care we all expect to provide to as many patients seeking our care as possible. Finally, we need to reassess our standard work, and look for efficiencies and opportunities that allow us to deliver more cost-effective, patient-centered care.