Emory Orthopaedists Offer Alternative to Total Hip Replacement

-A total hip replacement has been the customary surgery for individuals who have arthritis of the hip. However, an alternative to traditional hip replacement called hip resurfacing was recently introduced in the United States and now is used by Emory Healthcare doctors.

The procedure preserves more of the natural bone structure of the hip and provides a larger head ball, contributing to a more stable hip joint with the potential for increased range of motion.

Greg Erens, MD, assistant professor in Emory University School of Medicine's Department of Orthopaedics, says he is providing hip resurfacing as alternative to hip replacement for younger, more active patients with significant hip degeneration.

Hip pain due to arthritis or other debilitating hip ailments can severely affect a person's ability to lead a full and active life. Surgery to replace a hip joint that has been damaged can provide great relief from the pain.

"The reason for replacing a joint with an artificial implant is to stop bones from rubbing together, which causes a great deal of pain," says Erens. "However, the goal is not only to prevent pain, but also to improve function. Hip resurfacing can help a patient return to a more normal lifestyle and a higher level of activity."

The hip joint is like a ball and socket. In a traditional total hip replacement, the head ball (femoral head) is completely removed and replaced with a stem inserted into the upper thigh bone (femur). A new head ball is then attached to the stem. A metal socket with an inner liner is utilized.

In a total hip resurfacing, the patient's own femoral head is not removed. Rather, the femoral head is shaped and capped with a metal component, allowing a large head ball to be used and preserving bone which may be needed later on in life. A polished metal socket is used, without the need for an inner liner. This metal-on-metal construct allows very low wear rates. The hip resurfacing components are sized for each patient and made of cobalt chromium metal.

"It's certainly an exciting advance," says Erens. "The large hip ball of a resurfacing gives patients good range of motion, restores more natural hip biomechanics and preserves existing bone.

"Recovery is similar to total hip replacement with early mobilization and return to activity," he adds. "Most patients are walking within 24 hours of surgery with physical therapy. Activity is progressed and most patients find that resuming a more normal, pain-free lifestyle occurs rapidly. Patients have been extremely pleased with the outcome."

Erens cautions, however, that this implant is not for everyone. People with brittle bones, severe deformity of the hip, dead bone or who are significantly overweight are not good candidates for hip resurfacing and may be at increased risk for complications such as femoral neck fracture or early failure of the implant.

Emory Offers Support Program for Children of Cancer Patients

The Emory Winship Cancer Institute is offering a support program for children ages six to 11 whose parents have been diagnosed with cancer.

Known as Children's Lives Include Moments of Bravery, or CLIMB, the program works to enable children to deal with their feelings of sadness, fear, anxiety or anger in the wake of a parent's cancer diagnosis.

The next CLIMB program begins June 3, and will run for six weeks. Children's parents do not have to be Emory patients in order to participate, and a separate support program for the parents of enrolled children will be held.

"Cancer affects the entire family," says Rebecca Sizemore, social worker at Emory Winship and director of the CLIMB program. "Every cancer patient has a tremendous amount to work through, including talking to his or her children about cancer. This program focuses on the children, and how they can express their feelings and learn more about what a cancer diagnosis means."

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 300,000 parents with children under 18 will be diagnosed with cancer this year. For these children, an estimated 590,000, family dynamics will change drastically, often evoking anxiety about their parents' future as well as their own.

Emory Winship was certified in 2007 by the Children's Treehouse Foundation to provide this program. Founded in 2001, the foundation is the only such organization in the country to provide cancer-focused training and programming dedicated to improving the emotional health of children whose parents have cancer.

"The CLIMB program provides training and certification in addressing this critical need," says Sizemore. "We are proud of having earned this certification and we look forward to offering this service to the Atlanta community."

For more information, or to register, contact Rebecca Sizemore at 404-778-5926 or e-mail her at rebecca.sizemore@emoryhealthcare.org.

Mastectomies on the Rise and MRI Use May Explain Part of the Trend, Say Mayo Researchers

The number of women undergoing mastectomy (total breast removal) for early-stage breast cancer has increased in the last three years at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The increase follows a steady decline during the prior seven years.

Researchers say the reasons for this increase are unclear. But they have determined that women at Mayo Clinic who underwent diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to surgery to treat early-stage breast cancer had a higher rate of mastectomy, compared to women who did not have an MRI.

"We found that if a woman undergoes an MRI before surgery, she is about 10 percent to 15 percent more likely to have a mastectomy, compared to women who did not undergo MRI," says the study's lead author, Rajini Katipamula, M.D., a senior clinical fellow in hematology/oncology.

Results will be presented May 31 at the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and are being highlighted in an ASCO press conference on May 15. The study's senior author, Matthew Goetz, M.D., assistant professor of oncology at Mayo Clinic, will participate in that press conference.

Mayo researchers evaluated mastectomy trends by year and by use of preoperative breast MRI among 5,414 women who had surgery for early-stage breast cancer at Mayo Clinic between 1997 and 2006. They found that the mastectomy rate declined from 44 percent in 1997 to 30 percent in 2003, but then had risen to 43 percent in 2006. During this time, the percentage of women who had breast MRI more than doubled, from 11 percent in 2003 to 23 percent in 2006. The mastectomy rate was significantly higher in women who had a presurgical MRI (52 percent) compared to women who did not have the test and chose breast removal (41 percent).

"Our study is the largest to examine the association between MRI and mastectomy rates at a single institution and may reflect national trends," says Dr. Goetz.

Dr. Goetz says that MRI, which easily detects both cancerous and noncancerous breast lesions, may prompt a woman or her physician to choose total breast removal instead of lumpectomy, even though both procedures have long been proven to offer the same survival benefit.

"What we don't know from this study is whether the higher rate of mastectomy observed in our patients undergoing MRI is related to the detection of additional disease, or whether the uncertainty raised by MRI leads to greater anxiety for the patient and physician, thus leading patients and physicians to choose mastectomy over lumpectomy," says Dr. Goetz.

"Although MRI was associated with a higher mastectomy rate, we cannot assume it is a cause-and-effect relationship," says co-author Amy Degnim, M.D., a breast surgeon at Mayo Clinic and an assistant professor of surgery. "More investigation at an individual level is needed to understand better how MRI may impact personal choices for breast cancer surgery."

Dr. Goetz says that, while MRI was associated with an increased mastectomy rate, the mastectomy rates also increased in women who did not undergo MRI, suggesting other factors are playing an important role in the decision-making process of patients and physicians.

"In the past 10 years, we have observed numerous changes in the preoperative management of patients with breast cancer," says Dr. Goetz. "In addition to new imaging modalities such as MRI, more women are familiar with the role of genetics as a risk factor for breast cancer, and some of our patients are undergoing testing. Additionally, there has been improved access to better breast reconstruction methods."

Lumpectomy plus radiation therapy (known as breast conserving therapy [BCT]) has been the standard of care for most women with early-stage disease since 1990. That year, the National Institutes of Health issued a report stating that BCT was as effective as mastectomy for overall survival for most women with stage I or stage II breast cancer. Shortly thereafter, mastectomy rates began to decline. But the data from Mayo Clinic suggest that this trend may be in reversal.

Other Mayo Clinic researchers involved with this study included Tanya Hoskin; Judy Boughey, M.D.; Clive Grant, M.D.; Kathy Brandt, M.D.; Charles Loprinzi, M.D.; and Sandhya Pruthi, M.D.

This research was supported in part by the Paul Calabresi Program in Clinical-Translational Research at Mayo Clinic and the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence.

Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Gives $6 Million to Further Childhood Brain Tumor Research at Duke

The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) is giving $6 million to its research institute at Duke University to further the work started by a $6 million grant it gave in 2003 to create the institute, Duke President Richard H. Brodhead and Chancellor for Health Affairs Victor J. Dzau, M.D., announced Wednesday.

PBTF co-founders Mike and Dianne Traynor presented the new grant at a reception held Wednesday at Duke's Levine Science Research Center.

"The grant to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Institute at Duke from the foundation is very emblematic of their role in moving childhood brain tumor research forward in the United States and worldwide," said Darell Bigner, M.D., Ph.D., director of the PBTF Institute at Duke. "On behalf of Duke and on behalf of all of our childhood brain tumor patients, I want to thank the foundation for the support and the opportunity to help these children."

Researchers at the PBTF Institute at Duke will use the funds to continue their study of pediatric brain tumors, which are the leading cause of cancer death in children and adolescents. Four out of ten children with brain tumors die within five years of diagnosis.

Since Duke received the initial $6 million grant five years ago, PBTF-funded research at Duke has focused on projects aimed at developing gene-based therapies, vaccines and other novel treatments for common childhood brain tumors, including medulloblastomas and astrocytomas.

"Science is moving very fast now and the technology that's available today simply wasn't around even five years ago," Bigner said. "We are now able to develop new therapies that not only will be effective but won't damage the nervous systems and brains of these children. The grants from the foundation have really been the catalyst to make a lot of this work possible, not only at Duke but at the three other institutions where similar institutes are housed."

"The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Institute at Duke is the largest basic research collaborative in existence for pediatric brain tumors," said Dianne Traynor, the foundation's director of research funding and advocacy. "We are excited about the advances Duke is making and hopeful that, together with our other research institutes, they will find a cure."

Researchers at Duke share their results with their counterparts at the foundation's three other institutes, housed at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles; the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada; and the University of California, San Francisco. Since 2003, the PBTF has given a total of $13 million to its three institutes.

The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Asheville, N.C., and is the world's largest non-governmental funder of childhood brain tumor research. Its programs include free educational information about brain tumors, internet conferences, college scholarships for brain tumor survivors and Ride for Kids, a charity motorcycle event and program.

Cases Of Recreational Water Illnesses On The Rise

Cases Of Recreational Water Illnesses On The Rise
Cryptosporidiosis or Crypto, a chlorine-resistant parasite, is likely to pose an even bigger challenge in the future. More recreational water illnesses (RWI) outbreaks were reported in 2007 than ever before, and the numbers could increase in the coming years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)... More

New Method Proposed for Determining Which Patients Should Get Treatment for Colorectal Cancer

News:

* A new study being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago (Abstract #4020), may change treatment practice in about 25 percent of patients with colon cancer and is the basis for proposed changes to the way colorectal cancers will be staged.

* This new study, using National Cancer Institute (NCI) SEER population-based statistic registries from 1992 to 2004, and phase III clinical trial data, shows that outcomes of patients with positive nodes (Stage III) in colorectal cancer interact, to a greater extent than previously thought, with how deeply the cancer penetrates the bowel wall.

* Survival outcomes depend on the thickness of the primary cancer within or beyond the bowel wall in addition to whether nodes are positive or negative. A patient with a node positive 'thin' lesion (i.e., confined to the bowel wall) has a stage III cancer with better survival outcomes than a patient with a Stage II node negative 'thick' cancer that penetrates beyond the bowel wall. The current standard of practice for colon cancer patients is that all or most Stage III patients receive chemotherapy after surgical removal of their cancer, but Stage II patients do not routinely receive chemotherapy. In a separate National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) analysis, patients with Stage III colon cancers confined to the bowel wall who did not receive chemotherapy still had better survival than Stage II patients.

* Guidelines for adjuvant therapy may need re-examination in future clinical trials as well as more research into the molecular basis for the interplay between a primary cancer's ability to penetrate the bowel wall and to spread to regional nodes.

* Also, the survival of patients whose cancers invade beyond the bowel wall to involve adjacent structures or organs is worse than that of patients whose cancers merely penetrate to the surface of the bowel wall (the reverse had been thought to be true).

* This abstract/poster will be presented by Dr. Leonard L. Gunderson, M.D., a radiation oncologist from Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Ariz., and Vice Chair of the Hindgut Task Force of the American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC) that proposes changes to current guidelines. J. Milburn Jessup, M.D., NCI, part of the National Institutes of Health, is the chair of the Task Force.

Quotes:

* J. Milburn Jessup, M.D.: "These proposed changes could lead to real clinical benefit for many colorectal cancer patients and also lessen the amount of treatment that patients with thin lesions may need."

* John E. Niederhuber, M.D., Director, NCI: "Simple advances in treatment that are derived by comparing national statistics to clinical data are greatly welcomed and are an excellent example of moving the field forward by some basic, low-cost methods."

* Leonard L. Gunderson, M.D.: "The current SEER analysis confirms that patients with node positive colon or rectal cancers that do not extend beyond the bowel wall have better survival than previously thought."
Multimedia:

* For still images related to colorectal cancer, go to: http://visualsonline.cancer.gov/details.cfm?imageid=1768; http://visualsonline.cancer.gov/details.cfm?imageid=2345

* For video of chemotherapy and other treatments, go to: http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/b-roll-treatment
http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2008-rst/4807.html?src=email-release

CDC Recommends Shingles Vaccine

People age 60 and older should be vaccinated against shingles, or herpes zoster, a condition often marked by debilitating chronic pain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended today.

CDC recommends a single dose of the zoster vaccine, Zostavax, for adults 60 years of age and older even if they have had a prior episode of shingles. The new full recommendation replaces a provisional recommendation that the CDC made in 2006, after the vaccine was licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a committee of immunization experts who advise CDC on immunization policy.

The recommendation was published in an early release electronic edition of CDC's Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report (MMWR) Recommendations and Reports. The ACIP recommendation becomes CDC policy once it is published in the MMWR.

Researchers found that, overall, in those ages 60 and above the vaccine reduced the occurrence of shingles by about 50 percent. For individuals ages 60-69 it reduced occurrence by 64 percent. The most common side effects in people who received Zostavax were redness, pain and tenderness, swelling at the site of injection, itching and headache.

Over 95 percent of people are infected by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), during their lifetime. The virus causes the common childhood disease chickenpox and then becomes dormant within the nerves. If it reactivates later in life, the result can be shingles. Shingles is characterized by clusters of blisters, which develop on one side of the body in a band-like pattern and can cause severe pain that may last for weeks, months or years. About one in three persons will develop shingles during their lifetimes, resulting in about one million cases of shingles per year.

Chickenpox (also called varicella) is usually mild, but it can be serious, especially in young infants and adults. Children who have never had chickenpox should get two doses of chickenpox vaccine starting at 12 months of age.

The risk of contracting shingles increases with age starting at around 50, and is highest in the elderly. Half of people living to age 85 have had or will get shingles. The risk of experiencing chronic pain also increases with age.

Shingles Facts

* Anyone who has had chicken pox can get shingles. That means over 95 percent of adults are at risk.
* Approximately one-third of the U.S. population will get shingles.
* More than half of older adults do not understand the seriousness of shingles and its complications.
* The risk of complications from shingles rises after 60 years of age.

For more information about the shingles vaccine, please visit our Website at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/default.htm

Newt Gingrich Speaks In Atlanta On “The 21st Century Nurse”

In recognition of National Nurses Week, Newt Gingrich spoke to more than 75 Piedmont Hospital nurses on “The 21st Century Nurse” on May 7. He focused on transformational leadership and the future role of nursing and followed the speech with questions and answers.

“Piedmont not only seeks innovative ideas for transforming our healthcare system it also implements solutions to benefit its employees, its patients and the community as a whole,” said Newt Gingrich, founder of the Center for Health Transformation and former Speaker of the House.

Prior to his talk, Gingrich went on rounds on nursing units at Piedmont Hospital, including an intensive care unit, the Waters Pavilion, an acute care unit, and the “command center” of the hospital—bed control. The tour was an opportunity for him to see the technology at the bedside - both medical administration and documentation - diabetes care, and tracking technology.

“Having Mr. Gingrich here was inspiring for our nurses. His immense leadership experience is something we can all learn from,” said Connie Whittington, MSN, RN, ONC, vice president of Piedmont Hospital Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer. “As a strong proponent for bettering the healthcare system, he encouraged nurses to take a more active role in facing the unique challenges of the 21st century.”

Newt Gingrich founded the Center for Health Transformation in 2003 to promote change in healthcare systems, provide more and better healthcare choices at a lower cost and to implement change by sharing healthcare solutions and influencing public policy. Gingrich, who served as U.S. Speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999, is well known for his commitment to better healthcare for all Americans. Named “Man of the Year” in 1995 by Time Magazine, Gingrich has continued to receive awards and work to improve healthcare through the Center for Health Transformation and his involvement in numerous other healthcare-focused organizations and efforts.

Piedmont Hospital began a week-long celebration of the devoted and passionate spirit of its nursing staff on Monday. National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from National Nurses Day on May 6, also the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, through May 12. National Nurses Week highlights the many ways in which nurses, the largest health care profession, are working to improve health care.

For more information on Piedmont Hospital, visit www.piedmonthospital.org.

Think FAST To Determine If Someone Is Having A Stroke

NAPSI-Quick thinking and prompt action can help keep you and yours from being among the 700,000 strokes that occur in the U.S. annually and result in 160,000 deaths.

Carotid arteries in the neck build up plaque as we age. Strokes result either from obstruction of blood flow to the brain by plaque or when bits of plaque and clots break off and flow to the brain. Left untreated, carotid artery disease may lead to stroke, where lack of oxygen and other essential nutrients cause damage to the brain.

It is sometimes difficult to know if someone is having a stroke. The National Stroke Association recommends this simple test to determine if someone is having a stroke:

If you are diagnosed with carotid artery disease, see a vascular surgeon. Visit www.VascularWeb.org for more information.

Think FAST

F = Face. Ask the person to smile. Does one side of her face droop?

A = Arms. Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S = Speech. Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does his speech sound slurred or strange?

T = Time. If you observe any of these signs, it’s time to call 911.

Emory University Hospital Named to Georgia Hospital Association Quality Honor Roll

Emory University Hospital has been named as one of only 23 hospitals in the state to the Georgia Hospital Association's (GHA) Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) Quality Honor Roll.

The honor roll is based on clinical data provided by the federal Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), which administers the nation's Medicare and Medicaid programs. The data was collected from October 2006 through September 2007.

"This is a great accomplishment for Emory University Hospital," says Joseph Parker, president of GHA. "This recognition further underscores the commitment of the Emory staff to ensuring that every patient receives the best, most effective health care possible."

The CMS data details how well a hospital's caregivers adhere to a list of 10 Appropriate Care Measures (ACM) which are the clinical processes of care that are known to be the most effective methods of treatment for patients who have suffered heart attacks, heart failure or pneumonia. For instance, a recommended treatment to help prevent a heart attack is to take aspirin either before or upon arrival at the hospital. A hospital's adherence to these recommended clinical practices usually leads to better outcomes.

"At Emory Healthcare we are committed to enhancing our national leadership in clinical quality through our many educational, cultural and process-driven initiatives, says Emory Healthcare Chief Quality Officer William Bornstein, MD, PhD. "This recognition certainly validates our continuing efforts, but it also inspires us to continue challenging ourselves to improve each day.

"By maintaining a constant focus on our quality promise to our patients, we recognize that clinical outcomes improve, care is safer, and patients and families experience better service," says Bornstein.

PIEDMONT NEWNAN HOSPITAL RECEIVES STATE APPROVAL OF CERTIFICATE OF NEED FOR NEW HOSPITAL FACILITY

Piedmont Newnan Hospital has received approval on its Certificate of Need (CON) Application for a replacement hospital facility from the Georgia Department of Community Health, Division of Health Planning. The application was submitted in late January, and no opposition was filed against the application.

“We are so pleased and excited about this approval," said Michael Bass, president and CEO of Piedmont Newnan Hospital. “We know how anxious the community is for this new facility and appreciate the support of many who have helped in this process.”

“We plan to develop a technologically advanced, healing environment capable of adapting to the growing and ever-changing healthcare needs of the community,” Bass continued.

The facility will be located on approximately105 acres on Poplar Road near Interstate 85. The application defined a 362,376-square-foot, 136-bed hospital facility on nine floors to improve patient access and wayfinding; provide flexibility for changing clinical, technology and community needs; increase operational efficiencies; and accommodate future growth. Private, inpatient rooms will be adaptable to varying acuity needs of patients and will include 14 post-partum beds, 18 critical care beds and 104 general medical/surgical patient beds. The facility will feature 8 operating rooms and 23 patient rooms in the Emergency Department. The new hospital will be designed to provide an optimal setting for efficient, quality patient care.

The hospital will also utilize sustainable building strategies – such as energy efficiencies and water reuse and conservation technologies – in an effort to reduce future operating costs, provide a healthier work environment, and reduce the overall environmental impact of the project. It has been designed to comply with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™.

Designated green spaces and natural areas will serve to organize the overall campus and provide restorative spaces for patients, visitors and staff. These “green belts” will be used to facilitate wayfinding, extending from public parking to the lobby and along the public mall. The public mall will simplify access to many of the clinical services and destinations for patients and visitors, such as radiology, laboratory, cardiopulmonary and respiratory therapy services.

Phase I of the campus development includes the hospital as well as a support services building to house areas such as human resources, cardiac rehabilitation and education. Plans call for approximately 1,000 parking spaces to accommodate patients, visitors and staff.

Gregory A. Hurst, PNH board chairman and chief operating officer for Piedmont Healthcare, said, “We are appreciative of the State's review and approval of our application as we know how important this hospital is to the entire community. In addition, we value the community for its ongoing support of Piedmont Newnan Hospital during this transition time."

Project costs are $193,680,000. With regulatory approvals in place, construction will begin in October 2008, and the new hospital will open to serve the community by early 2011.

Fastest Minimally-Invasive In-Office biolitec Laser Treatment for BPH Hailed by AUA Surgeons as Most Effective, with Lowest Costs

BUSINESS WIRE--Three leading urological surgeons reporting to groups of peer doctors this Saturday, May 17 at the 2008 American Urological Association’s National Scientific meeting disclosed their highly successful results involving their first biolitec-produced high-power EVOLVE^® laser treatments with U.S. BPH patients. Patients, with benign prostate hyperplasia, or enlarged prostate, were treated with the latest minimally-invasive laser techniques performed in office settings, reducing procedures to less than 10 minutes time while avoiding expensive overnight hospital stays and deductibles.

Key to the successful new treatment is the recently cleared 150-watt EVOLVE diode laser, demonstrated at this week’s meeting. Beyond shortening treatment times and facilitating vaporization and coagulation (tissue removal without strong bleeding), the new technique offers minimal side effects and fastest recovery times.

According to biolitec, the new high-power 150-watt laser, which has been shipping to various U.S. urology facilities since January 1, is experiencing strong growth and is expected to surge considerably beyond EVOLVE laser systems’ current 20 percent U.S. market penetration.

The laser’s high power reduces treatment time for ablating the prostatic tissue that causes obstruction in urine flow. In-office ambulatory treatment under local anesthesia is simple and fast, with patients remaining fully conscious.

Significance of this new treatment option is heightened by the high incidence of BPH in one of every two men over age 60, and in nearly every U.S. male 80 and older. No hospitalization is required and patients out-of-pocket cost is typically an office co-pay.

Professionals attending this week’s AUA conference heard actual experiential case data from Mark Swierzewski, MD, of Tampa Bay Urology, in Florida, James Ulchaker, MD, of Cleveland Clinic, David S. Turk, MD, Southwest Urology, Cleveland, (who previously received AUA’s 2007 Thirlby Award for presenting his earliest successes with the technique) and Ali Erol, MD, Duzce University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Other competitive laser options differences are in design, wavelength, power levels, anesthesia and treatment settings. The new treatment can now be offered in a gentle manner on an out-patient basis at any clinic or urology practice, without expensive anesthesia.

Breathe Easy this Allergy Season

HHH note: May is Allergy & Asthma Awareness Month. According to the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, Atlanta ranks number 4 for America's Allergy Capitals.

(ARA) – For the millions of Americans who suffer from asthma and allergies, a dust-free home may be just what the doctor ordered. As allergy season approaches, it is a good time to put dusting on top of your cleaning checklist. Here are some tips for allergy-proofing your home from board-certified physician and author of “Allergies & Asthma for Dummies,” Dr. William E. Berger:

“House dust is one of the most prevalent – and unavoidable – allergy triggers in any home,” says Dr. Berger. “Since you can’t control the allergens outside your home, dusting is just one of the several easy steps you can take to allergy-proof the inside.”

Don’t Sleep on It

You are not the only one who loves your bed; so do dust mites. In fact, an average bed contains 2 million dust mites, which means it’s possible to breathe in significant amounts of allergens while sleeping. However, a few simple steps can be taken to ensure those mites are not sleeping in your bed.

* Cover all mattresses and pillows with zippered, dust-proof covers. Choose a material, like plastic, vinyl or fabrics, with pores too small to allow dust mites through.

* Wash bed sheets and blankets every week in hot water – at least 130 degrees F – to kill dust mites.

Don’t Sit on It

Dusting furniture alone will not eliminate dust and pet dander. Some products, such as feather dusters or dusting cloths, simply stir up dust in the air instead of eliminating the allergens within dust and pet dander.

* Use a product that contains allergen trappers. Pledge Furniture Polish removes up to 84 percent of allergens from dust mites and pet dander found in dust.

* If you have severe allergies, avoid furniture made from upholstery. Instead choose wood, plastic, vinyl or leather furniture; these materials are easier to clean than fabric.

Don’t Touch it

Certain places in the home can be a breeding ground for dust mites and pet dander. Making smart choices when picking furniture and household accessories can make a difference for allergy sufferers.

* Pet dander is more easily collected in carpeting and thick rugs. To help make allergy-proofing easier, choose bare floors over carpeting where you can use cleaning products to pick up and remove allergens from pet dander. Using a vacuum with a HEPA filter at least once a week is an alternative option.

* Allergy sufferers should avoid curtains and instead opt for shades or blinds that are easy to clean.

Go to www.pledge.com to learn more about allergen-reducing Pledge products and for more tips on reducing allergens in your home.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Governor Perdue Signs CMO Reform Bill

Today Governor Sonny Perdue visited Putnam General Hospital in Eatonton to sign House Bill 1234, a comprehensive reform of the way the Department of Community Health contracts with Care Management Organizations (CMOs) and to provide benefits for members of Georgia’s Peachcare for Kids and Medicaid programs.

“The two primary goals of shifting to managed care were to reduce the unsustainable slope of increasing healthcare costs for Peachcare and Medicaid and to encourage healthy lifestyles among those covered by these two programs,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “I believe we have achieved both of those goals, and the reforms in this bill will continue to improve the delivery of these services.”

In 2006, the State awarded contracts to three CMOs for the delivery of services through the Peachcare for Kids and Medicaid programs. The three CMOs are Amerigroup Community Care, Peach State Health Plan and WellCare. HB 1234 includes numerous provisions to improve the delivery of services to plan members and the relationship between the CMOs and Georgia’s health care providers.

“Governor Perdue took the bold step of transitioning nearly 1 million Medicaid recipients to managed care through care management organizations in an effort to control costs and improve healthcare outcomes. HB 1234 is an attempt to refine and improve this effort,” said Rep. Mickey Channell, sponsor of the legislation. “The legislation streamlines the management of costs and healthcare outcomes, stabilizes procedures and processes, and increases transparency so that the standards by which care is either provided or denied are known to providers and patients. Healthcare providers, Medicaid patients, and the State of Georgia should benefit from this bill.”

Senator Johnny Grant and Senator Greg Goggans also attended today’s bill signing ceremony, and Governor Perdue thanked them for their efforts in passing the bill in the Senate.

Among the provisions in the bill are requiring CMOs to post contracted-providers names on a website so that members can make informed choices about their physicians of choice. The legislation also addresses the dental network and streamlines the appeals process for providers who submit claims to CMOs.

For more information on the bill, go to www.legis.state.ga.us.

Piedmont Hospital Offers Free Skin Cancer and Stroke Screenings

Piedmont Hospital invites the community to a skin cancer and stroke screening event on Saturday, May 17 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Cancer Center, 77 Building, 5th Floor, Piedmont Hospital, 1968 Peachtree Road, N.W., Atlanta, 30309. In honor of Melanoma Awareness Month in May, Piedmont dermatologists and physicians assistants will offer free skin cancer screenings to the community.

In observance of Stroke Awareness Month, there will also be an opportunity to assess the risk of stroke by Piedmont’s Neuroscience Services. No registration is required, but appointments are recommended for the five-minute skin cancer screening.

The event is free and open to the general public. For more information or to make an appointment, please call 1-866-900-4321 or visit www.piedmonthospital.org.