Medicine 

Network: December 2008

Glenda Williamson, RN, OCN, visits a patient in the newly renovated inpatient oncology unit at Sentara CarePlex Hospital.

Inpatient Oncology Unit Renovated at Sentara CarePlex Hospital
Sentara CarePlex Hospital recently renovated an inpatient oncology unit to help streamline hospital care for oncology patients by locating ICU, stepdown and medicine beds together in one place under the care of oncology certified nurses. The improved unit now provides increased convenience for cancer patients and their family members because patients no longer need to be moved to different areas of the hospital as their health status changes. This unit complements the Dorothy G. Hoefer Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center at Sentara Port Warwick, which opened in 2007. Together, the oncology teams of both Sentara CarePlex Hospital and Sentara Port Warwick offer a multi-disciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients. 

 Watch or Download a Podcast of Bill Still As He Talks to Patient Navigator Glenda Williamson

New Knee Implant Procedure Offered at Sentara Obici Hospital
Orthopedic surgeons at Sentara Obici are now offering the JourneyDeuce™ Knee System, a partial knee resurfacing implant that preserves bones and ligaments otherwise sacrificed by total knee placement. The procedure targets degeneration from osteoarthritis and spares the cruciate ligament, providing faster rehabilitation and greater range of motion post-surgery. Physicians estimate that up to 70% of patients normally facing total knee replacement may benefit from this less invasive procedure.

XIENCE V™ drug-eluting stent

 Sentara Using Next Generation Drug-Eluting Stent
Sentara Heart Hospital and Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital have begun using the XIENCE V™ drug-eluting stent, which recently received FDA approval. Trials using the XIENCE V™, with the new drug-coating Everolimus, show lower rates of restenosis (renarrowing of the artery) than with first-generation coated stents or bare metal stents. Read more details on cardiac services at Sentara.

Sentara Introduces New Treatment for Liver Cancer Sentara Norfolk General Hospital was the first in the area to begin using Selective Internal Radiation (SIR) Spheres Therapy to target advanced liver cancer. This non-surgical, outpatient therapy places a catheter in the femoral artery of the upper thigh which is threaded through the major blood vessel of the liver. Through this catheter, microscopic spheres are delivered directly to the tumor where they become trapped. For about two weeks, the injected spheres radiate the tumor, destroying the cancerous cells from the inside. SIR-Spheres® can safely deliver many times more radiation than conventional techniques. While SIR-Spheres® therapy is not considered a cure, it can extend survival, sometimes by years, and improve patients’ quality of life. Learn more about the therapy.

Comprehensive Breast Center Opens at Sentara Leigh Hospital
Sentara Leigh Hospital has opened a Comprehensive Breast Center in the newly renovated 880 Building, Kempsville Road, across the parking lot from the Advanced Imaging Center. The Breast Center has added new staff, physicians, technology and services to enhance and consolidate breast care offerings. Sentara Leigh recently joined the National Consortium of Breast Centers, an organization committed to sharing the latest clinical data and best practices in the field, and to developing voluntary standards for excellence in breast care. Read a press release about the center.

Webcast Held on Lumpectomy and IntraBeam® Radiation Therapy
Drs. Richard Hoefer, Michael Miller and Song Kang performed a successful live surgery Webcast from Sentara CarePlex Hospital that was broadcast on Sentara's Web site on October 22, 2008, featuring a lumpectomy for breast cancer followed by IntraBeam® radiation therapy. To view the Webcast or watch an archived edition, log onto ExploreHealth with Sentara from a computer that can host flash video.

Urology Webcast Draws Viewers
A live Webcast was held in late August 2008 on the AdVance™ Male Sling System, the first minimally invasive product specifically designed to correct incontinence in men following prostate cancer surgery. The Webcast broadcast on www.sentara.com/explorehealth drew a record 72 e-mail questions for Drs. Kurt McCammon and Robert Given of Urology of Virginia, a Sentara Medical Group practice. It’s the first time Sentara has used a pre-taped surgery format and live interviews with previous patients. More than 1,760 visitors have viewed the Webcast and more than 6,200 viewers to the launch page. To view the Webcast or watch an archived edition, log onto ExploreHealth with Sentara from a computer that can host flash video.

Outpatient Hemorrhoid Procedure Offered at Williamsburg Surgery
Hemorrhoids afflict an estimated three out of four people at some time in their lives. Williamsburg Surgery, a Sentara Medical Group practice, is now offering Infrared Coagulation (IRC) treatment that can reduce hemorrhoids without surgery. IRC is a non-surgical, non-invasive technique using bursts of infrared light that cause hemorrhoids to shrink and recede. The procedure is performed in the office setting without anesthesia. Patients may return to their normal activities the same day. Read a press release about the procedure.

Sentara Obici Breast Center Upgrades, Joins National Consortium
The Sentara Obici Breast Center is adding Breast MRI imaging and MRI-guided biopsy to its list of services, with an $800,000 software upgrade to the hospital’s MRI that allows the addition of Breast MRI imaging and MRI-guided needle biopsies to improve diagnosis. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a high-definition imaging method that eliminates patients’ exposure to X-ray radiation. In addition, Sentara Obici has also joined the National Consortium of Breast Centers.

Sentara Medical Group Welcomes the Following Physicians:
- Ekow Acquah, MD, Hospital Medicine, Sentara Obici Hospital, Suffolk
- Julie Damman, MD, The Dedicated Care Center and The Executive Evaluation Center, Norfolk
- Surjya P. Das, MD, Cardiology, Sentara Cardiology Specialists, Williamsburg
- Deepak N. Deshmukh, DO, Vascular & Transplant Specialists, Chesapeake and Sentara Heart Hospital, Norfolk
- Albert H. Francis, MD, Family Medicine, Sentara Family Medicine Specialists, Peninsula Towne
- Ernie L. Graves, PA, Family Medicine, Little Neck Medical Associates & Urgent Center, Virginia Beach
- Melvin Green Jr., MD, Internal Medicine, Sentara Internal Medicine Physicians, CarePlex West, Hampton
- Adam M. Gulhan, MD, Neurology, Sentara Neurology Specialists, Sentara Heart Hospital
- Melvin R. Johnson, MD, Internal Medicine, Sentara Internal Medicine Physicians, CarePlex West, Hampton
- Nayeem Karim, DO, Neurology, Sentara Neurology Specialists, Sentara Heart Hospital
- Siamak Kazemi, DO, Sentara Family Medicine Physicians, Suffolk and Wakefield
- Leena S. Khanna, MD, Hospital Medicine, Sentara Careplex Hospital, Hampton
- Siddharth Khanna, MD, Hospital Medicine, Sentara Obici Hospital, Suffolk
- Tara A. Khoshnaw, MD, Internal Medicine, Kingsmill Internal Medicine, Willilamsburg
- Sharmarke Magan, MD, Hospital Medicine, Sentara Obici Hospital, Suffolk
- Andrew H. Miller, DO, Rheumatology, NDC Medical Center, Norfolk, Hampton
- Edu A. Mohammed, MD, Hospital Medicine, Sentara Careplex Hospital, Hampton
- Leul A. Mulugeta, MD, Hospital Medicine, Sentara Careplex Hospital, Hampton
- Stephen B. Riggs, MD, Urology, Sentara Urology Specialists, Urology of Virginia, Norfolk
- Miley W. Walker, MD, Urology, Sentara Urology Specialists, Urology of Virginia, Suffolk
- Beth Weppner, PA-C, Family Medicine, Sentara Family Medicine Specialists, Peninsula Towne