December 2008

Holiday toy safety

12.18.2008 Jen Smith
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If you’re purchasing toys for children this holiday season, it’s only natural to think about what a child will enjoy. But you should also think about what’s safe.

Be sure to read labels carefully, and check the recommended age range for every toy. And if you’re a family with children of various ages, remember that toys for older children could pose a hazard to younger children.

Other important toy-safety tips:

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Staying connected is a crucial component to getting, and staying well—for both patients and caregivers

12.16.2008 Jen Smith
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Staying in touch with loved ones and friends while also managing a
healthcare challenge can be difficult. But staying connected is a
crucial component to getting, and staying well—for both patients and
caregivers. Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals understands these
obstacles, and we’re prepared to help.

Now you can stay
connected with family, friends and colleagues before, during and after
hospitalization through a CarePages website. CarePages provides free,
private websites that make it easy to:

  • Update family, friends and even colleagues all at once
  • Share photos
  • Collect supporting messages from loved ones and friends
  • Learn more about healthcare issues
  • Connect to others with similar concerns

To learn more visit http://www.jeffersonhospital.org/carepages.

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Some fats are actually good for your heart

12.11.2008 Jen Smith
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If you perceive all fats as bad for your heart, you aren’t alone. Fewer than half of Americans realize there are two types of dietary fat that actually help their hearts, a new survey shows.

So, while many have heeded the warnings about the cardiovascular dangers of trans fats and saturated fats, the American Heart Association (AHA) now thinks people need to pay more attention to the cardiovascular benefits conferred by polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.

The AHA has launched a “Face the Fats” Internet campaign to encourage people to view these lesser-known fats with new respect. Check out the site’s interactive quiz, menus, recipes and other information.

To make an appointment with a Jefferson Heart Care physician or for more information about heart health, visit Heart Care at Jefferson.

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Kidney transplantation: No longer experimental

12.09.2008 Jen Smith
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Over the past 20 years, kidney transplantation has gone from experimental procedure to recommended treatment for people with end-stage kidney disease. Though it’s not a cure, transplantation enables a patient to resume a healthier, independent lifestyle without the need for dialysis.

Transplanted kidneys can come from two sources – deceased organ donors and living donors.

“We’re very proud that we have tremendous outcomes with both kinds of transplants,” says George Francos, M.D., medical director, Pancreas and Kidney Transplantation Programs, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. “The chance for a successful kidney transplant at one year is 95 percent from a living donor and about 90 percent from a deceased donor. While both are successful, long-term success with a living-donor kidney averages 15 to 20 years, compared with 7 to 10 years for a deceased-donor kidney.”

Watch an informative video to learn more about what to expect from kidney transplantation at Jefferson.

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Free Holiday Concert December 12

12.08.2008 Jen Smith
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Join the Thomas Jefferson University Choir and Orchestra as they present their 39th annual holiday concert on Friday, December 12 at 8 p.m. at The Church of St. Luke and the Epiphany, 330 South 13th Street, Philadelphia. The concert is free and open to the public.

The ensemble will perform Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and other music of the season.

Founded by Robert Sataloff, MD, DMA, in 1970, the Thomas Jefferson University Choir is designed to permit busy medical professionals opportunities to perform great music, while providing unusual flexibility to accommodate their lifestyles. It is open to all members of the Jefferson community, including doctors, nurses, students, employees, patients and spouses. The choir has provided Philadelphia audiences with outstanding free performances of many of the world’s greatest works for choir and orchestra.

For more information, please call (215) 790-5195 or 790-5194.

Listen to the Hallelujah chorus from last year’s holiday concert (mp3).

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Jefferson professor receives ‘Tree of Life’ award

12.04.2008 Jen Smith
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Sponsored by The Wellness of You, the “Tree of Life” award recognizes health professionals who are committed to making a difference in community health. Those who win this award have made extraordinary contributions to health management – locally and globally.

One such recipient is Edith P. Mitchell, M.D., clinical professor, Department of Medical Oncology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and associate director of Diversity Programs for the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson.

Dr. Mitchell’s research in pancreatic cancer and other gastrointestinal malignancies involves new drug evaluation and chemotherapy, development of new therapeutic regimens, chemoradiation strategies for combined modality therapy, patient selection criteria and supportive care for patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Read the full news release about Dr. Mitchell.

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Standard cholesterol test may help predict heart risks among HRT patients

12.02.2008 Jen Smith
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A standard cholesterol evaluation may help predict whether or not a woman taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is at risk for heart problems.

In a report published in the June 1 edition of the American Journal of Cardiology, Paul Bray, M.D., director of hematology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, explains that women with good cholesterol levels seem to experience no increased risk for heart attacks while taking HRT. However, those women with high cholesterol levels appear to have a higher risk.

Even so, Dr. Bray cautions that all women with normal cholesterol levels shouldn’t assume that HRT is a good option.

“You have to look at the total health of the woman and not just the heart,” he says. “Our study is confined to heart and coronary disease outcomes, which is important, because there was a substantial amount of bad press related to hormones and coronary outcomes. That put women in the position of either feeling guilty for using hormones when they really had no other good therapy or denying themselves when they perhaps didn’t need to.”

Read the full news release about this HRT study or visit our Heart Care site.

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