Diabetic children may feel left out when it comes to Halloween and eating candy.

Martha Zeger, MD, a Jefferson pediatric endocrinologist , was quoted in a USA Today article about how diabetic children and their families can deal with the difficulties of Halloween.

Dr. Zeger recommended that “kids can save their candy for the Halloween Fairy, who will magically leave a toy in the place of the candy.”

A patient of Dr. Zeger's was also featured in the story.

Read the full USA Today article.

Dr. Anthony Infantolino of the Jefferson Digestive Disease Institute was featured in a Channel 3 CBS story on the Third Eye Retroscope. This new technology allows doctors to see behind the many folds and flexures of the colon during a colonoscopy.

"There are blind spots in the colon. This has been shown to pick up polyps that are hidden on the backside of the folds. This is like having a rear-view mirror," said Dr. Infantolino.

With this new device, doctors will be able to find an additional 10 percent of polyps that would have otherwise gone undetected.

Read the full "Health: Finding Colon Cancer" CBS 3 article.

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is the first hospital in Philadelphia, and the Delaware Valley, offering endoluminal fundoplication (ELF) – an incisionless surgical treatment option  to provide long-term elimination of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases affecting hundreds of thousands of people, in which the esophagus becomes inflamed by digestive acid backing up from the stomach, resulting in heartburn.

“This is a viable alternative to traditional open or minimally invasive surgery and also provides patients with another alternative to taking a daily medication, like a proton pump inhibitor to reduce acid, for the rest of their lives,” said Benny Weksler, M.D., assistant professor, Department of Surgery.  “Not only is it effective, it is absolutely incisionless which reduces a patient’s healing time and hospital stay.  It also is significantly less painful, causes no visible scarring, reduces blood loss and potentially eliminates the need for pharmaceutical treatment of GERD.”

Read the full news article

Thomas Kowalski, MD is an associate professor of medicine and Medical Director of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Jefferson Digestive Disease Institute. He has been named one of the area’s Top Doctors by Philadelphia magazine.

Question: Recently, I had a CT scan for something totally unrelated, and an abnormality in my pancreas was found. My doctor says I need an endoscopic ultrasound for further evaluation. What is this procedure?

Answer: Your experience is not unusual -- abnormalities of the pancreas are often discovered on standard imaging studies. In fact, one-quarter of the population over 60 years has some abnormality of the pancreas that may need further evaluation for a possible precancerous lesion.

Endoscopic ultrasound, considered one of the best imaging procedures of the pancreas, provides high-resolution images of the entire pancreas. It allows the doctor to perform a needle biopsy -- the removal of tissue or fluid for examination under a microscope of any abnormality. The procedure is both safe and accurate.

Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals has again been ranked as the top hospital in Philadelphia for orthopaedics and rehabilitation medicine by U.S.News & World Report in their 2009 Best Hospitals survey. This ranking translates into the 17th best hospital in the nation for orthopaedic surgery and the 11th best in the U.S. for rehabilitation medicine. U.S. News & World Report this year also named Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals as among the best in the nation in four other specialties – cancer; ear nose & throat; gastrointestinal (digestive) disorders; and respiratory disorders. In addition, Wills Eye, which serves as the Department of Ophthalmology for Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, was ranked as third in the nation and the top medical center in Philadelphia for ophthalmology. Jefferson Hospitals’ President and CEO Thomas J. Lewis said Jefferson and its staff are again honored to be among a select number of medical centers of excellence in the nation. “Being recognized in this way by U.S. News & World Report reflects the extraordinary efforts of all the talented doctors, nurses, and staff, who are dedicated to providing exceptional patient care here at Jefferson every day,” said Mr. Lewis. Redefining how healthcare is delivered is at the core of Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals’ commitment to its patients, its community and the nation.

Jefferson Hospital held a celebration earlier this month to commemorate the first liver transplant performed in the region. Twenty-five years after the procedure was performed here at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, the recipient of the transplant remains healthy and active, as does Jefferson’s Liver Transplantation Program.

Today, Jefferson’s is not only the longest continuously active liver transplantation program in the area but also one of the fastest growing, having performed transplants in more than half the patients on our waiting list in the last three years. Jefferson has developed innovative therapies to improve the quality of life for our liver transplant patients, including new anti-rejection protocols.

In addition, Jefferson uses a bloodless technique for performing major liver resection that was co-developed by Jefferson surgeon Cataldo Doria, MD, PhD and former colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Italy.

Learn more about the Liver Transplantation Program, including its multidisciplinary nature and the future launch of a Living Donor arm of our Liver Transplantation Program.

See the story about our transplantation anniversary and transplant recipient Michael Donahue on KYW-1060’s website.

Abnormalities of the pancreas and other parts of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are often discovered on standard imaging studies. In fact, one-quarter of the population over 60 years old has some abnormality of the pancreas that may need further evaluation for a possible precancerous lesion.

“Endoscopic ultrasound – which is considered one of the best imaging procedures of the pancreas – provides high-resolution images of the entire pancreas,” explains Thomas Kowalski, MD, associate professor of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, and medical director of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Jefferson Digestive Disease Institute. “It allows the doctor to perform a needled biopsy, the removal of tissue or fluid for examination under the microscope of any abnormalities.”

Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, ranked as one of America’s best hospitals, has earned the prestigious Magnet designation awarded for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. ANCC is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association.

Less than five percent of hospitals in the US have achieved Magnet status which recognizes superior patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice.

Highly regarded as the “gold standard” of nursing excellence, Magnet designation provides a benchmark by which consumers and patients can measure the quality of care they can expect to receive at a hospital.  Magnet-designated hospitals are associated with improved patient care outcomes as well as attracting top notch physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals.

“Jefferson is extremely proud of the high caliber of our nurses and the exceptional care they provide to patients,” remarked Mary Ann McGinley, PhD, RN, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer. “Magnet status validates what we already know and enhances our reputation as a center of excellence.”

The Department of Medicine Presents
A Mini-Medical School Program for Patients
Understanding Digestive Diseases
Its not the destination but the journey that counts

Wednesday, April 22, 2009
4:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M.

To register or for more information, please contact Bridget Everman by
April 13 at 215-955-6658 or by email at bridget.everman@jefferson.edu

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
The Dorrance H. Hamilton Building, Connelly Auditorium
1001 Locust St. (On Locust Street between 10th and 11th Streets)
Discounted parking is available in the Dorrance H. Hamilton Building garage. Enter on 11th Street between Locust and Walnut.

SEATING IS LIMITED PLEASE REGISTER NOW

Please join Arthur M. Feldman, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Medicine and Anthony J. DiMarino, Jr., MD, Director of the Division of
Gastroenterology and Hepatology, for an interactive and informative
evening with Jefferson’s experts in the field of Digestive Disease.
Light refreshments will be served.

From the most current advances in diagnosis to the cutting-edge of clinical treatment, learn about your digestive system and the best-practices for keeping it as healthy as possible.

For information on speakers and topics visit http://www.jeffersonhospital.org/gastro/minimedevent.html

For all too many Americans, a good night’s sleep is but a dream. However, evidence from a study by gastroenterologists and sleep specialists at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital could ultimately and safely put an end to those restless nights.

The study has demonstrated that gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may be responsible for sleep difficulties. What’s more, while sleeping pills may help some patients sleep better, prescribing them for patients with GERD may have significant consequences with respect to esophageal health.

The study is a collaborative effort between the Jefferson Digestive Disease Institute’s Gastrointestinal Research Center and the Jefferson Sleep Disorders Center. The research team includes Anthony J. DiMarino, MD, Karl Doghramji, MD, and Sidney Cohen, MD. They and other researchers at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University have been studying a group of subjects who have a history of sleeping difficulty but not medical problems that might cause such difficulty and no known history of GERD.