March 2018 - Media Tip Sheet

Listed below are story ideas from The Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC). To pursue any of these stories, please call John M. Lazarou at 443-849-2126 or jlazarou@gbmc.org.

• WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COLON CANCER
• PATIENT SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK
• MOVE OVER HEART FAILURE AND CANCER! HERE COMES COPD
• PREVENT POISONINGS IN YOUR HOME
• DIABETES IS A GROWING, BUT PREVENTABLE, PROBLEM

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COLON CANCER

Colon or rectum (colorectal) cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the United States. Annually, approximately 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 people die from the disease. This form of cancer is highly preventable and easily detected through the use of screening. If detected early, the five-year survival rate of colorectal cancer is higher than 90 percent. A GBMC physician can discuss the symptoms and causes of colon cancer, highlight health/medical issues related to colon cancer and the importance of early detection as well as discuss recent advances and research in the prevention, detection and treatment of colorectal cancer.

PATIENT SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK

National Patient Safety Awareness Week, an annual education and awareness campaign for healthcare safety led by the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF), will take place this year from Sun., March 11 through Sat., March 17. According to a report from NPSF’s Lucian Leape Institute, “Open communication and a free flow of information represent the ‘magic pill’ needed to improve many of the issues in healthcare related to safety.” Carolyn L. Candiello, vice president for quality and patient safety with GBMC HealthCare, can discuss the importance of patient engagement and outline the significance of the relationship between providers, patients and families. She can also talk about the paramount, integral role enhanced and informed communication between providers, patients and families plays in providing safer patient care. Additionally, Ms. Candiello can highlight GBMC’s commitment to being transparent and open about its hospital-wide efforts to provide safe and reliable care, as well as the how/why on the metrics we monitor, such as hand hygiene, infections, patient satisfaction and quality care measures.

MOVE OVER HEART FAILURE AND CANCER! HERE COMES COPD

Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease (COPD) affects over 24 million people in the U.S. and more than 65 million people worldwide. Medical research showed that COPD has a higher diagnosis rate in individuals over the age of 35 than congestive heart failure, acute heart attack and several common cancers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the US and its prevalence increases with age. The most common cause of COPD is smoking, and its two main forms are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Ari L. Zaiman, MD, medical director of Pulmonary Medicine, can outline how COPD can have a significant impact on a person’s health and quality of life and illuminate why this condition is so prevalent. She can further discuss how it affects a person’s breathing process and explain other complications, symptoms, additional causes, prevention methods, risk factors and any current or future treatments that can help improve patients' health and their overall quality of life. Sun., March 11 through Sat., March 17 is Pulmonary Rehab Week and dedicated to bringing national attention on pulmonary rehabilitation’s contribution to enhancing the lives of those diagnosed with COPD.

PREVENT POISONINGS IN YOUR HOME

Annually, more than 2 million poisonings are reported to our nation’s poison centers. According to the American Association of Poisoning Control centers, approximately 90 percent of poisonings happen at home, and more than half of poisonings involve children under the age of six. The Poison Prevention Week Council has estimated that 90,000 children are treated in emergency rooms nationwide and about 30 die each year due to poison-related incidents. Laura Scott, MD, clinical director for Pediatric Inpatient and Emergency Services at GBMC, can discuss treatment of poison ingestions and the invaluable resource of poison control. National Poison Prevention Week takes place Sun., March 18 through Sat., March 24.

DIABETES IS A GROWING, BUT PREVENTABLE, PROBLEM

The incidence of diabetes is rising in the United States, and many people are either unaware that they have the disease or don’t manage it optimally. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), close to 20 million people in the U.S. were diagnosed with diabetes in 2011, and an estimated 7 million remained undiagnosed. The ADA also says that an additional 79 million, or one in three American adults, have prediabetes, which puts those individuals at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Ruth S. Horowitz, MD, chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and member of the Geckle Diabetes Center at GBMC HealthCare, can discuss the effective medical management of this complex, chronic condition and offer ways to improve the wellness and quality of life for those with diabetes. Tues., March 27 is recognized as American Diabetes Association Alert Day. The alert encourages the public to take the Diabetes Risk Test to see if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, share that risk test with family and friends, and understand the importance of living healthy and having an active lifestyle.