Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Northwest Hospital Clinical Educator Recognized by the American Lung Association of Maryland

Lee Chiat, clinical educator for the Respiratory Therapy department at Northwest Hospital in Randallstown, has been awarded the American Lung Association of Maryland’s 2008 Distinguished Service Award in the field of Lung Health. The award celebrates the individual who has made an impact in furthering the American Lung Association’s mission to prevent lung disease and promote lung health.

Chiat was recognized for his volunteer work in lung health education. He routinely organizes community events in which lung health experts discuss the latest findings and care trends in their field, and he also runs seminars on lung disease topics for the staff at Northwest Hospital.

Northwest Hospital
is a member of LifeBridge Health, a regional health organization, which includes Sinai Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Jewish Convalescent & Nursing Home, and related subsidiaries and affiliates.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Northwest Hospital Doctor Performs Revolutionary New Hand Surgery

Stacey Berner, M.D., medical director of the Hand Center at Northwest Hospital in Randallstown, has become the first surgeon in Maryland to perform a revolutionary new hand surgery to help alleviate cubital tunnel syndrome.

Cubital tunnel syndrome is caused by the compression of the ulnar nerve in the elbow. The ulnar nerve is one of the main nerves of the forearm and hand. Most patients with this condition typically experience numbness and tingling in their fingers, along with weakness of grip. Those most affected by this condition often include office workers and others who operate machinery with a bent elbow.

The traditional treatment of this condition often required surgery that would leave extensive scarring. However, the latest approach can require only a one-inch incision and take as little as 15 minutes in the operating room. This is possible because this new technique utilizes an endoscope or operating telescope to assist the surgeon.

“Typically, the new procedure allows for the decompression of the ulnar nerve of the elbow with an incision as small as one-inch,” said Dr. Berner. “The new approach of using an endoscope significantly decreases the amount of time and scarring associated with a decompression.”

Northwest Hospital is a member of LifeBridge Health, a regional health organization, which includes Sinai Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Jewish Convalescent & Nursing Home, and related subsidiaries and affiliates.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Northwest Hospital Receives $850,000 Gift

Northwest Hospital, located in Randallstown, MD, has received an $850,000 gift for its new outpatient lobby which is part of the expansion and renovation initiative known as the "Renaissance Campaign." The new state-of-the art lobby will pilot the use of aromatherapy as a means of comforting patients and visitors, among other innovations.

The "Renaissance Campaign" is a vast construction and expansion project that began in 2006 and includes a new Intensive Care Unit, Intermediate Care Unit, the Infusion and Cancer Therapy Center, renovations to surgical services, radiology, outpatient services, Wound Care and inpatient rooms.

The gift, from Howard S. Brown and Family, will name the new Northwest Outpatient Services lobby, the Sara and David S. Brown lobby. The name is in honor of Howard Brown's parents. The hospital set out to design a space that will create a setting for patients and visitors unlike other hospital waiting areas. The color tones, wall covering and furniture were carefully selected to reduce anxiety of the patient and family members.

Soft music will compliment the physical environment to further enhance the experience, as well as the use of aromatherapy in the space to further comfort visitors. When complete, the new lobby and adjacent areas will completely change the look and feel of Northwest Hospital.

"Howard Brown has helped us push our campaign, in its final moments, beyond our private funding goal of $5 million and we are incredibly grateful. I have been privileged to get to know Mr. Brown very well and I am incredibly impressed with his generosity, genuine kindness and commitment to the community," said Erik Wexler, president of Northwest Hospital and senior vice president of LifeBridge Health.

"A number of years ago my family and I were pleased to contribute toward the new Chapel and the Brown-Crane Lobby at Sinai Hospital and we are now happy to support the growth and development of Northwest Hospital by naming the outpatient lobby after my parents. Our contribution demonstrates our commitment and investment in LifeBridge Health," Brown said. The extensive expansion and renovation project, funded in part by the campaign, will position Northwest to have a state-of-the-art facility that continues to provide high quality care for many years to come. "Our community deserves to have a hospital close to home that exemplifies what all health care institutions strive to be," said Wexler.

The new lobby will be the primary access point for most of the hospital's many services including The Herman and Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center, the Wound Care Center, Cosmetic Surgery, the Sleep Center, Specialty Clinics and registration for inpatient and outpatient surgery.

Northwest Hospital is a member of LifeBridge Health, a regional health organization, which includes Sinai Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Jewish Convalescent & Nursing Home, and related subsidiaries and affiliates.