Sinai Hospital uses Advanced Radiosurgery to Treat Tumors and Lesions

CyberKnife® Center at Sinai Hospital

Since opening the CyberKnife® Center of the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute in 2003, Sinai Hospital has becomerecognized as a national leader in the treatment of pancreas, lung, spine, liver, brain and prostate tumors. More than 1,200 CyberKnife procedures have been performed at Sinai, where physicians from all over the country are trained in how to use the cancer treatment technology.

Sinai Hospital’s CyberKnife Center ranks in the top 10 worldwide in total volume of patients treated for pancreas, lung and other soft tissue tumors. To support the center’s continued growth and to pioneer new therapies, Sinai Hospital has acquired a second CyberKnife. Only four other centers in the world have this capacity.

CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery is a frameless, linear accelerator-based system mounted on a robotic arm. Because there are no surgical incisions, anesthesia is not required.

The CyberKnife’s computer-guided tracking system is so precise doctors use it to treat inoperable tumors and cancers that have failed to respond to other types of radiation, including radiotherapy. This is especially advantageous near the spinal cord or other vital organs. Additionally, new tracking systems for the CyberKnife allow it to recognize the shape of a patient’s spine and thus increase the degree of precision. Alan M. Levine, M.D., director of the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute, notes that “Sinai has the largest reported experience with malignant tumors of the spine. Patients from across the country with complex spinal tumors are referred here for treatment.”

Over the last five years, physicians have demonstrated CyberKnife’s ability to perform revolutionary, noninvasive procedures to eradicate soft tissue tumors in pancreas, liver and lungs. Mukund S. Didolkar, M.D., has achieved survival results with patients with inoperable pancreatic cancers not previously possible. Sinai was also one of the first centers to acquire a new program for lung tumors that tracks the patient’s breathing motion, ensuring individual lung tumors are treated. Lynne A. Skaryak, M.D., head of Sinai’s Division of Thoracic Surgery, uses the CyberKnife to treat lung cancers in patients not able to undergo surgery.

Prostate cancer also is now treatable without surgery with the CyberKnife. Research has shown patients undergoing CyberKnife treatment for certain prostate cancers have a lower rate of side effects.

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.

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.

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.

LifeBridge Health Named Best Place to Work for the Third Time

LifeBridge Health was again awarded the winner of the Best Places to Work in Greater Baltimore in the large business category (500-plus employees). More than 80 businesses and organizations entered the third annual competition hosted by the Baltimore Business Journal.

“It’s a combination of our corporate culture and benefits that led us to be recognized for a third year as Baltimore’s best place to work among large companies. Throughout our system, each employee is a valued participant doing his or her role providing excellent health care for our patients,” said Warren Green, president and CEO, LifeBridge Health.

In August, when the country was struggling with the reality of high gas prices, all 6,119 LifeBridge Health employees received a surprise $50 gift card for gas to help with summer vacation travel.

Also this year, LifeBridge Health launched its own Facebook Page® with job listings, information on recruiting events, work-related videos, a photo album of – and links to – LifeBridge Health institutions, and soon the ability to chat with recruiters.

“LifeBridge Health is the first Baltimore-based health care system to tap into this market. The venture helps us target our ads to potential employees who are interested in the jobs and information we have to offer,” said Taylor Foss, vice-president of Human Resources at LifeBridge Health.

Other employee benefits and services include adoption assistance; phased-in retirement; a telecommuting program; BridgeList, an online forum where employees with similar interests can meet, share skills, start carpools and swap free items; and the LB rewards program. Employees earn points in the LB rewards program for anything from above-and-beyond patient service to helping LifeBridge Health maintain a strong accreditation score. Employees can redeem their points at any time for various gifts, large or small, depending on the number of points they have.

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

Northwest Hospital and Sinai Hospital Nuclear Medicine Departments Receive Certificate of Accreditation

Northwest Hospital’s and Sinai Hospital of Baltimore’s Nuclear Medicine departments have recently received certificate of accreditation from the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Medicine Laboratories (ICANL).

The ICANL is dedicated to promoting quality nuclear cardiology and nuclear medicine diagnostic evaluations in the delivery of health care by providing a peer-review process of laboratory accreditation.

“We are pleased that Northwest Hospital and Sinai Hospital have received this accreditation,” said Stuart Rabinowitz, Ph.D., M.D., radiologist and director of Nuclear Medicine at LifeBridge Health, the parent health organization of Northwest and Sinai hospitals.  “This clearly shows our commitment to the growth of our imaging services, and to patient care.”

The purpose of the Intersocietal Commission for the ICANL is to ensure high quality patient care and to promote health care by providing a mechanism to encourage and recognize the provision of quality nuclear cardiology and nuclear medicine diagnostic evaluations by a process of voluntary accreditation.  Through the accreditation process, laboratories assess every aspect of daily operation and the impact on the quality of health care provided to patients. Because accreditation is renewed every three years, a long-term commitment to quality and self-assessment is developed and maintained. 

Nuclear medicine is a part of each hospital’s Department of Radiology; both departments offer a wide range of diagnostic services and consist of three separate divisions: diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and interventional radiology.  Other services provided by the radiology departments include MRI, CT, nuclear medicine, diagnostic and vascular ultrasound, interventional radiology (IR) and general diagnostic X-rays.

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

Louis B. Malinow, M.D. Awarded Diplomate Status

Louis B. Malinow, M.D., of the Department of Internal Medicine at Northwest Hospital and Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, has recently been awarded diplomate status by the American Board of Clinical Lipidology. This certifies him as a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of cholesterol disorders.

He is also certified by the American Society of Hypertension as a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure.

Dr. Malinow is the only physician in the state of Maryland with this dual specialty. He is committed to aggressively screening for and treating all cardiovascular risk factors. 

Certification by the American Board of Clinical Lipidology recognizes professional commitment to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and documents expertise in lipid management.

A graduate of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Malinow completed his internship and residency at Stanford University Hospital, Stanford, California.

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

LifeBridge Health Launches Facebook Page®

LifeBridge Health has its own Facebook page with job listings, information on recruiting events, work-related videos, a photo album of – and links to – LifeBridge Health institutions, and soon the ability to chat with recruiters.

“The venture will help us target our ads to potential employees who will be interested in the jobs and information we have to offer,” said Taylor Foss, vice-president of Human Resources at LifeBridge Health.

LifeBridge Health is the first Baltimore-based health care system to tap into this market. LifeBridge Health is also joining forces with CareerBuilder on Facebook in its efforts to recruit the best and brightest health care employees who may be more in tune with the Internet than with traditional advertising methods.

“It is a virtual job fair with tremendous potential, especially for those who may not be actively job searching,” Foss said. Users can easily be directed to the LifeBridge Health employment site, www.lifejobs.org.

Facebook began in 2004 at Harvard University but soon spread to colleges around the nation, and to workplaces and homes. The value of Facebook is being able to easily share information with selected people online, including photos and videos.

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

Sinai Hospital One of the Top 50 Neurology and Neurosurgery Hospitals by U.S. News and World Report

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore has been listed as one of the top hospitals in the nation for neurology and neurosurgery, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 annual hospital ranking. Sinai ranked 47th in the country, according to the report.

It is an honor that U.S. News & World Report recognizes the excellent care provided by our staff here at Sinai,” said Neil M. Meltzer, president and COO, Sinai Hospital.

The Neurology and Neurosurgery departments are part of the LifeBridge Health Brain & Spine Institute, a one-of-its-kind consortium of specialists in neurology and neurosurgery, as well as orthopedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and several other subspecialties.

“Patients at the Brain & Spine Institute are referred to a team of world-class dedicated physicians and medical staff who develop a proper plan of treatment and/or procedures for diseases of and injuries to the brain, nervous system and spine,” Meltzer said. “Sinai is the only community-based hospital in Maryland that is named among other prestigious medical centers around the United States in the neurology and neurosurgery category.”

U.S. News & World Report started the annual listings as a way to identify facilities with the best level of medical care in the country. To be eligible for the ranking, a hospital must first belong to the Council of Teaching Hospitals, and be affiliated with a medical school or have at least six technology services out of a defined list of 13.

Those services include cancer; digestive disorders; heart; kidney disease; neurology and neurosurgery; urology; ophthalmology; psychiatry; and rehabilitation.

Hospitals in the U.S. News and World Report listing are ranked based on several factors including reputation among specialists, mortality rates and other medical data, most of which comes from an annual survey by the American Hospital Association.

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

Northwest Hospital News - Alan Davis, M.D. named Chief of Surgery

Alan S. Davis, M.D., was appointed to chief of surgery at Northwest Hospital, located in Randallstown, Md. Davis has been a past president of the medical staff and member of the Department of Surgery for 24 years.

Before his appointment to chief, Davis was the assistant chief of surgery at Northwest. Davis’ focus is general surgery with a strong interest in breast diseases and broad experience in laparoscopic surgery.

Presently, Davis is a member of the LifeBridge Health Planning Taskforce, chairman of the Surgical Committee for Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and member of the Board of Trustees for Northwest. Davis is also the director of the Wound Care Center and coordinator for the Breast Care Center at Northwest Hospital.

Davis received his undergraduate degree from Dickinson College and completed his Master of Science degree at Michigan State University. He completed his medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

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.

LifeBridge Health & Fitness Opens Baltimore's First CrossFit Affiliate

LifeBridge Health & Fitness in Pikesville launches CrossFit Baltimore, the first CrossFit affiliate in the Baltimore area. CrossFit is a high-intensity workout regime that accomplishes both strength and conditioning in as little as twenty minutes. The program was first developed for law enforcement and the military, but it has now been redesigned for anyone interested in physical fitness. Crossfit has over 300 affiliates nationwide.

CrossFit utilizes many traditional exercises such as squats, push-ups, and pull-ups in a completely scalable exercise routine. Scalable exercises are those that can be adjusted to accommodate each individual’s level of physical fitness or strength. CrossFit exercises are accomplished with the use of many low-tech exercise devices. Participants use hanging ropes, kettlebells, and even tires to accomplish all of their strength and conditioning activities.

The intense nature of a CrossFit workout is demonstrated by the names of the training routines such as Fight Gone Bad. Since CrossFit is completely scalable, members of all fitness levels are able to participate in the same workouts as elite athletes.

“As Baltimore’s only official CrossFit affiliate LifeBridge Health & Fitness can guarantee that its programs meet all of the CrossFit standards,” said Shelley Stein, interim director of LifeBridge Health & Fitness. “In addition, LifeBridge Health & Fitness can offer CrossFit members the added benefit of utilizing a full-service health club which many other CrossFit affiliates around the country do not necessarily offer.”

Recently, Baltimore Magazine named LifeBridge Health & Fitness one of the best health clubs in Baltimore.

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