“We triaged the situation, all of us took roles, and I think we were really proud of what we did. It was exciting,” stated Ben Terry, RN at LPCH.

Helping care for patients and their families in an extraordinary situation is second nature at LPCH.  The quick response from the LPCH nurses showcased their skills and COMPASSIONATE CARE in a difficult situation.

Click here to view a video discussing the event and how our nurses TEAMWORK prepared them for this unexpected role.

“I joined to help people, and thanks to support like this, we have the capacity to help to the fullest,” said Anil Menon, MD, a clinical instructor at Stanford School of Medicine.

Employees’ responses for the team of physicians and nurses from SHC that went to Haiti and showcased their COMPASSIONATE CARE in the relief efforts can be viewed in a heartfelt video message.

To view the video and read more about the team’s two weeks in Haiti assisting in the relief effort, and a letter from team leader Dr. Bob Norris, click here.

So what if you could wait in your car for a drive-thru medical clinic? Your car can become an effective examination room, especially one that prevents the spread of infectious diseases from patient to patient, and patient to caregiver. A group of physicians at SHC conducted a full-scale exercise in September 2009 and were able to FIND ANSWERS that were not only feasible, but a preferred type of alternative care in the event of a serious flu pandemic.

Eric A. Weiss, MD, first author of the study, associate professor of emergency medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and medical director for disaster planning at SHC, said, “It can expedite and facilitate seeing large numbers of patients while mitigating the spread of infectious diseases by providing a social distancing mechanism. And it not only can be used during a pandemic, but also would be an excellent strategy for bioterrorism, or for other emerging infectious disease events.”

With the TEAMWORK of Red Cross volunteers, the study was able to demonstrate that the drive-through diagnoses and treatment decisions matched what had occurred with the real-life patients when they visited the Stanford emergency room. Automobiles, it turned out, made excellent moving examination rooms, as well as self-contained isolation compartments. “Plus you don’t have the delays inherent in having to turn over a fixed number of rooms, waiting for patients to be discharged, having to change linens,” Weiss said.

With the results of the study, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department subsequently awarded a grant to the SHC and LPCH Office of Emergency Management to continue work on the new approach. “We developed a general drive-through plan for all the hospitals in the county,” Weiss added. “It’s essentially a playbook that shows how to set up one of these centers at your own hospital.”

For more information about the ADVANCEMENTS of an emergency drive-thru study, click here.

This sounds terrifying and it is a story, Lilia Martinez lives to tell about her now 2 year-old son, Ricardo. With the ADVANCEMENTS at LPCH, doctors determined that Ricardo needed a combined liver and intestinal transplant. Within less than a month, the team at LPCH successfully replaced Ricardo’s liver and small intestine. However, Lilia noticed that her son had shortness of breath once his breathing tube was removed. The doctors took her concern seriously and called in a team to help FIND ANSWERS. Within minutes Ricardo was being prepped for another surgery that remedied the problem. “That day they gained my complete trust,” Lilia said.

The COMPASSIONATE CARE offered at LPCH doesn’t stop there. The Family-Centered Care Program recognizes that a partnership with parents is the key to quality health care, which was developed by transplant experts and now has grown to encompass every specialty at the hospital. “I liked that they took my opinion seriously. What I said mattered,” stated Lilia.

For more information about Ricardo’s story and the Family-Centered Care Program, click here.

The COLLABORATION between CVS/pharmacy and LPCH will IMPROVE the health and well-being of children and families who face extraordinary challenges, yet are determined to live life to the fullest. “Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder have enormous needs to learn about their children’s conditions, current treatment options, and how to negotiate very complex systems of care,” explains Carl Feinstein, M.D., the Endowed Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Packard Children’s and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The educational series will provide empowerment and much needed support to parents of the community. “CVS/pharmacy is COMMITTED to helping children with disabilities learn, play, and succeed in life,” said Rick Ford, area vice president, Northern California, CVS/pharmacy. “Through this grant, we are proud to be able to help make an impact on the lives of children in Bay area communities.”

For more information on the 10-part series on autism education, click here.

The TEAMWORK at Stanford Hospital & Clinics made it possible for the transplants to be arranged within months, allowing for the complex donor chain to save the lives of multiple patients. “There’s such a shortage of donors out there that when you have a donor, you want to make the best use of it,” said Tania Makki, RN, recipient coordinator for Stanford’s kidney transplant program. “These chains allow patients to be transplanted with a living donor, who may not have been otherwise.”

Marc Melcher, MD, an assistant professor of surgery who specializes in kidney and liver transplants praised the close COLLABORATION among the five participating hospitals, with frequent communication among their nurses, surgeons, lab staff and more. “Remember, some of these institutions are competitors,” he said. “But everyone worked together to do the best for our patients.”

This effort didn’t go unnoticed by the Azizes. “The whole team did a great job, from the lowest level to the highest. Their teamwork is 100 percent,” said Fred, adding, “God bless every single person at Stanford.” The couple’s oldest child, 23-year-old Amal said, “…if it weren’t for Stanford, my father might not be here today. They worked diligently to take care of him, and we’re very thankful.”

For more information about Azizes story and the Stanford Hospital & Clinics kidney transplant program, click here.

Along with the School of Medicine’s smoke-free policy, the area that comprises the Stanford University Medical Center will become 100 percent smoke-free. The smoking ban applies to the area bounded by Welch Road, Quarry Road and Campus Drive West.

As is consistent with our values and COMMITTMENT to an environment of healing and wholeness, it was imperative that SHC and LPCH took this step in what is now standard practice for health care facilities.

Our COMMITTMENT to good health and positive health choices is vitally important to all of us in the SHC and LPCH family. As one of the most respected medical centers in the country, it is our responsibility to MAKE A DIFFERENCE by promoting a smoke-free environment for our patients, employees, medical staff, volunteers and visitors.

“To better serve our community, we’ve hired more physicians, upgraded our diagnostic and treatment equipment, and expanded the size of our Clinic. In conjunction with Stanford Hospital & Clinics, we have also implemented an electronic medical records system that will allow for smoother transactions for patients and staff,” said Menlo Medical Clinic Chief Operating Officer Jerry Harris.

The new facility on Middlefield Road includes 32 exam rooms, additional laboratory and x-ray services, and ample parking, which will MAKE A DIFFERENCE is seeing an estimated 75,000 patients in 2010 for primary care and outpatient surgical procedures. Not only is the new facility providing space, new ADVANCEMENTS in technology, such as digital mammography, a laser dermatology machine, and flat screen monitors in OB/GYN rooms for viewing ultrasound images, will improve the patient experience.

“Our next goal is to renovate our center on Crane Street to match the quality and esthetics of our new location. Parking at our current location will be greatly improved with the shift of some of our medical services to 321 Middlefield Road,” said Harris.

For more information on the expansion and improvements of the Menlo Medical Clinic, click here.

Jonathan Berek, MD, professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the Stanford School of Medicine, and longtime friend of the actress, invited Kidman to speak to the crowd of 350 people about her firsthand experience during her teenage years when her mother, Janelle, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her mother was successfully treated and remains cancer-free today.

“I think that was the pivotal point in my life because I was about to lose — or thought I would lose — the most important person in my family, the heartbeat of my family,” said Kidman, who then resolved to be COMMITTED to helping other women who faced the threat of cancer. “I so believe in the work of the researchers and scholars here,” Kidman told the audience.

Berek is helping Stanford provide BETTER MEDICINE and FIND ANSWERS by bringing together comprehensive research and treatment programs, in which doctors and scientists can work together with the common goal of curing women’s cancer.

He said he hopes the event will help call attention to the health needs of women and engage the community in Stanford’s work in women’s cancer. “We see this as a very bright future in partnering with you,” he told the audience.

For more information about the Women’s Cancer Program at Stanford and Kidman and Urban’s visit, click here.

“Robotically-assisted procedures are less invasive and have a much faster recovery time,” said Gonzalgo, who is an Associate Professor of Urology at the School of Medicine and Director of Robotic-Assisted Urologic Cancer Surgery at Stanford. “I believe that we can achieve the same outcomes with less blood loss, less pain, faster recovery and smaller incisions—which benefit patients.”

Gonzalgo is COMMITTED to serving patients better by training the next generation of urologic surgeons with simulation training and hands-on learning experience. “It all comes down to the most basic thing, which is expertise in understanding surgical anatomy,” he said. “It is that level of expertise that we’re providing at Stanford.”

For more information about Gonzalgo’s advancements in robotic technology, click here.