Consortium welcomes new Directors
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The Nursing Consortium of South Florida has elected five new nurse
leaders to the Consortium Board of Directors, to serve a term of two years. The new directors are: W.Jason Dunne, DNP, MN, RN, CNE, Campus President of Chamberlain University, Miramar,FL: Alberto García, MS, RN, NE-BC, Chief Nursing Officer, Memorial Hospital, Miramar FL; Safiya George Dalmida, PhD APRN-BC, FAANP, Dean and Professor of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University; Katty Guevara, DNP, APRN-BC, MBA, BSN, APRN Supervisor, Doctors Hospital, Coral Gables FL; and Joanne Masella, EdD, MSN, RN, Assistant Dean, Community Engagement and Integration, and Associate Professor of Nursing , Palm Beach Gardens campus of the Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing, Nova Southeastern University.
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Baptist Health treats first three COVID-19 patients with umbilical cord stem cells
Doctors at Baptist Health South Florida have successfully treated three COVID-19 patients using a new therapy with umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells developed by RESTEM, a leading-edge biotechnology company. These are the first patients to be successfully treated in the U.S with this new stem cell procedure under an emergency approval from the FDA. The treatment was performed by Baptist Health physicians Guenther Koehne, M.D., Ph.D., and Javier Pérez-Fernández, M.D., through intravenous infusions of RESTEM’s experimental umbilical cord lining-derived stem cells (ULSC). The patients who received this treatment showed reduction of their oxygen requirement from 100% to less than 50% within days of the infusion, accompanied by significant reduction in levels of various key circulating inflammatory markers. “The remarkable ability for these cells to mitigate inflammatory processes holds great promise for COVID-19 patients as well as for people with many other illnesses,” said Guenther Koehne, MD, PhD, deputy director and chiefof blood & marrow transplant at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health. “These patients have improved their lung status much more quickly than patients treated with other experimental therapies,” added Dr. Koehne, who is also professor and chairperson of the Department of Translational Medicine at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM) at Florida International University (FIU). Specialists at HWCOM spearheaded this collaborative effort between academia, Baptist Health and RESTEM. Click to see video in English, or in Spanish. |
FAU College of Nursing cares for homeless during pandemic
Nursing leaders at FAU’s College of Nursing are providing PPE and health care to homeless and low income individuals living in the northwest neighborhood of West Palm Beach, an area where the majority of the population lives in poverty. The homeless in this neighborhood are at grave risk to COVID-19 and they do not have the means to protect themselves with face masks or to seek medical attention if they suspect they are infected. To address the dire needs of this community, Karethy Edwards, Dr.PH, APRN, a professor and associate dean of academic programs, and Karen Chambers, DNP, APRN, an assistant professor, both in FAU’s College of Nursing, are spearheading programs to provide lifesaving PPE and health care services for residents in this neighborhood during the pandemic. Please click here to read more. |
New Cleveland Clinic Center to broaden understanding of emerging diseases, and develop new therapeutics and vaccines
The Cleveland Clinic is establishing the Center for Global and Emerging Pathogens Research to broaden understanding of emerging pathogens – ranging from Zika virus to SARS-CoV-2 (which causes COVID-19) – and to expedite critically needed treatments and vaccines. The new center has been in the planning stages for 18 months and will span Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute and the soon-to-open Cleveland Clinic Florida Research and Innovation Center (FRIC) in Port St. Lucie, Florida. A team of renowned experts will lead the center to advance research toward diseases such as COVID-19, highly pathogenic influenza,Dengue fever, AIDS and Zika virus-related conditions.
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Vitas Healthcare,
opens nationwide grief help line this week
VITAS Healthcare is providing a nationwide grief helpline from Tuesday, May 26, 2020, through Friday, May 29. The nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care is opening up access to its nationwide network of bereavement and psycho social experts to support anyone in the country suffering from grief after the death of a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic. The VITAS Grief Helpline also is available to members of the healthcare community who need emotional support related to grief, death and loss as a result oftheir experiences on the COVID-19 front lines. All healthcare workers can take advantage of an online support event led by experienced VITAS counselors. Those in need may call the VITAS Grief Helpline at 866-800-4707 between 4 pm and 10 pm EDT beginning Tuesday, May 26. They can also visit VITAS.com/helpline. The service continues through May 29. Front-line healthcare workers should self-identify when they call to be connected with specialized support services. |
Pittsburgh hospital nurses facilitate virtual presence for patient's passing
A poignant story by Heather Landi, Senior Editor for Health IT at FierceHealthcare
A patient at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center was dying and her family was unable to be with her because of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. The family was also distressed about getting spiritual care for their mother at her last moments. Thoughtful nurses attending to the patient found a way to create a “virtual” presence for the family and the hospital chaplain to be there as the mother passed away. Please click here to read the full story.
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Schulze Family Foundation grants $40K to Lee Health and NCH Healthcare for work on COVID-19
As a long-time benefactor to both Lee Health and NCH Healthcare System, the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation acted quickly to donate $40,000 to support the two nonprofit organization’s recent joint campaign “SWFL Stronger Together” created to support frontline healthcare professionals combating COVID-19 in Southwest Florida. Lee Health and NCH are sharing policies,action plans and media updates, coordinating outreach efforts, working together to re-open surgeries, and continuing to work on on-going training for team members as they adjust to the new normal. The “SWFL Stronger Together” fund will be used to help provide critical resources, equipment and supplies to support frontline medical teams. Please click here to read more.
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“The work of nurses must never again be dismissed or undervalued”
Commenting in an editorial on how International Nursing Day (May 12 2020) was celebrated this year, editor Steve Ford of Nursing Times magazine says there were no parties and all the special events were cancelled. However, while the day was more reflective than it would have been without Covid-19, there was a determination to celebrate the profession and acknowledge its pivotal position in tackling the crisis. He wrote, “This felt different to the annual opportunity for nurses around the world to celebrate their achievements together; rather the profession was declaring that it is time for the world to show its appreciation for what nurses do.” He stressed that it is time to properly value a modern profession whose highly skilled members are at the heart of the response to this global crisis, working with competence and compassion – and often at great personal risk. "The work of nurses across all health and social care settings must never again be dismissed or undervalued," he concluded.
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Ventboxx helps clinicians reduce contamination while treating highly infected patients |
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Vistamatic, a Coral Springs FL company that specializes in privacy glass solutions, has developed “VentBoxx,” a clear acrylic box that clinicians can use when dealing with highly infectious diseases like COVID-19. The box is placed over the patient's head and has two holes in which the clinician passes his or her hands through to perform procedures where the risk of transmission is high. The Ventboxx can reduce potential contamination to any individuals within the room for procedures such as removing intubation where saliva particles might enter the atmosphere. Vistamatic plans to donate as many boxes as possible to regional hospitals. For that purpose the company has set up a GoFundMe account where donations can be made to support the project. |
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