- May 2013 -
AED The Institute supports Good Samaritan AED Bill introduced by Congressman Olson

Dr. Jonathan Reiner has been a tireless advocate for this legislation - from his involvement in the drafting of the bill to going to the Hill to lobby Members of Congress to support it. Introduced by Rep. Pete Olson (R-Sugar Land) on May 23, 2013, H.R. 2135, the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act, will help increase the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) by eliminating the threat of frivolous lawsuits through development of a nationally uniform baseline of protection for persons who use an automatic external defibrillator (AED) while attempting to save a life during a medical emergency. 

 

  

Joint visiting professorship Dr. Emile Mohler visits GW as the first GW Heart & Vascular Institute joint visiting professorship

Emile R. Mohler III, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director, Vascular Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, visited George Washington University's campus on May 1, 2013, serving as the first annual GW Heart & Vascular Institute Visiting Professorship. As part of this joint educational program, Dr. Mohler delivered "Peripheral Artery Disease: New Diagnostics and Treatment Strategies" to the Department of Surgery Grand Rounds, and "Vascular Health Profile: Personalized Cytomics Medicine" to the Division of Cardiology Grand Rounds. Fellows and faculty from both departments joined Dr. Mohler for a luncheon for further discussion on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. 

 

  

Food & Friends
The Institute volunteers at Food & Friends

For the second year, the GW Heart & Vascular Institute's faculty, fellows, and their families, donated their time preparing nearly 200 meals and packaged 200 bags of groceries to support the organization, Food & Friends, one Saturday in April. Food & Friends provides over 1 million meals/year for people living with life-challenging illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and cancer in the DC region. The volunteer day was organized by cardiology fellow, Jennifer Shea, MD, and executive director, Jessica Johnson.

  

The Women's Heart Center gives nutrition education luncheon in honor of Mother's Day

 

Kelli Metzger, MS, RD, and Helma Parikh, CRNP, hosted a special nutrition education luncheon for the Division of Cardiology staff and their guests on May 9, 2013. The program was focused on "Nutritious Nibbles for Moms" - tips on making health food choices while balancing busy schedules.

Heart Rhythm Society 34th Annual Scientifc Sessions GW electrophysiologists and fellows present at Heart Rhythm Society Meeting

 

Institute faculty and fellows presented their new research at the Heart Rhythm Society's 34th Annual Scientific Sessions, the annual showcase for the latest science and innovations in the field of electrophysiology, on May 8-11, 2013 in Denver, Colorado.

  • Faculty member Marco Mercader, MD, presented "Real time NADH Florescence Imaging Catheter - A novel imaging system for evaluation of radiofrequency ablation lesions and gaps."
  • Electrophysiology fellow Jacqueline Eubany, MD, presented "Persistent complete heart blockage after administration of regadenoson."
  • Cardiology fellows Drs. Miriam Fishman, Jennifer Shea, and faculty Drs. Brian Choi and Allen Solomon presented "Handheld Echocardiography Expedites Preparticipation Screening: a Pilot Study in High School Student Athletes."
Medical adherence Institute Faculty Publish New Studies Focusing on the Challenges of Medication Adherence
  • GW medical resident, Alex Ross, MD and Dr. Richard Katz published "Sync and Swim - The impact of Medication Consolidation on Adherence in Medicaid Patients" in the Journal of Primary Care and Community Health. This study highlighted the gaps in medication adherence caused by the lack of consolidation/synchronization of refill dates for Medicaid patients taking multiple medications with a 30-day medication refill requirement.
  • Samir Patel, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Nephrology) and Dr. Katz published "Mobilizing Your Medications:" An Automated Medication Reminder Application for Mobile Phones and Hypertension Medication Adherence in a High Risk Urban Population in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. This study demonstrated the potential of a cell phone app to improve medication adherence for patients taking multiple blood pressure medications.