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A Publication for Physicians from Holy Cross Health
PHYSICIAN NEWS
Unleashing the Power of
ROBOTIC SURGERYThrough Collaboration, Imagination and Innovation
Moving Life Ahead
WINTER
2018
Inside this Issue: Commitment to Quality—page 2
Robotics Revolution—page 4
New and Noteworthy—page 6
Join Our Medical Staff—page 8
2 Physician News | WINTER 2018
Q: What’s new at Holy Cross Health on the quality front?
Dr. DAMIANO: Holy Cross Hospital continues to win
safety and quality awards, including Healthgrades 2017
Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical ExcellenceTM.
Across Holy Cross Health, we continue in our unwavering
commitment to provide great care by improving patient
safety, care quality, the patient experience and the services
we offer patients both in and out of the hospital. This
commitment drives our work each day and enables us to say
with confidence that we provide the highest quality care.
Recent initiatives that demonstrate our commitment to
continuously improving our delivery of care include:
▶ Establishing a surgicalist service that
provides emergency department coverage and
inpatient consults for unassigned patients;
▶ Restructuring our behavioral health coverage
and partnering to provide behavioral health
services, including inpatient consults and
emergency department coverage; and
▶ Identifying targeted service improvements based
on our Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare
Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey responses.
Q: How does the community benefit from Holy Cross Health’s evolution into an integrated health system?
Dr. EIG: As a two-hospital health system, we are able to replicate
and coordinate a consistently high level of care between facilities,
and hence bring that care to more people in more places. An
example is the expansion of our well-known delivery of high-
quality perinatal care at Holy Cross Hospital to Holy Cross
Germantown Hospital, which provides expectant moms in upper
Montgomery County a wonderful place to deliver close to home.
Holy Cross Hospital is the largest delivery center in the state of
Maryland, delivering nearly 10,000 babies a year. Its neonatal
intensive care unit is one of the most advanced in the country, and
this resource is available to the smallest and sickest newborns
born at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, who can be transferred
to Holy Cross Hospital for intensive care, then returned to Holy
Cross Germantown Hospital’s fully-equipped Level II neonatal
unit, a newborn care center for babies who are born up to two
months early or who require being on a ventilator for less than 24
hours a day, to grow and develop until they’re ready to go home.
Q&A WITH OUR VICE PRESIDENTS OF MEDICAL AFFAIRS
Across Holy Cross Health, we value our partnerships with all physicians who serve our community, and thank you for the positive contributions you make every day to our shared goal of moving life ahead for our patients.
Our commitment to be the most trusted health care provider means constantly innovating to equip physicians with the resources and services needed to help patients achieve the highest quality of life through optimal health outcomes.
One of the many ways we strive to achieve this is by investing in the latest technology, such as the da Vinci® Xi Surgical System, which is inspiring surgeons at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital to create new treatment options through collaboration across specialties.
We continue to focus on the health needs and goals of our community members in order to create programs that positively impact their health and the health of the community at large.
Together, by providing a continuum of care across the region, we touch lives in a multitude of ways, making the proper level of care accessible where it is needed.
At our hospitals, health centers and practices, we strive to deliver the highest quality care in a way that is welcoming and provides a positive patient experience and physician experience with a spirit of inclusivity and service.
Thank you for your collaboration, and I wish you a joyful and blessed holiday season.
A MESSAGE FROM NORVELL V. COOTS, MD President and Chief Executive Officer, Holy Cross Health
HolyCrossHealth.org 3
Blair Eig, MD,
Chief Medical Officer,
Holy Cross Health; Vice
President of Medical
Affairs, Holy Cross
Germantown Hospital
Louis Damiano, MD,
President, Holy Cross
Hospital; Vice President
of Medical Affairs, Holy
Cross Hospital
Rhonique Shields, MD, MHA, FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician who most recently served as the Chief Medical Officer, Vice President of Medical Affairs, at Health Services for Children with Special Needs, Inc. Dr. Shields oversees the medical care delivered by Holy Cross Health Network clinical sites, and works to strengthen relationships with community physicians for mutual success under the Maryland All-Payer Model.
Rhonique Shields, MD,
Vice President of Medical
Affairs, Holy Cross
Health Network
Q&A WITH OUR VICE PRESIDENTS OF MEDICAL AFFAIRS
Holy Cross Germantown Hospital’s fully developed and
mature maternal and newborn care program has around-
the-clock practitioner coverage that includes:
▶ In-house OB/GYNs using a laborist model to oversee deliveries and serve as backup for private practice physicians;
▶ On-site neonatologist and neonatal nurse practitioners;▶ Surgical physician assistants for caesarean sections; and ▶ Experienced nursing staff in our antepartum, labor and
delivery, postpartum units and nursery.
Q: What steps is Holy Cross Health taking to improve population health?
Dr. SHIELDS: Holy Cross Health strives to provide transformative
care to the community that goes beyond the bedside, and aims
to change the lives of individuals, which collectively shape the
community. One innovative way we’re reaching this goal is by using
a care management model in our community health centers.
Care management considers social determinants of health
that impact health outcomes. It seeks to reduce barriers to
compliance by addressing challenges like transportation, health
literacy, job insecurity, food insecurity and other factors.
In August 2016, we deployed a multidisciplinary team to
provide care management to the most vulnerable patients
within our population. Together they are providing solid care
transitions, identifying unresolved issues that could land
the patient back in the hospital or emergency department,
and connecting patients with specialists and services to
help them manage social as well as health issues.
We are currently working to apply this model to diabetes care
and prevention to curtail the devastating impact of this disease in
our communities. Caring for vulnerable individuals helps families,
and helping families strengthens the entire community.
Holy Cross Hospital received the 2017 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ from Healthgrades, placing Holy Cross Hospital in the top 5 percent of hospitals for clinical excellence in the nation. Holy Cross Hospital was one of only six hospitals in the state of Maryland, and the only hospital in Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and the District of Columbia to receive this award.
Robotic Surgery: Holy Cross Health
4 Physician News | WINTER 2018
Holy Cross Germantown Hospital has become the first
community hospital in Montgomery County and the fifth
community hospital in Maryland to acquire the da Vinci Xi.
At Holy Cross Health, 33 robotically-trained surgeons
offer patients minimally invasive surgical and robotic
options in general gynecologic, gynecologic oncology,
urogynecology, thoracic, colorectal, bariatric, hernia,
and other general surgical procedures ranging from the
simplest to the most complex. The new da Vinci Xi at Holy
Cross Germantown Hospital joins two da Vinci Si Surgical
Systems at Holy Cross Hospital.
A GAME CHANGER
For many surgical specialties, the Xi technology is a game
changer.
For thoracic surgeon Bryan Steinberg, MD, chair, Robotics
Committee, Holy Cross Health, the advantages of the Xi are
many: “The camera can be moved to any arm improving
visualization, and retroflexion allows for better visualization
and the ability to work down by the diaphragm. Laser
targeting ensures optimal positioning over target tissues
and finally, there is no laterality so the robot does not need
to be moved around the patient.”
For Rami Makhoul, MD, colorectal surgeon, the Xi
offers increased efficiency and accuracy: “The Xi was
specifically engineered in a way that allows us to save
time on each colorectal surgery, because we don’t have
to stop and reposition the robotic arms, which means
less time under anesthesia for the patient. It has also
given us increased flexibility to choose the area from
which we extract specimens for biopsy for increased
accuracy,” said Dr. Makhoul.
The chief advantages of robotic surgery for James Barter,
MD, MBA, director of gynecologic research at Holy Cross
Health, include: “increased precision, better dexterity,
3D visibility, and surgical control of many instruments at
once. The robot is particularly useful for patients who
have had previous surgeries, or for those with pelvic
scarring,” said Dr. Barter.
LEADING THE ROBOTICS REVOLUTION For the Benefit of Our Surgical Patients
Holy Cross Health’s commitment to innovation and equipping physicians with the most
advanced technologies for optimum patient outcomes is demonstrated by its recent
acquisition of the da Vinci® Xi Surgical System, the latest surgical robot.
HolyCrossHealth.org 5
LIMITED ONLY BY YOUR IMAGINATION
Inspired by the technology’s potential,
Holy Cross Health’s robotic surgeons
are partnering on complex procedures,
sharing ideas and advancing care across
specialties. The program’s physicians
report that the da Vinci technology
encourages them to think in new ways
and to develop innovative minimally
invasive options for patients who
might not otherwise qualify for surgical
intervention.
“The tools are getting so good that
surgeons are now limited only by their
imagination,” said Dr. Steinberg. “It’s
not just the robot. It’s how you use the
robot, combining the technology with
fluorescing drugs, with imaging, using
techniques from other subspecialties,
and putting it all together to create
new solutions to old problems. These
devices are unleashing an enormous
amount of creativity, and Holy Cross
Health is at the forefront of that.”
ADVANTAGES OF ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY
The advantages of minimally invasive,
robotic-assisted surgery for patients
are well known. “Procedures that once
required large incisions, resulting in
months of disability, are now done with
just a few small punctures,” said Dr.
Steinberg.
For Anita Pillai-Allen, MD, FACOG,
urogynecologist, Holy Cross Hospital,
the benefit is equal success with lower
risk and less impact on the patient.
“This is especially important with the
comorbidities I see in my urogynecologic
patients,” said Dr. Pillai-Allen. “Holy Cross
PIONEERING ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY SINCE 2008when Holy Cross Hospital became the first hospital in Montgomery County to adopt the
da Vinci Surgical System. Since then, Holy Cross Health has been a regional leader in
robotic surgery, training robotic surgeons and giving patients access to a wide range of
minimally invasive surgical procedures in a growing number of subspecialties.
Health also supports its surgeons by
providing training in robotic and minimally
invasive technologies, and works very hard
to make sure every surgeon has a great
and consistent surgical team around them
at all times.”
A LEADER IN RESEARCH
The depth and breadth of Holy Cross
Health’s robotics program has also
paved the way for new research. “I’ve put
about 1,200 patients on various research
protocols, many as the result of using the
robot,” Dr. Barter said.
Thoracic SurgeryBryan Steinberg, MD • •Colorectal Surgery
Bradley Bennett, MD • •Rami Makhoul, MD • •Vivek Patil, MD • •General Surgery
Christopher Boyd, MD • •Stephen McKenna, MD • •Rahul Tevar, MD • (Kaiser)
Gynecologic Oncology
James Barter, MD • •Ebony Hoskins, MD • •Andrew Saltzman, MD • (Kaiser)
Albert Steren, MD • •
Gynecology
Candace Jones-Cox, MD • •Thao Nguyen, MD •Obstetrics and Gynecology
Eric Ashkin, MD • •
Stella Blosser, MD • (Kaiser)
Shabnam Dadgar, MD •Sybil Dessie, MD • (Kaiser)
Randolph Lizardo, MD •Sweta Patel, DO •Aliya Poshni, MD • •Kieu Smith, MD • (Kaiser)
David Wagar, MD • •
Now is the time to join the robotic surgery team at Holy Cross Health. To learn more, please contact
Christopher O’Brien at 301-557-5967 or [email protected].
• Holy Cross Hospital • Holy Cross Germantown Hospital
Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (Urogynecology)Anita Pillai-Allen, MD •Do nna Mazloomdoost, MD •Shobha Sikka, MD • •Urology
Compton Benjamin, MD, PhD • (Kaiser)
Daoud Dajani, MD • (Kaiser)
Mohammed Haseebuddin, MD •Michael Isaacson, MD • •Roy Joseph, MD • •Juan Litvak, MD •Jonathan Rhee, MD •Dock Winston, MD • (Kaiser)
HOLY CROSS HEALTH ROBOTICALLY-TRAINED SURGEONS
6 Physician News | WINTER 2018
New and Noteworthy
BLUE TIE BALL RAISES FUNDS FOR HOLY CROSS HEALTH NEUROSCIENCE PROGRAM
At the Blue Tie Ball on October 14, 2017, Grant Geisler (pictured left) shared his story of the life-changing deep brain stimulation treatment that he received for dystonia from Zachary Levine, MD, FAANS, medical director, Neurosurgery and Neurosciences, Holy Cross Health (pictured right).
Holy Cross Health has built one of the area’s most distinguished
neuroscience programs, bringing to the community expertise in
the screening, diagnosis and treatment of complex brain and spine
disorders. With determination to remain at the forefront of this
specialty, this year’s Blue Tie Ball, an annual fundraising event of
the Holy Cross Health Foundation, benefitted the Holy Cross Health
Neuroscience Program.
Donations will be invested to support an enhanced Neuroscience
Program and the Neuro Care Continuum, such as expanding
community-based wellness and prevention programs, strengthening
relationships with the medical community, advancing hospital-based
care, and supporting patients in their transition from hospital care to
outpatient care.
It’s not too late to support high-quality care and join us in the future of
neuroscience innovation.
To learn more or to support this nationally recognized program,
visit HolyCrossHealth.org/Foundation or contact Wendy Friar,
Chief Development Officer, Holy Cross Health, at 301-754-7161,
or email: [email protected], or visit:
HolyCrossHealth.org/Foundation
U.S. NEWS RANKS HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL AT THE TOP OF THE LIST OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY HOSPITALSU.S. News & World Report published its 2017-18 national
rankings of “America’s Best Hospitals” and Holy Cross
Hospital tied for the highest ranking of any hospital in
Montgomery County, Md. This year Holy Cross Hospital
ranked eighth (tied) in the Washington, D.C., metro area, and
eleventh (tied) among all the hospitals in the state of Maryland.
Holy Cross Hospital also received distinction as high-
performing in three adult procedures/conditions categories
including heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) and colon cancer surgery.
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN MINIMALLY INVASIVE GYNECOLOGY (COEMIG) REACCREDITATION
Holy Cross Hospital’s Gynecologic Surgery Program has been
redesignated as a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive
Gynecology (COEMIG) by the American Association of
Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL), the leading association
promoting minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, as well as
the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC). The standards that
earned this designation are adhered to at both Holy Cross
Hospital and Holy Cross Germantown Hospital.
HolyCrossHealth.org 7
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS COMMISSION ON CANCER REACCREDITATION
ACCOLADES FOR STROKE CARE
HOLY CROSS GERMANTOWN HOSPITAL Has received the American Heart Association Stroke Silver Plus Award
FOR MORE INFORMATION on Holy Cross Health awards and recognition, visit HolyCrossHealth.org/awards.
HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL Has received the American Heart Association 2017 Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite
Holy Cross Hospital has
again been recognized for
excellence in stroke treatment
and its commitment to
quality stroke care. This
time the honor stems from a
program created jointly by the
American Heart Association
and the American Stroke
Association. The hospital is
the recipient of the Get With
The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold
Plus Quality Achievement
Award with Target: StrokeSM
Honor Roll Elite. The award
recognizes Holy Cross
Hospital’s commitment to
providing the most appropriate
stroke treatment according
to nationally recognized,
research-based guidelines and
the latest scientific evidence.
Holy Cross Germantown
Hospital was recently
awarded the American Heart
Association/American Stroke
Association’s Get With The
Guidelines®-Stroke Silver Plus
Quality Achievement Award
that recognizes the hospital’s
commitment to using the latest
research-based guidelines and
scientific evidence to ensure
that stroke patients receive the
most appropriate treatment.
Holy Cross Hospital’s Cancer Institute has earned full reaccreditation
from the Commission on Cancer (CoC), a quality program of the
American College of Surgeons (ACS) that recognizes cancer care
programs for their commitment to providing comprehensive, high-
quality and multidisciplinary patient-centered care. Holy Cross Hospital
has been accredited by the Commission on Cancer since 2000.
To earn and maintain CoC accreditation, the Cancer
Institute at Holy Cross Hospital meets 34 CoC quality care
standards, is evaluated every three years through a survey
process, and sustains levels of excellence in the delivery of
comprehensive patient-centered care.
A new monthly stroke support group at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital is available to your
patients. To connect with other survivors, caregivers and professionals have your patients
call 301-754-8800 or visit HolyCrossHealth.org/support to register.
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Holy Cross Health1500 Forest Glen RoadSilver Spring, MD 20910-1484
Physician News aims to provide useful information to physicians about the programs and services offered by Holy Cross Health.
Norvell V. Coots, MD, President and CEO, Holy Cross HealthLouis Damiano, MD, President, Holy Cross HospitalDoug Ryder, President, Holy Cross Germantown HospitalAnnice Cody, President, Holy Cross Health NetworkBlair Eig, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Holy Cross Health
To be added to the mailing list, email [email protected].
Holy Cross Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit
health system dedicated to improving the
health of our community. Holy Cross Hospital
is one of the largest hospitals in Maryland. Holy
Cross Germantown Hospital is the first new
hospital in Montgomery County in 35 years.
Holy Cross Health Network operates Holy Cross
Health Centers in Aspen Hill, Gaithersburg,
Germantown and Silver Spring; offers a wide
range of health and wellness programs;
and builds and manages relationships with
physicians and insurers.
PHYSICIAN NEWS
Be Part of the Growing and Thriving Holy Cross Germantown Hospital Physician Community
NOW IS THE TIME TO JOIN OUR MEDICAL STAFF! To learn more please contact
Christopher O’Brien at 301-557-5967 or
Top reasons physicians choose to practice at this vibrant hospital:
• Advanced technologies like the da Vinci® Xi Surgical System provide unique opportunities to surgeons
• Engaged and responsive leadership team
• Fantastic nursing, surgical and support staff provide exceptional service
• Easy access• Convenient scheduling of
surgical cases
Top reasons area physicians feel confident referring patients to us:
• Depth of specialty care including complex surgical capabilities for lung, gynecologic, breast, hernia, urologic, gastrointestinal, joint, spine, neuro and general surgery
• Incredible group of obstetrical hospitalists as well as obstetrical resident support
• Neonatal unit is thriving and able to provide care for neonates in emergency situations
• Built to serve upper Montgomery County’s expanding population close to home
• Serene and peaceful building and environs supports healing
“We continue to welcome new physicians to our growing medical staff that now numbers 533 and counting. Now in our fourth year of operations, I share with you why physicians love practicing here and why physicians feel confident referring patients to us.”
—Dawn Walton, MD, Neonatologist and President of the Medical Staff, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital.
Dawn Walton, MD
