Annual Report
Report to the Community 2018/19
Report to the Community 2018/19
APP HELPS REDUCE READMISSION RATES FOLLOWING CANCER SURGERY
Mount Sinai is considered a national leader in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Dr. Erin Kennedy, a leading surgeon and researcher in this area, developed a guided recovery app that reduced 30-day readmission rates from 18 per cent to 6.1 per cent. Through their smartphones, tablets or computers, patients received reminders, accessed interactive education, tracked recovery milestones and recorded warning signs. Clinicians were automatically notified of any risk for complications and were able to view a patient’s health status in real time. Patient satisfaction scores for the program were 89 per cent.
AN INNOVATIVE NEW SURGERY PATHWAY FOR AMBULATORY FRACTURES
As hip fracture cases make speedier journeys to the operating room, less serious fractures such as the wrist or ankle have unfortunately faced longer waits for surgery. Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Jesse Wolfstadt devised a new surgical pathway for these patients during his fellowship at Mount Sinai, observing that one-quarter of ambulatory fracture patients were spending an average of four days in hospital. Enhanced nursing staff training allows these patients to wait for surgery in the comfort of their own homes, reducing unnecessary hospitalizations to zero. “We’ve had a pretty profound impact on patient care,” says Dr. Wolfstadt. “We’re avoiding having them pick up infections, and the patients are happier.”
DR. PAMELA GOODWIN: AT THE FOREFRONT OF BREAST CANCER DISCOVERIES
As a clinician-researcher, the Marvelle Koffler Chair in Breast Research and Director of the Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre, Dr. Pamela Goodwin, pioneered host factor research: inquiry into the association between breast cancer and individual traits, including lifestyle and diet. Notably, she found strong links with vitamin D deficiency as well as obesity, changing the way clinicians understand and treat breast cancer. “Clinician-researchers are at the forefront of translating science to clinical practice,” she says. “In the future, I hope all new discoveries are made available to patients so that they can do better.”
X