"HEART WATCH" CORONARY CALCIUM SCAN OFFERS MOST ACCURATE METHOD AVAILABLE
FOR DETECTING HEART DISEASE EARLY
Heart Watch, a new cardiac program that features a coronary calcium scan, is
now part of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's arsenal in the war on heart
disease. This high-tech weapon, made by Imatron, Inc., is a C-150 Ultrafast
CT Scanner. Also known as an Electron Beam CT or EBCT, this highly advanced
CT scanner has no moving parts, uses an electron gun with a sweeping beam,
and is able to detect very small amounts of calcium in artery walls. "What
this means," says Daniel Berman, M.D., Chief of Cardiac Imaging in the
Department of Imaging at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Director of the
Heart Watch Program, "is that patients who are at risk for coronary heart
disease -- the number one cause of death in both men and women in America --
can now be identified much earlier. And that means that treatment planning,
lifestyle changes, and other interventions can begin much earlier -- when
they are most effective."
Interviews: Daniel Berman, M.D., Chief of Cardiac Imaging in the Department
of Imaging
NEW MURAL ADDS TO MEDICAL CENTER'S ART COLLECTION, DEPICTS JEWISH
CONTRIBUTIONS TO MEDICINE
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's new mural, "Jewish Contributions to Medicine,"
makes an important addition to the medical center's art collection -- and to
Jewish medical history. The 12-foot x 71-foot mural will become part of the
medical center's extensive art collection -- the largest of its kind in the
country. A dedication ceremony is scheduled to take place Sunday, May 2,
1999.
DESPITE BENEFITS OF AUTOPSY, RATES HAVE DROPPED NEARLY 50 PERCENT
Despite the benefits of autopsy -- including better information on cause of
death, efficacy of treatment and undiagnosed disease -- the U.S. autopsy rate
has dropped from nearly 50 percent during the post World War II years to an
estimated fewer than 10 percent today. According to Stephen A. Geller, M.D.,
Chair of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Department of Pathology and
Laboratory, autopsy can serve as an important tool for quality assurance as
well as function as a measure of the appropriateness of therapies and their
subsequent effect on the patient.
Interviews: Stephen A. Geller, M.D., Chair, Department of Pathology and
Laboratory
AMERICAN PARKINSON DISEASE ASSOCIATION INFORMATION AND REFERRAL CENTER OPENS
AT CEDARS-SINAI
The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Information and Referral
Center has opened at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to assist individuals
diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, including their families and caregivers.
Services are free of charge and include a wide range of information and
support to help understand the disease and maintain quality of life.
Interviews: Stefan-M. Pulst, M.D., Director, Division of Neurology, and the
Carmen and Louis Warschaw Chair in Neurology.
FETCH, FIDO: INNOVATIVE PET THERAPY PROGRAMS INTEGRATE DOGS INTO PHYSICAL
THERAPY, REHAB, MORE
A pink pawprint on the door of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center patient rooms
indicates that the patient inside will soon be visited by a furry,
four-legged "therapist." The dogs are part of two successful pet therapy
programs which are based on the premise that some patients heal
significantly faster and better if they are visited by a friendly animal.
Interviews: Barbara Cowen, L.C.S.W.; John Young, VMD, MS, Director of
Comparative Medicine
For media information and to arrange an interview, please call 1-800-396-1002.