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ChristianaCare Names Its Breast Center: The Tatiana Copeland Breast Center
ChristianaCare has named its Breast Center The Tatiana Copeland Breast Center at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute in recognition of Gerret and Tatiana Copeland’s generous financial support. The Copelands, local philanthropists and business entrepreneurs, provided a $1.2 million gift to the Graham Cancer Center in 2019 for breast cancer prevention and research for underrepresented women. Tatiana Copeland previously provided $800,000 to fund the purchase of two 3D mammography units. As a result of their philanthropic leadership, the Graham Cancer Center was one of the first facilities in the nation to offer 3D mammography. “ChristianaCare is deeply grateful to the Copelands for their generous support of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute,” said Janice Nevin, M.D., MPH, ChristianaCare president and CEO. “They have made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many women in and around Delaware. We are deeply honored to name the Breast Center after Tatiana.” In a private event celebrating the naming, Dr. Nevin read a personal letter from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden that was sent to Tatiana about her support of the Breast Center. “Tatiana is a woman with extraordinary vision and a compassionate heart,” wrote President Biden. “As a breast cancer survivor, she has taken her pain and turned it into purpose, ensuring that all those who come in for testing at the Breast Center will receive extraordinary care. She has put lifesaving and life-altering care within the reach of those who need it most. And through it all, she has pushed for progress, fought for patients and kept hope alive.” “The Copelands share our commitment to providing our patients with the very best breast care, diagnosis and treatment,” said Nicholas J. Petrelli, M.D., Bank of America endowed medical director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. “Their generous gifts have enabled women from Delaware and surrounding communities to receive expert, compassionate care right here at the Breast Center without ever having to leave the state. The Copelands have a way of discovering a need and then making the impossible possible.” “As longtime Graham Cancer Center supporters and as a breast cancer survivor myself who received wonderful treatment here, we are confident our investment in the Breast Center will continue to enable women to receive the same care that I did,” Tatiana Copeland said. “The atmosphere of the Breast Center is very comforting — like a nurturing hospital,” she said. “Everybody is very caring and attentive. Dr. Petrelli has created a team effort that is truly admirable. We hope our support inspires others to join us in the fight against cancer.” At The Tatiana Copeland Breast Center, patients are supported by an exceptional care team that includes radiologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, genetic counselors and support staff. On-site capabilities include: 3D mammography. Digital mammography. Dedicated breast MRI. Breast ultrasound. Minimally invasive breast biopsies. Financial resources. Delaware’s first Center for Breast Reconstruction. According to the Delaware Division of Public Health, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in Delaware and the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the state after lung cancer. The Graham Cancer Center conducts community outreach to educate women about the importance of breast cancer detection and early prevention, including specially designed programs for underrepresented communities, including Black, Latinx and Asian women. “The Copelands’ ongoing generosity and support have helped us elevate the level of care at the Breast Center,” said Dia Williams, vice president of Philanthropy at ChristianaCare. “This gift will have an impact for generations to come.” To learn more about ChristianaCare’s philanthropy opportunities, visit https://christianacare.org/donors.
Babies react to taste and smell in the womb – new research
Scientists have recorded the first direct evidence that babies react differently to various smells and tastes while in the womb Study took 4D ultrasound scans of 100 pregnant women to see how their unborn babies responded to flavours from foods eaten by their mothers The research team, which also included scientists from Aston University, scanned some mothers to see fetal facial reactions to the kale and carrot flavours. Scientists have recorded the first direct evidence that babies react differently to various smells and tastes while in the womb by looking at their facial expressions. A study led by Durham University’s Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, UK, took 4D ultrasound scans of 100 pregnant women to see how their unborn babies responded after being exposed to flavours from foods eaten by their mothers. Researchers looked at how the fetuses reacted to either carrot or kale flavours just a short time after the flavours had been ingested by the mothers. Fetuses exposed to carrot showed more “laughter-face” responses while those exposed to kale showed more “cry-face” responses. Their findings could further our understanding of the development of human taste and smell receptors. The researchers also believe that what pregnant women eat might influence babies’ taste preferences after birth and potentially have implications for establishing healthy eating habits. The study is published in the journal Psychological Science. Humans experience flavour through a combination of taste and smell. In fetuses it is thought that this might happen through inhaling and swallowing the amniotic fluid in the womb. Lead researcher Beyza Ustun, a postgraduate researcher in the Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, Department of Psychology, Durham University, said: “A number of studies have suggested that babies can taste and smell in the womb, but they are based on post-birth outcomes while our study is the first to see these reactions prior to birth. “As a result, we think that this repeated exposure to flavours before birth could help to establish food preferences post-birth, which could be important when thinking about messaging around healthy eating and the potential for avoiding ‘food-fussiness’ when weaning. “It was really amazing to see unborn babies’ reaction to kale or carrot flavours during the scans and share those moments with their parents.” The research team, which also included scientists from Aston University, Birmingham, UK, and the National Centre for Scientific Research-University of Burgundy, France, scanned the mothers, aged 18 to 40, at both 32 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy to see fetal facial reactions to the kale and carrot flavours. Mothers were given a single capsule containing approximately 400mg of carrot or 400mg kale powder around 20 minutes before each scan. They were asked not to consume any food or flavoured drinks one hour before their scans. The mothers also did not eat or drink anything containing carrot or kale on the day of their scans to control for factors that could affect fetal reactions. Facial reactions seen in both flavour groups, compared with fetuses in a control group who were not exposed to either flavour, showed that exposure to just a small amount of carrot or kale flavour was enough to stimulate a reaction. Co-author Professor Nadja Reissland, head of the Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, Department of Psychology, Durham University, supervised Beyza Ustun’s research. She said: “Previous research conducted in my lab has suggested that 4D ultrasound scans are a way of monitoring fetal reactions to understand how they respond to maternal health behaviours such as smoking, and their mental health including stress, depression, and anxiety. “This latest study could have important implications for understanding the earliest evidence for fetal abilities to sense and discriminate different flavours and smells from the foods ingested by their mothers.” Co-author Professor Benoist Schaal, of the National Centre for Scientific Research-University of Burgundy, France, said: “Looking at fetuses’ facial reactions we can assume that a range of chemical stimuli pass through maternal diet into the fetal environment. “This could have important implications for our understanding of the development of our taste and smell receptors, and related perception and memory.” The researchers say their findings might also help with information given to mothers about the importance of taste and healthy diets during pregnancy. They have now begun a follow-up study with the same babies post-birth to see if the influence of flavours they experienced in the womb affects their acceptance of different foods. Research co-author Professor Jackie Blissett, of Aston University, said: “It could be argued that repeated prenatal flavour exposures may lead to preferences for those flavours experienced postnatally. In other words, exposing the fetus to less ‘liked’ flavours, such as kale, might mean they get used to those flavours in utero. “The next step is to examine whether fetuses show less ‘negative’ responses to these flavours over time, resulting in greater acceptance of those flavours when babies first taste them outside of the womb.”
New center helps meet growing need for pediatric care in our community Families in northern Delaware and surrounding areas have a new option for pediatric care. Today ChristianaCare opened a new 14-bed Pediatric Care Center that provides 24/7 combined short-stay inpatient and emergency care for children and teens. The new center is located on the first floor of the Center for Women’s & Children’s Health on ChristianaCare’s Newark Campus. “This new facility is an exciting step in our continued journey to create the absolute best care for children and families in our community,” said David Paul, M.D., chair of the Department of Pediatrics. “The Pediatric Care Center will significantly improve access to care for children, enhance the patient experience and address the needs of families who want high-quality care in a child-friendly environment.” The 24-hour Pediatric Care Center will be able to evaluate and manage 90% of the pediatric cases currently seen in the Christiana Hospital Emergency Department. The center expects to care for an estimated 6,300 patients the first year, with volume projected to grow 5% each year. The Pediatric Care Center also provides expert care to children and adolescents with behavioral health emergency needs and appropriate referral sources for follow-up care. “Our new Pediatric Care Center makes it easier than ever for families and children to receive excellent care when they need it, in a special space designed just for them,” said Sharon Kurfuerst, Ed.D., OTR/L, FACHE, system chief operating officer at ChristianaCare and President, Union Hospital. “The center will care for the special needs of pediatric patients, making it convenient for them to receive dedicated, expert resources for hospital-based, non-trauma emergency and inpatient care all in one location.” The 8,400 square-foot facility provides 14 beds for emergency and short-stay inpatient and observation care. “We offer 24/7 pediatric emergency care 365 days a year,” said Megan Mickley, M.D., MBA, FAAP, FACEP, medical director, who is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Medicine and fellowship-trained in Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Emergency Ultrasound. “The Pediatric Care Center team is a diverse, multidisciplinary group led by pediatric physicians trained in a variety of backgrounds, including emergency medicine and hospital medicine,” she said. “Our goals are not only to provide exceptional quality of care for children, but also to improve access to and expand pediatric care services for our neighbors. We look forward to being a trusted partner for pediatric care in our community.” About the Center for Women’s & Children’s Health The Center for Women’s & Children’s Health, which opened in a state-of-the-art facility in 2020 on ChristianaCare’s Newark campus, represents a new standard of care for our community. It is the region’s only National Community Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and offers innovative, patient-centered care for mothers, babies and families. The center provides private rooms for mothers and families after delivery and is one of the only hospitals in the United States to provide couplet care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, keeping mother and baby together even if they both require medical care.
IMPROVING PATIENT CARE, ONE COMMUNITY AT THE TIME
The Deep River and District Hospital shared updates in the November 2021 Newsletter The Zinger. RealTime Medical’s platform now supports their radiology department. “On Tuesday, November 9, 2021, the organization transitioned our Diagnostic Imaging Radiology services to a third-party service provider, RealTime Medical (RTM) to support our X-ray and Ultrasound reading. Thank you to everyone who helped make the transition go smoothly. The turnaround time for reports has significantly improved from previous services. At times, patients are still in the Emergency Department when reports are received, which is a significant improvement and benefit to patient care! RTM provides 24-hours a day/ 7 days a week remote Radiology coverage, and a Radiologist is available 24/7. Posters with contact information for RTM have been posted on the Medical and Emergency Department nursing stations, as well as in the Physician room on medical.” Link to the original source.
