MDNews - West Virginia

WVU CYSTIC FIBROSIS CENTER RANKED IN NATION'S TOP 10 Thanks to a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care, the West Virginia University (WVU) Mountain State Cystic Fibrosis Center is among the top 10 centers of its kind in the country. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Care Center Network includes 165 centers through - out the United States. Information from the network's most recent report shows the Mountain State Cystic Fibrosis Center ranks among the nation's top 10, based on 2012 pediatric pulmonary and nutrition data. "This is the result of dedication by the entire cystic fibrosis [CF] team through team management, over nine years of quality improvement work and attention to excellence in patient care," says Kathryn Moffett, MD, Director of the Mountain State Cystic Fibrosis Center and Professor in the WVU Department of Pediatrics. "I am proud of the continued dedication and support of the Department of Pediatrics, West Virginia University and WVU Healthcare for making this possible." Dr. Moffett added that two of the most important factors are lung function for 6- to 17-year-olds, as well as nutritional status in children, which is based on median body mass index for 2- to 19-year-olds and median weight for children less than 24 months of age. "Looking at the trends over the last 10 years, our data in these areas have steadily improved," Dr. Moffett says. "We focus on lung function, nutrition and overall health. The healthier the babies and children are, the better they grow and the better their lungs function." The WVU Mountain State Cystic Fibrosis Center has more than 25 years of experience caring for children with this disease, combin - ing research with a team approach that results in improved lung function for West Virginia children with CF. WVU HEALTHCARE SURGEONS PERFORM FREE KNEE AND HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERIES AS PART OF OPERATION WALK USA WVU Healthcare surgeons performed free or- thopaedic surgeries as part of Operation Walk USA. While more than 1 million hip and knee replacements are performed in the United States each year, countless men and women continue to live with severe arthritis pain and immobility because they cannot afford joint replacement surgery. Through Operation Walk USA, an independent medical humanitarian organization that provides free hip or knee re - placement surgeries to patients in the United States, five WVU Healthcare patients received joint replacement surgery at no cost on Dec. 6. In 2013, WVU Healthcare surgeons partici- pated in Operation Walk USA, a special event observed during the first week of December at hospitals across the country since 2011. More than 230 people who do not qualify for government assistance programs and cannot afford surgery on their own received joint replacements. WVU orthopaedic surgeon Benjamin Frye, MD, spearheaded the effort to involve WVU School of Medicine faculty in Operation Walk USA. Dr. Frye says the program was modeled after the international Operation Walk organization, a group providing hip and knee replacements in developing countries while helping train physicians to perform them. "The thought was that if we are doing this for other countries, there are enough people here at home who also need surgery, so Operation Walk USA was born," Frye explains. "I had some experience with this last year during my fellow - ship. It's a great program and the patients were very happy and appreciative of this type of service, so I felt this was something that WVU could offer patients in our area." In addition to the surgical procedure itself, Operation Walk USA provides for all aspects of treatment, including hospitaliza- tion and pre- and postoperative care, at no cost to the patient. Six of WVU Healthcare's orthopaedic surgeons — Dr. Frye; Matthew Dietz, MD; Adam Klein, MD; Brock Lindsay, MD; Barry McDonough, MD; and David Waxman, MD — are among 130 surgeons who donated their time and skill to the initiative, and Ruby Memorial Hospital was one of 70 participating U.S. hospitals. WVU'S EMERY SELECTED PRESIDENT- ELECT OF ABOS Sanford Emery, MD, Chairman of the WVU Department of Orthopaedics, was elect - ed to be the next presi- dent of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS). He will begin his one-year term in September 2014. The ABOS is the governing body for certify- ing orthopedic surgeons in the United States. The purpose of the board is to protect the public by ensuring the quality of practicing orthopedic surgeons. Dr. Emery has been a Director of the board since 2009 and Treasurer since 2011. DR. HANNAH HAZARD NAMED CHIEF OF WVU SURGICAL ONCOLOGY Hannah W. Hazard, MD, has been appointed Chief of the WVU Division of Surgical Oncology. Dr. Hazard has been a member of the department for six years and is board-certified in general surgery. Dr. Hazard attended Dickinson College for her undergraduate education and earned her medical degree at WVU. After a surgical residency at WVU, she completed a fellowship in breast diseases at Northwestern University in Chicago. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Hazard serves as a member of the WVU School of Medicine Admissions Committee and as the school's Assistant Dean for Admissions. ■ LOCAL NEWS Hannah W. Hazard, MD Sanford Emery, MD Benjamin Frye, MD, and Orthopaedic Nurse Clinician Cynthia Drummond 1 4 | West Virginia MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M

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