health & wellness » Lighthouse For Hope Hadassah shares promising new stem cell research. Erez Meltzer Ruthan Brodsky | Contributing Writer St. Joe Center Offers Help and Hope for People with Chronic Wounds By Jack Weiner, President and CEO St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Since its opening in 2012, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland's (SJMO) Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine has improved the quality of life for hundreds of patients with non- healing wounds. And it has added more services and products to encourage healing, such as artificial skin substitutes and total contact casting for diabetic foot ulcers. Located in the Alice Gustafson Center on campus, the state-of-the- art facility treats patients with chronic wounds using advanced equipment, including two hyperbaric chambers, making St. Joe's wound care center one of the most convenient, comprehensive and sophisticated wound treatment facilities in Southeastern Michigan. We opened the Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine to provide our patients with the safest, highest quality and comprehensive care possible in the area of wound treatment. With state-of-the-art, specialized, technologically advanced and evidence- based therapies utilizing the latest techniques and procedures, SJMO can restore a patient's quality of life by reducing healing time and fostering full recovery We are privileged to have Firas Karmo, MD, plastic surgeon from the SJMO Medical Staff, as medical director of the facility, which employs physicians specialty-trained in wound management and hyperbaric medicine, certified or specialty-trained wound care nurses and highly trained clinical hyperbaric managers and staff. The center takes a whole body approach to wound healing, including t Nutritional assessment and counseling t Diabetic education t Patient and caregiver counseling t Referrals for special needs pressure relief, including beds, seat cushions and footwear. Among the conditions treated at the center are: t Diabetic wounds t Any non-healing wound t Surgical wounds that have opened t Skin grafts or surgical flaps that are not healing post-surgery t Open wounds caused by radiation therapy t Bond infections t Pressure ulcers t Venous wounds t Internal injuries where no open wound exists, such as select acute traumatic and crush injuries, radiation cystitis or proctitis and reconstruction of the jaw or bone. The hyperbaric chambers provide a more advanced treatment option for those who qualify. Hyperbaric treatments work in combination with traditional wound care treatments. Oftentimes, the hyperbaric treatment is the only one available for a particular condition. Ask your physician for a referral if your condition can benefit from our Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine. If you have a wound that won’t heal, call the Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine at 248-858-2606. Firas Karmo, MD 2064320 54 April 28 • 2016 E rez Meltzer, chairman of Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO), Israel, spoke at an informal breakfast at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital March 30. His topic focused on new research and treatments developed by HMO using a patient’s own stem cells. Over 40 people, primarily HFH physicians and staff and Hadassah members attended. Betty Chu, M.D. M.B.A., chief medi- cal officer at Henry Ford WB, touted Meltzer’s achievements as a highly suc- cessful business leader and his teaching efforts as a professor of management and crisis intervention. Chu and her hus- band, Novot Shoresh, and children are active members at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield. “My husband is an Israeli, and every two years we revisit Israel,” Chu says. “Hadassah Hospital, founded by women, resonated with me because its health care is based on relationships, and patients are cared for regardless of their politics.” Meltzer’s appointment as chairman of HMO was approved in late 2014. His mission is to lead the effort for the organization’s financial recovery as agreed upon by the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, HMO and the government of Israel. Understanding the challenges of the complicated Israeli health system and the complex demo- graphics of the country, Melzer agreed to become chairperson of the HMO Board. “At one time, hospitals focused on disease when treating patients,” explains Meltzer. “Today, Hadassah’s goal is to focus on the patient’s experience by treating the whole patient including par- ticipating family members.” Meltzer describes the Hadassah Medical Organization as a bridge for peace, a lighthouse for hope and a sym- bol for Israel’s existence. HMO is the largest employer in Jerusalem,” Meltzer says. “Israel is grow- ing and is expected to reach 22 million by the end of the century. We need medical institutions that can treat dis- ease and care for the injured. To accom- modate our future, we continue to bring in physicians and technicians to live in Jerusalem while working to maintain a coexistence and balance with the city’s diverse populations.” According to Meltzer, Hadassah Hospital is uniquely positioned to do research and clinical trials. Its produc- tion of therapeutic treatments provides research teams with the ability to devel- op breakthrough products for patient care in addition to commercializing these treatments and selling the resulting products. STEM CELL RESEARCH Meltzer explains that Israel moved for- ward with stem cell research over the past 25-30 years while other countries, including the U.S., were held back by regulations. As a result, HMO developed a method for harvesting and growing a large quantity of a patient’s own stem cells that are re-injected into patients as treatment for serious health issues. Meltzer briefly described several ongoing research projects taking place at HMO using a patient’s own stem cells to treat diseases such as ALS, multiple scle- rosis, age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases as part of what is often labeled regenerative medicine. “The future trends of medical research and treatment are likely to result in more personalized medicine, tailored to indi- viduals,” Meltzer says. “The consequence of employing increased applications of regenerative medicine using stem cells will trend to a system of case manage- ment as opposed to disease manage- ment. In addition, the impact of digital medical research, speeding the process to collect data, will give patients earlier access to the positive results developing in today’s medical research.” Attendee Debbie Robbins of West Bloomfield says, “I am amazed at the medical research advances Hadassah Hospital has made and will report on what I learned this morning to the next board meeting of our Tikvah Chapter. I have a personal interest in the cystic fibrosis research.” Carol Ogusky of Sylvan Lake, presi- dent of Hadassah Greater Detroit, adds, “It is inspiring to learn how HMO enhances Israel’s economy and builds bridges for peace by providing medical care to patients regardless of race, reli- gion or nationality.” *