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DMC CHAMPIONS Newsletter

Dear Friends:

Thanks to your support, the DMC continues to be a leader both clinically and economically. We’ve made a financial turnaround and added hundreds of jobs. We’ve broadened our physician base to deliver more care where it is needed most. We’ve even garnered some prestigious awards.

Harper/Hutzel Hospital was recently named as a 2007 Leapfrog Top Hospital, one of only 41 in the U.S. A total of 1,285 hospitals applied. The Leapfrog Hospital Quality Survey is a rating system that provides the most complete and current assessment of a hospital’s quality and safety. Top hospitals full meet Leapfrog’s standard for ICU Physician Staffing, Safe Practice Scores and other quality-related criteria.

There is still more good news – innovative projects like the Children’s Healing Garden become reality at the DMC with the help of supporters and community leaders. Large and small acts of kindness enhance our patients’ experience and make the DMC a better place to get better.

I hope you enjoy reading about a few of the highlights here. Remember, we couldn’t have done it without you.

With sincere appreciation,
Mike Duggan
President and CEO
The Detroit Medical Center

Family Crosses Atlantic for Hutzel Reunion

Grateful patients sometimes end thank-you notes to hospital staff. The Perris family of great Britain did much more. They visited DMC Hutzel Women’s Hospital in August to show their identical twin daughters where they were born nearly 11 years ago.

Sarah and John Perris, who are British, were living in Dearborn when she learned she was pregnant with twins. A multiple birth pregnancy at age 37 placed Sarah in a high-risk category and th couple turned to Hutzel for expert care. Sara was diagnosed with borderline Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), a rare condition that occurs when twins share a placenta. . On Jan. 10, 1997, Sarah gave birth to twin girls, Georgie and India, at Hutzel. Georgie went home in a few days but India spent about three weeks in Hutzel’s Special Care Nursery.

“The care we received at Hutzel was fantastic. The staff in the Special Care Nursery was wonderful,” said Sarah. Ten years later, the Perris family traveled back to Michigan to reunite with their Hutzel family. “It’s important for us to come back now to show the girls where our family started,” said Sarah. The family toured the NICU, Special Care Nursery, Labor and Delivery, and reunited with some of the nurses who cared for Georgie and India during their stay. It was a special celebration filled with lasting memories for both the Perris and Hutzel families.

Donor Legacy Gives Hope to Spinal Cord Injury patients

Paul E. Gau had a clear vision of finding a cure for others who suffered from spinal cord injuries. Before his death he directed his foundation to support the advancement of research and rehabilitation essential for recovery. For the last four years, Jacob Alspector, trustee of the Paul E. Gau Foundation and lawyer in the firm of Alspector, Sosin, Mittental, Barson, PC has worked passionately in support of cutting edge treatments for spinal cord patients.

Mr. Alspector, along with other supporters, was instrumental in opening the Center for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery (CSCIR) at DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM). An active member of the Donors Committee, Mr. Alspector works with clinicians and researchers to ensure that CSCIR moves forward in finding a cure while providing patients with the latest rehabilitation therapies to help them regain some sensation and movement after paralysis.

On the second floor of RIM, an observer can see spinal cord injury patients using a variety of equipment as part of their rehabilitation. Some are crawling on all fours for the first time since their injuries; others are walking or at work with physical therapists.

The CSCIR is the first hospital-based program in the U.S. to provide nontraditional long-term, high-intensity, exercise-based therapy programs that focus on recovery rather than adaptation. The programs incorporate therapeutic techniques based on emerging research around the globe. The team works one-on-one with clients to develop creative individual therapeutic exercise programs aimed at activating muscles and nerves below the level of injury.

Because of the generosity of Paul E. Gau and Jacob Alspector, spinal cord injury patients make progress on a daily basis and can hope that a cure is near. Since May 2004, the CSCIR has treated 187 clients from 23 states and five countries.

Now Available: The Healing Work of Art
he Healing Work of Art from the collection of DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital (DRH) documents the first and largest hospital-based art collection in the United States. This beautiful collection includes sculpture, paintings, works on paper, textiles and crafts. Proceeds from the book will support art therapy research at Receiving. Enjoy this rich cultural treasure by ordering by phone at (800) WSU-READ or by logging on to the Wayne State University press at wsupress.wayne.edu.

Archive Issues
CHAMPIONS Spring 2007
CHAMPIONS Summer 2007
CHAMPIONS Fall 2007
CHAMPIONS Winter 2008

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