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Friday, July 20, 2007
Sacred Heart Specialists Join Stroke Research Study
The Sacred Heart Regional Stroke Center is participating in a national research study to the effectiveness of a natural protein in treating damage that occurs in the brain following a stroke.
About 1,800 people at 60 sites across the United States and Canada will take part in the study of human albumin, a protein already in use for a variety of medical purposes. The use of albumin currently is not a standard treatment for stroke, but in animal studies, it was shown to reduce the amount of tissue death in the brain and improve neurological function after a stroke. These effects may reduce or prevent brain damage from a stroke in humans.
Participating in the study is voluntary. For research purposes, eligible stroke patients will be randomly assigned to receive either albumin or a placebo substance containing no medication.
Currently, the only approved treatment for acute stroke is the clot-busting drug called t-PA, which should be given to the patient within three hours of when stroke symptoms occur. The albumin study is being conducted at Sacred Heart under the direction of Dr. Terry Neill, a critical care neurologist.
Sacred Heart's Regional Stroke Center is dedicated to providing rapid emergency care and new therapies that can improve outcomes and minimize disabilities for patients who have suffered a stroke. Sacred Heart Hospital was the first hospital in the Pensacola area to earn Primary Stroke Center Certification from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
For more information about stroke or the warning signs of stroke, visit Sacred Heart's online health library at www.sacred-heart.org.
Area Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs Give $67,000 to Children's Hospital
Wal-Mart and Sam' Club associates throughout the nation met their goal to raise $10 million during the month of May in celebration of the 20th anniversary of their partnership with Children' Miracle Network. Sacred Heart Children' Hospital is one of 160 Children' Miracle Network hospitals that will benefit from the May campaign.
Wal-Mart and Sam' Club associates, customers and members in the Pensacola and Panama City area raised $60,060.51 of the $10 million total. Miracle Balloons were sold for $1during the month-long campaign, and each dollar raised benefits the life-saving care of Sacred Heart Children' Hospital.
On May 31, in-store 20th anniversary celebrations were held in Wal-Mart stores and Sam' Clubs throughout the country. Celebrities participating in events around the country ranged from government officials and local athletes to pageant winners and radio personalities. Marie Osmond, LeAnn Rimes, Mary Lou Retton and Miss America Lauren Nelson also lent their support of the month-long celebration by traveling across the country, visiting stores and clubs, and speaking to the media to raise awareness about Children' Miracle Network hospitals.
"May was a remarkable month for Wal-Mart, Sam' Club and the Children' Miracle Network," said Pat Curran, Executive Vice President, and Wal-Mart Stores People Division. "We always set ambitious goals at Wal-Mart, but $10 million in one month was a record-breaker, even for us. Thanks to our associates and customers, children across the country will get the care they need and deserve. Our success with this fundraising campaign is just one example of how Wal-Mart associates and customers have a positive impact on the world."
In 1987, moved by a desire to impact the medical needs of children, Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, partnered with Children' Miracle Network. As evident by May' activities, Wal-Mart and Children' Miracle Network continue to celebrate that decision and the impact it has had on children throughout North America. In total, Wal-Mart associates have raised more than $387 million for children' hospitals since 1987, and that number continues to grow as 1.3 million associates in over 4,000 locations support Children' Miracle Network.
Sacred Heart Children' Hospital has been providing pediatric care to sick and injured babies and children in Northwest Florida and South Alabama for the past 37 years. For more information about children' services at Sacred Heart, visit www.sacred-heart.org.
Dr. Antonio Pena Named New Medical Director of Sacred Heart Children's Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
PENSACOLA, Fla. - Dr. Antonio Esteban Pena, a board certified neonatologist with Pediatrix Medical Group, has been named the medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Sacred Heart Children's Hospital. Dr. Pena will replace Dr. Paul Berger, who will continue to practice neonatology at Sacred Heart.
Dr. Pena previously worked as a neonatologist with Pediatrix Medical Group at Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach, Fla. for the past nine years.
Dr. Pena completed his fellowship in neonatology in the department of pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, Fla.
A native of Cuba, Dr. Pena received his medical degree from the Universidad Central del Este in the Dominican Republic and completed his residency in pediatrics at Nassau County Medical Center Health Sciences Center at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he was named chief resident.
Sacred Heart Hospital provides one of only 11 Regional Perinatal Intensive Care Centers in the State of Florida. The program, which includes the services of the hospital's NICU, specializes in the care of women with high-risk pregnancies and babies who are born sick or with low birth weight.
PENSACOLA, Fla. - Dr. Antonio Esteban Pena, a board certified neonatologist with Pediatrix Medical Group, has been named the medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Sacred Heart Children's Hospital. Dr. Pena will replace Dr. Paul Berger, who will continue to practice neonatology at Sacred Heart.
