SCOTT HAMMOND Nelson Marlborough District Health Board stroke specialist Dr Suzanne Busch and Christchurch occupational therapist Clare Jamieson spoke at the first in-house stroke training day at Blenheims Wairau Hospital. A business case is being lodged for more physiotherapists, speech therapists and occupational therapists to boost rehabilitation services within Nelson Marlborough District Health Board. Wairau Hospital geriatrician and stroke physician Andrew Wilson previously said a shortage of physiotherapists and occupational therapists hampered the hospital's ability to have an organised stroke service. The Ministry of Health say all district health boards should have an organised stroke service that comprised of a lead stroke physician, a lead stroke nurse, acute support and community rehabilitation. A briefing paper on stroke services in Nelson Marlborough District Health Board said Wairau does not have a ATR (assessment, treatment and rehabilitation) community rehabilitation team and stroke patients had limited access to outpatient community rehabilitation services after their discharge. There was no lead stroke nurse at Nelson and Wairau hospitals, and up to 50 per cent of stroke patients are discharged without physiotherapy or occupational therapy assessment and advice. Stroke physician Dr Suzanne Busch said the shortage of allied health professionals was a nationwide problem and they … Continue reading →

Dr John Sinden, left, and Olav Helleb of Reneuron. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian He wants to bore ahole in your head. But dont panic, Olav Helleb is not a modern-day trepanist and it will be a top-notch surgeon, not the 49-year-old Norwegian businessman, holding the drill. Drilling holes in the skull sounds drastic. But Helleb says it is worth it; the procedure, coupled with injections of stem cells, from his British biotech company Reneuron, could help heal victims of debilitating strokes, he says. Its a routine thing but it does sound pretty scary to me, Helleb says of cranial drilling. You only do it if you think it is going to make a significant difference to the patient. You set the bar pretty high, its not an antihistamine pill. The treatment isnt pills but millions of stem cells undifferentiated cells that can be encouraged to grow into all kinds of human cells. Helleb says the cells injected into patients brains can be encouraged to regenerate neurons lost in a stroke. The field is regenerative medicine, which in a word tells you it is about regenerating cells which are missing or damaged in some way. So in a way … Continue reading →

MDAnderson's Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Center is one of the largest facilities in the world for stem cell transplants, performing more than 865 procedures for adults and children each year, more than any other center in the nation. We treat a wide variety of cancers, hematologic diseases and autoimmune disorders, including: Our center is recognized by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) as a specialized center for matched unrelated donor stem cell transplants, and maintains an advanced cell processing laboratory dedicated to preparing safe and effective tissues for transplantation. The apheresis and stem cell collection unit performs over 1,000 blood stem cell collections annually. In addition to inpatient and outpatient services, the Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular therapy center has a clinic that helps monitor and manage complications of graft versus host disease. Patients can be referred to the Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Center for cancer treatment. Please complete the Patient Self-Referral form. You will be contacted by a Referral Specialist to collect the additional information required for confirming your appointment. Please complete the Physician Referral form. A Referral Specialist will contact your office for additional information and then contact your patient to confirm the appointment. … Continue reading →