SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) A leading expert in the treatment of autism announced groundbreaking new research -- already being written about internationally -- in Sacramento on Tuesday. Dr. Michael Chez, the director of pediatric neurology at the Sutter Neuroscience Institute, will treat a group of patients with stem cells taken from their own umbilical cord blood. Chez and his team of researchers hope to determine whether the infusion of cord blood cells will help children who suffer from autism symptoms. "I think its wonderful that theyre taking that step to go further," said Laurel Petersen, who has an autistic son. "I think more research needs to be done." The research is the first of its kind because of the way it will be conducted, Chez said. He said prior studies -- done in other parts of the world -- used a pool of stem cells from many patients and were not done against a control group. In this study, each child will receive his or her own cord blood stem cells, he said. Also, stem cell infusions will be given to one group of children while a second group will not receive them at first, allowing a basis for comparison. The … Continue reading →

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) It is a groundbreaking clinical trial, treating autism using a childs own stem cells, and one local boys own medical miracle gave his doctor the idea. Hell smile for his photo op. Hes had a lot of cameras around him, his mother, Elisa Rudgers, said when CBS13 visited their home on Tuesday. His mom will tell you 4-year-old Rydr likes the spotlight, and because hes become something of a medical marvel, hes gotten lots of attention. Rydr has cerebral palsy and we banked his stem cells at birth, Elisa explained. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 11 months, Rydr couldnt sit up on his own and he required feeding tubes to eat. At 15 months doctors gave Rydr his first infusion of his own banked cord blood stem cells. His developmental delays diminished quickly. After the first infusion after three months, he was crawling, six months he was standing, and nine months he was walking, his mom said. Rydrs stem cells helped rebuild his body and his behavior. Now Rydrs doctor is spearheading groundbreaking research to see if the same treatment thats helped this little boy can help treat autism. Dr. Michael Chez of the Sutter Neuroscience Institute believes … Continue reading →

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --A federal court in Philadelphia yesterday granted class action status to a lawsuit brought by the parents of an autistic child against CIGNA Corporation and related CIGNA entities for their policy of denying insurance coverage for an autism treatment known as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. In their lawsuit, the plaintiff, Kristopher Churchill and Luis Rolando, allege that the CIGNA companies have a nationwide policy of classifying ABA as experimental, and therefore they do not provide insurance coverage for this therapy. The plaintiffs claim that the classification of ABA as experimental and the denial of insurance coverage for ABA violates federal laws governing insurance plans. The court's order today means that the case will proceed as a nationwide class action on behalf of all families having children with autism who were denied coverage by CIGNA for ABA therapy. According to the lawsuit, ABA is a well recognized and scientifically valid form of autism treatment for children. Numerous authorities and organizations have supported using ABA to treat autism. For example, the use of ABA for treating autism has been endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General and the National Institute of Mental Health. The American Academy of … Continue reading →

MOBILE, Alabama -- The Joint Commission has accredited Providence Hospital as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center, one of six such centers in the state of Alabama, hospital leaders announced. The certification process is designed to help hospitals continuously provide safe, high-quality care, treatment, and services, a hospital spokesman said. The process also involved an analysis of policies, medical practices and procedures; patient chart review; and an onsite visit by a team of surveyors. Stroke certification is especially important in Alabama, which sits in the nations stroke belt. The 2010 age-adjusted incidence of stroke in Alabama was 4.1 percent the highest in the nation, according to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national rate of 2.6 percent, health statistics show. Stroke is also the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S., and nearly half of older stroke patients experience moderate to severe disability, according to CDC data. Providence Health Ministry, a member of Ascension Health, comprises Providence Hospital, a 349-bed facility and an affiliated physician network with 50 doctors and 11 practice locations. Continued here: Providence Hospital accredited for stroke program by Joint Commission … Continue reading →

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Penumbra Systems line of new MAX Reperfusion Catheters now includes 5MAX for the removal of clots in patients experiencing acute ischemic stroke. The MAX System provides a fast, simplified procedure that applies direct aspiration on the occlusion to optimize thrombus removal without the need for dual operators or the use of a large proximal balloon guide. The 5MAX Reperfusion Catheter offers the highest aspiration power for neuro-thrombectomyequivalent to a 0.062 lumen of the same length. The 5MAX accomplishes this with its tapered design allowing for a lower profile, flexible distal section to optimize navigation, and a larger proximal section for aspiration power. The 5MAXs tapered lumen also allows easy delivery of adjunctive therapies, eliminating the need for re-access. Like all of the MAX line of Reperfusion Catheters, the 5MAX incorporates a new advanced polymer and nitinol coil reinforcement design at the distal tip to enable easy tracking through tortuous vessels. The tapered lumen of the 5MAX has great aspiration power for quick and efficient clot removal, said Quill Turk, DO, Associate Professor of Radiology, Director of Neurointerventional Division, Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. The new 5MAX design allows easy intracranial access with … Continue reading →

Public release date: 22-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Kim Menard kim.menard@uphs.upenn.edu 215-662-6183 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine PHILADELPHIA - Two Penn Medicine hospitals have received Primary Stroke Center certification from The Joint Commission for efforts to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients. All three Penn Medicine hospitals are now certified to optimally treat stroke patients: Pennsylvania Hospital and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center each received Primary Stroke Center certifications this summer and join the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), which has been certified as a Primary Stroke Center since 2004. Penn Medicine is the first Philadelphia health system to get certification for stroke care at all member hospitals. Pennsylvania Hospital and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center received Primary Stroke Center certification following a Joint Commission review where both facilities were found to be in compliance with the requirements for The Joint Commission's Disease-Specific Care Certification program as well as primary stroke center requirements, such implementing evidence based protocols and collecting the Joint Commission core measure data to use in performance improvement activities. "This is a major step forward for Pennsylvania Hospital and the community we serve," said Howard I. Hurtig, MD, chair of … Continue reading →

By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The potential for a stroke is far more common after a bypass than after angioplasty, new research reports, even though the risk after either heart procedure is still relatively low. A team of researchers analyzed the results of 19 clinical trials involving nearly 11,000 patients who were assigned randomly to get coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) or angioplasty, also called PCA (percutaneous coronary intervention), a procedure in which a balloon is used to re-open the clogged artery. "At 30 days, stroke was about four times more common with bypass surgery compared to PCA," said study author Dr. Gregg Stone, a professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. Stroke is an important complication to track, Stone noted, adding, "Next to death, it is probably the most feared complication." The new analysis is published online Aug. 21 in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. It will also be published in the Aug. 28 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. In bypass surgery, a healthy artery or vein taken from the patient is grafted, or connected, to other arteries in the heart to bypass the … Continue reading →