UC Davis Health

We are proud to be one of 11 hospitals in California and the only hospital north of San Francisco to be included in the 2024 Becker’s Hospital Review’s “Great Hospitals in America” list. 💙 “Being included on Becker’s list of the country’s best hospitals, in the company of so many internationally renowned medical centers, is a great honor,” said David Lubarsky, our chancellor of Human Health Sciences and CEO. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gUW3Mk4E

A terminal disease took away Casey’s speech. But our researchers have restored his ability to communicate – in his own voice. Sergey Stavisky and David Brandman, MD, PhD’s team developed a new brain-computer interface (BCI). Now, electrodes implanted in Casey’s brain allow him to “speak” through a computer with the sounds of his own voice. The BCI translates brain signals into speech with up to 97% accuracy — the most accurate system of its kind. The groundbreaking study appears this week in the NEJM Group. Read more about this life-changing technology: https://lnkd.in/gR7PcAJc

UC Davis Medical Center CMO Joseph Galante shares how the hospital has been dealing with its patient capacity challenge: https://lnkd.in/eyvG8eMD HealthLeaders, #healthcare, UC Davis Health

We are excited to share that Lydia Howell, Distinguished Professor Emerita and Chair Emerita of the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, received the Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Academic Pathology (AAPath; formerly the Association of Pathology Chairs)! Honored for her service to academic pathology, as well as her contributions to cytopathology and women’s career development, Dr. Howell served as AAPath’s president during the COVID-19 pandemic and is a founder of the AAPath’s Academy of Distinguished Pathology Educators, the Pathology Leadership Academy, and their Leadership Development and Diversity Committee. A past-president of the American Society of Cytopathology and former Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at UC Davis Health, Dr. Howell served on many federal and state advisory committees on women’s health and has conducted funded research on women’s careers in biomedical science. Dr. Howell is currently AAPath’s Deputy Director. Well done, Dr. Howell!

Are you a researcher or clinician with autism experience who’s interested in learning more about the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition (ADOS-2)? Our UC Davis Mind Institute experts are offering online introductory and toddler clinical training sessions, on Sept. 17-19. *The Introductory Workshop is Sept. 17-18, from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. *The Toddler Training is Sept. 10, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. There is a cost for both sessions. For more information, email hs-esdmtraining@ucdavis.edu Apply here by September 2: https://lnkd.in/gAAFaGpD

As children go back to school this month, COVID is surging again in California and around the country. The latest surge is fueled by a group of FLiRT subvariants that are proving to be the most infectious strains we have seen since COVID turned our world upside down in 2020. “I think a lot of families have moved on from COVID but COVID is still with us and has been making that known this summer with the latest surge,” said Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. As children go back to school, Dr. Blumberg shares what families need to know about these variants and the latest surge: https://lnkd.in/gJvbbSzi

Congratulations to Paul Breshears, BSN, RN, on his recent The DAISY Foundation award! 🌼 A DAISY Award is part of The DAISY Foundation, an international program recognizing nursing excellence. In memory of their son, Patrick, the Barnes family recalled the skillful and compassionate care Patrick received from his nurses during his eight-week hospitalization. They wanted to say “thank you” to nurses everywhere by establishing a recognition program – the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses – to honor the superhuman work nurses do every day at the bedside. From Paul’s nomination: “Paul Breshears took care of my father on Davis 14, who is a 94-year-old with critical compression in C3/4 causing syncope along with a Dens type 2 subacute odontoid fracture in March. Paul was very knowledgeable and up to date on all the complications between the surgery team, medical team, and anesthesia in preparing for surgery on a very high-risk patient. Our whole family was extremely stressed, waiting days for everything to get sorted out. Paul advocated for pushing along results, scheduling MRI with the pacer rep, bedside echocardiograms, and carotid US, and keeping us informed with solid explanations and information. No matter how many times I called, he was compassionate, patient, and informative, clearly understanding the bigger picture and our need for assurance that everything was being done for my father. He was the one staff member who was consistent and caring about my father’s care. He is a huge asset to the UC Davis system and should be recognized for his highly professional and compassionate nursing care. Having worked in health care for years, I truly understand the stress and demands these RNs are under in the acute care setting. He even managed to train a nursing student throughout the whole time, which is another layer of coordination and expertise needed on a fast-paced spinal ortho unit. Hats off to Paul, and a great big thank you for your amazing care of my father!” We appreciate you, Paul!

Coverage of a panel discussion on AI and patient care that I enjoyed this spring at the California Health Care Foundation. A couple takeaways about what UC Davis Health is doing in this space: We’re rolling out an AI program that reads brain scans to rapidly identify the treatment needs of stroke patients and will help physicians at partner facilities decide which patients to transfer to UC Davis Health for lifesaving surgery to remove blood clots. Through VALID AI, a collective of more than 50 health systems, health plans, and research partners, UC Davis Health is working collaboratively to identify uses, pitfalls, and best practices for Gen AI, including how to ensure safety and equity. The scale and collaborative nature of this effort will contribute to increasing trust in AI. More below: https://lnkd.in/gV3RifsM

People struggling with resistant hypertension in the region have a reason for renewed hope. Our cardiologists recently performed the first renal denervation procedure in Northern California to treat the common condition. This new procedure provides a safe and effective option for those who have not found relief through traditional therapies. “We are thrilled to bring this innovative treatment to our patients,” said Surabhi Atreja, associate professor of cardiology, who performed the procedure. “Renal denervation represents a breakthrough in the management of resistant hypertension, providing a safe and effective option for those who have not found relief through traditional therapies.” Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gfgC_Nrc

Enjoyed Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s incredible visit this week to our Center for Reducing Health Disparities, which is led by the amazing Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, MD, PhD and wonderfully staffed by his talented teams. We enjoyed a wide-ranging, inspiring conversation about the center's initiatives, results, and innovative efforts to address health and mental health disparities in Sacramento and across California. Thank you, Mayor Steinberg, for your attention to these issues – and thank you to everyone at the center and UC Davis Health who’s helping to make lives better and healthier for people on these fronts.