Page 60 - Healthcare News Sept.-Oct. 2020

Shriners Hospital Outfits 8-year-old Patient with First-ever Bionic Arm
SPRINGFIELD — On Sept. 15, Shriners Hospitals for Children
– Springfield outfitted 8-year-old patient Sam with the first custom- built, 3D-printed bionic arm in the health system. The device, known as the Hero Arm, customized for Sam with Marvel Comics super- hero Iron Man covers, was made possible through a collaboration with UK-based bionics company Open Bionics and will enable Sam, a bilateral amputee, to live life to the fullest.
Engineered and manufactured in Bristol, U.K., the Hero Arm
is a myoelectric prosthesis for below-elbow amputees. When a user intentionally flexes specific muscles in their residual limb, EMG electrodes within the Hero Arm detect tiny electrical signals, allowing them to activate different grips with precise control.
For Sam, already an active athlete, the Hero Arm will enable him to engage more fully in all
the sports and activities he loves, including baseball, basketball, ski- ing, and playing with his friends and younger siblings. At home and school, the Hero Arm will make dressing, eating, cooking, and other self-care tasks easier.
Sam shows off his bionic arm alongside his mother, Michelle (right), and Brock McCon- key, manager of Orthotics and Prosthet- ics at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Springfield.
“We selected Sam to be the first patient to receive the Hero Arm because we knew it would help him do all the things he currently enjoys while providing an oppor- tunity to develop fine motor skills and greater independence,” said Brock McConkey, manager of Or-
thotics and Prosthetics at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Spring- field. “It’s also lightweight and durable, which is perfect for a boy as young and active as Sam.”
Sam’s mother, Michelle, added that “having a hand that can func- tion more as a traditional hand
improves Sam’s quality of life significantly. The Hero Arm makes seemingly simple tasks — such
as playing with toys with small pieces, catching a ball, or swing- ing a bat — easier for Sam. It is
an amazing gift that our family is incredibly grateful for.”
Mercy Opens Center for Breast Health and Gynecologic Oncology
SPRINGFIELD — Mercy Medical Center announced the opening of the Center for Breast Health and Gynecologic Oncology. Formerly known as the Breast Care Center, the new center provides a com- prehensive approach to breast and gynecologic cancer care with an enhanced focus on malignancies of the breast, cervix, endometri- um/uterus, fallopian tube, ovaries, vagina, and vulva.
Services are provided by a broad- based, multi-disciplinary team of cancer specialists and complemen- tary support staff who focus on prompt diagnosis; coordinated, state-of-the-art cancer therapies; and patient education.
“Mercy Medical Center has long been committed to provid- ing the most comprehensive and technologically advanced services to women, whether they need a health screening or they have re- ceived a problem diagnosis,” said Dr. Robert Roose, chief medical
officer at Mercy Medical Center. “The opening of the Center for Breast Health and Gynecologic Oncology is the most recent exam- ple of this commitment, because a full spectrum of exceptional care is now available in one location.”
At the Center for Breast Health and Gynecologic Oncology, breast surgical oncologists focus on the evaluation and care of women experiencing the full range of diseases of the breast, including benign conditions (such as masses, breast pain, and nipple discharge), familial breast-cancer syndromes, and breast cancers. These surgeons utilize contemporary surgical techniques such as breast-conserv- ing surgery (lumpectomy) using radiation-free MagSeed localiza- tion, nipple-sparing mastectomy, reverse axillary mapping, and oncoplastic procedures.
Mercy’s breast-care program is the only one in Springfield accred- ited by both the National Accredi-
tation Program for Breast Centers and the American College of Sur- geons Commission on Cancer.
Women who have been diag- nosed with malignancies of the gy- necologic tract and other complex benign gynecologic conditions receive expert gynecologic oncol- ogy care at the center. These pa- tients have the benefit of the most advanced treatment options avail- able, including minimally invasive procedures (including da Vinci robotic surgery), radical proce- dures for treatment of gynecologic malignancies, and risk-reducing surgery in patients with familial susceptibility for breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer.
Additionally, patients at the Center for Breast Health and Gyne- cologic Oncology have access to a dedicated cancer-genetics coun- selor who offers a comprehensive analysis of cancer risk based on genetic, familial, and lifestyle factors. Patients receive informa-
tion and recommendations for
a personal approach to cancer prevention, which may include recommendations for cancer genetic testing, diagnostic screen- ings, chemo-preventive strategies, and lifestyle modifications.
Cancer support services available at the Center for Breast Health and Gynecologic Oncology include counseling, support groups, nu- tritionists, a Lymphedema Clinic, a Recovery and Rehabilitation Program, certified mastectomy
bra fitting, and prosthesis. Radiol- ogy services at the center feature state-of-the-art diagnostic imag- ing including 3D mammography (digital breast tomosynthesis), breast ultrasound and MRI, and image-guided breast biopsies. Other services include patient-care navigation, medical oncology, radiation oncology, palliative care, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and pathology services.
20 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020