UVA Health

With colorectal cancer a growing concern among younger people, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has endorsed two new types of stool tests. They're also advising doctors to recommend blood tests only to patients who decline all other options. “While colorectal screening blood tests may not be as effective as other options, they are certainly better than not screening,” says Andrew Wolf, a UVA Health cancer prevention expert who led the ACS group.. “So if a patient declines a stool test or a visual exam like a colonoscopy, a blood test would be the way to go, as long as the patient understands it is not as effective, and, if it is positive, they will still need to have a colonoscopy.” Read more about the new guidelines: https://bit.ly/43E8Bi2

UVA Health's The DAISY Foundation Award is a nursing-specific award created to honor extraordinary care. 🌼 Meet our May honorees: Chelsey McLaughlin, Jessica Munnikhuysen, and Elizabeth Massie. Chelsey was nominated for her efforts to ensure that a Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit (STICU) patient's family could "experience moments of joy during a time of profound grief" by organizing what would become the family's last Christmas season together with decorations and gifts. Jessica provided "prompt recognition, intervention, and escalation [that] very possibly saved this patient's life" when she stepped in as the charge nurse to ensure appropriate surgical escalation when a patient began experiencing complications during a routine ablation procedure. Elizabeth noticed a patient who was suddenly ill and requiring ECMO support was a breastfeeding mother with a young infant at home. Understanding the physical, emotional, and psychological importance of breastfeeding to this patient, Elizabeth immediately took the initiative to ensure that this essential aspect of the patient’s well-being was not overlooked. We're incredibly proud to honor team members like Chelsey, Jessica, and Elizabeth who go above and beyond in their commitment to serving our patient community.

🐝 Our BEE (Being Excellent Everyday) Award is an award dedicated to celebrating the team members who work alongside our nurses delivering expert, compassionate care. Meet our May honorees: William "Bill" Potts, LCSW, transplant clinical social work supervisor, and Emmi X, a patient companion with the University Medical Center Staffing Resource Office. Bill encountered a person in active crisis in the middle of the street who reported experiencing a panic attack. Despite the unpredictable and potentially dangerous setting, Bill immediately exemplified "extraordinary compassion, clinical judgment, and unwavering commitment to safety" when he engaged the person in a calm, supportive, and therapeutic manner — prioritizing de-escalation and safety. A patient nominated Emmi for taking the time and care to clean them and make them feel comfortable following emergency surgery. "She stepped in to remind me I have value," the patient said. "I felt seen as a human being. Her kindness nearly led me to tears. I hope Emmi can be recognized for her compassion. I will forever be grateful." We're incredibly proud to honor team members like Bill and Emmi who go above and beyond in their commitment to serving our patient community.

📣 PETAL Consortium is in the news! Nathan Roberts, MD, PETAL’s principal investigator at UVA Health, was interviewed about PETAL Consortium’s international research efforts focused on rare blood cancers. PETAL was featured on 29 News, Haystack News, WBTV, WTOC, WBRC, KWCH, Arizona’s Family, KKTV, WKYT, and KNOP News 2. 🌸 Read more: https://lnkd.in/e4FxzSr6 Special thank you to our sponsors/partners: Acrotech Biopharma Inc, Kyowa Kirin, Inc.- U.S., Pfizer, Secura Bio, Inc., Daiichi Sankyo US, Regeneron, Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and EpiCypher, Inc. PETAL sites: Massachusetts General Hospital , Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, University of Pennsylvania, University of Cape Town, Hackensack Meridian Health, UVA Health, Royal Adelaide Hospital, University of Colorado, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Moffitt Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, City of Hope, UCSF Health, Boston Medical Center (BMC), Emory University, OhioHealth, Kyoto University, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, University of Utah Health University of Chicago, and Vanderbilt University.

We're proud to announce that the UVA Health EDS and Hypermobility Disorders Center has received a designation by The Ehlers-Danlos Society to be part of the society's CORE (Collaboration, Outreach, Research, and Education) Network of Excellence. This prestigious recognition places UVA Health among a select group of leading centers worldwide, united in advancing care for patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and hypermobility disorders. “This distinction reflects a rigorous evaluation of clinical expertise, multidisciplinary care, and commitment to advancing research and education in Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) and related disorders,” says Dacre Knight, MD, MS, FACP, EDS and Hypermobility Disorders Center medical director. “It affirms that our center meets international standards for excellence, offering a reliable pathway for diagnosis and long-term support.”

New research is shedding light on a critical moment in cell division. When cells divide, they're briefly connected by a thin bridge that must be cleanly cut in a process called abscission. When that cut goes wrong, the result can be oversized, abnormal cells with multiple nuclei and disrupted structure. Researchers Noelle D. Dwyer, PhD, and graduate student Kaela Lettieri found that a protein called p53 acts as a guardian against these errors, triggering defective cells to self-destruct before they can cause harm. The findings are published in Molecular Biology of the Cell.

How can providers better help patients with chronic pain and connective tissue disorders? Recently, UVA Health Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) expert Dacre Knight, MD, MS, FACP, joined Bendy Bodies founder Linda Bluestein, MD, to discuss the misconceptions surrounding EDS, hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), and their frequent companions, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). 🎙️ Listen to the podcast now: https://bit.ly/4nmifPq

Hope doesn't take no for an answer. At UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, we relentlessly pursue discoveries in support of cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. That’s why we're Virginia’s first center to receive the National Cancer Institute’s highest designation as a comprehensive cancer center. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/euK9CBvr