In treating cancer, the target should be the tumor, not the healthy cells around it. But, until recently, that has been a challenge. The most common type of radiation therapy (using X-rays) subjects the surrounding tissue to the same radiation levels as the cancer cells. At the new Johns Hopkins Proton Therapy Center, our physicians […]
Medical Technology
A Beam of Hope
Posted by | Medical Technology, Patient CareWhen it comes to radiation therapy for cancer, the more precise the application, the better. The state-of-the-art proton therapy machine at Johns Hopkins Proton Therapy Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital destroys cancerous cells while deftly avoiding healthy tissue. Dr. Akila Viswanathan, director of Johns Hopkins’ Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, answers five […]
Zoom, FitBit, Uber and Your Health
Posted by | Health Innovation, Health System Sustainability, Medical TechnologyBefore the pandemic, Johns Hopkins conducted a few dozen telehealth visits each day. Starting early last spring, we greatly expanded that capability to ensure patients continue to receive the right care at the right time. Johns Hopkins certainly isn’t the only health system to spur this shift. In fact, a nationwide survey conducted in April […]
Triumphs Within the Turmoil
Posted by | Health Innovation, Health System Sustainability, Medical TechnologyLast week, I used this space to consider lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have much work ahead of us, let’s acknowledge a few positive changes we’ve already made in response to the pandemic. We’ve begun expanding virtual and home-based access to health care services, which increases participation for those who are medically or […]
Positives in the Pandemic?
Posted by | Academic Medicine, Collaboration, Health Innovation, Medical TechnologyLike other leaders in global collaborative health, Johns Hopkins is grappling with painful truths as we respond to COVID-19. The pandemic has severely limited our patients’ capacity to travel across international borders, and it’s heart wrenching not being able to provide the clinical care that could change ― or save ― their lives. While health […]
The Time Is Now for Precision Care
Posted by | Medical Technology, Patient Care, Precision Medicine, ResearchGlobal Promise contributors have shared their thoughts about precision medicine — Johns Hopkins’ approach to it and how it’s helping us to create personalized 3D virtual replicas, among other innovative applications. Precision medicine is essential for those of us who are interested in improving health and health care while also minimizing cost and confusion. In […]
Celebrating a Transformative Medical Milestone
Posted by | Academic Medicine, Medical Technology, Patient SafetyOn this day in 1944, scores of Johns Hopkins surgeons and medical students crammed into the two-level observation gallery overlooking the Halsted clinic operating room theater. For the next four-and-a-half hours, they watched as surgeons performed the first “blue baby” operation, on a tiny child named Eileen Saxon. The frail 18-month-old, who weighed only 9 […]
Gathering the Global Family to Get Smarter
Posted by | Academic Medicine, Clinical Program Development, Collaboration, Europe, Latin America, Medical Technology, Middle East, Patient Care, Patient Safety, Precision Medicine, Project DevelopmentFrom Lima, Peru, to Hangzhou, China, and from Toronto, Canada, to Beirut, Lebanon, Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI) recently welcomed leaders, clinicians, educators and investigators from across our global affiliates to Baltimore for the 14th annual Partners Forum. We also invited Johns Hopkins Medicine colleagues to share their innovative research on and practical application of […]
Care Within Reach in Far-flung Locations
Posted by | Clinical Program Development, Health Innovation, Medical Technology, Middle East, Patient Care, Patient SafetyWhen remoteness or lack of transportation is a barrier to health care, telemedicine is a powerful solution. It can extend the reach and improve the effectiveness of health care, while maintaining high standards and attention to patient safety. We’ve been writing about the promise of telemedicine since we began this blog, including how Johns Hopkins […]
Engineering Precision Cardiology
Posted by | Care Providers, Collaboration, Health Innovation, Medical Technology, Middle East, Patient Care, Precision Medicine, ResearchBy Dr. Hugh Calkins Here at Johns Hopkins, we are blending engineering and cardiology to create more personalized approaches to diagnose and treat heart rhythm disorders. Leveraging innovations in cardiac imaging, computer simulations and data science could help us manage these disorders, which can lead to elevated risks of blood clots, stroke, dementia and death. […]