By Ali Bydon, M.D. Before he came to The Johns Hopkins Hospital for treatment in 2017, Pedro Gil, now 45, had struggled with a thoracic disk herniation for 10 years. His herniated disk had calcified, turning to bone, and it pressed on his spinal cord to produce excruciating pain, weakness, numbness and even paralysis. He(...)
Patient Care
AI and Eye Health
Posted by | Care Providers, Patient CareBy Dr. T. Y. Alvin Liu Did you know the retina is actually part of the brain? It’s a direct extension of the central nervous system. So when people say eyes are the window to one’s soul, it’s perhaps not that far of a stretch after all. I’ve been interested in the retina since I(...)
From West Point to East Baltimore
Posted by | Care Providers, Patient CareBy Dr. James Ficke I have been an orthopaedic surgeon for more than two decades, but I’m also a retired U.S. Army colonel. It was my 30-year career in military medicine that instilled a passion for studying outcomes related to limb loss, limb salvage and lower-extremity trauma—conditions I saw in Mosul that I now treat(...)
Look Homeward to Fix China’s Broken Health System
Posted by | Asia Pacific, Collaboration, Patient CareHealth care is at a flashpoint in China, where being seen by a general practitioner is three times more difficult than the international standard, according to the World Health Organization. Lines snake around hospitals in China’s urban centers, while few to no treatment centers exist in rural areas. China desperately needs innovative solutions to open(...)
The Tao of Wow in Patient Experience
Posted by | Patient Care, Patient SafetyOur patient experience team is always on the job. That job is “wow-ing” our patients before their visit to Johns Hopkins, while they’re here and when they return home—at every step of their journey with us. Amel Elshinawi, our patient experience manager, says, “Improving the care we provide to patients is a continuous process. Our(...)
Condensed Care for a Long, Healthy Retirement
Posted by | Middle East, Patient CareMohamed Almulla wanted a peaceful retirement. “Any old man, like me, needs quietness,” he says. However, Mr. Almulla’s health hampered his ability to relax and spend time with his family on their farm near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. He reached out to Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI) to improve his quality of(...)
Renewed Vows and Good Health for a Bermudian Patient
Posted by | Patient CareAs their 25th wedding anniversary approached, Wendell and Rose Eve were planning a party and vow renewal in their home country of Bermuda. Just weeks before the big day, Wendell collapsed in the shower. An aortic dissection—a tear in his artery—had cut off blood to part of his body, damaging his kidneys and intestines. He(...)
With Nine Surgeries and Ample Support, a Young Mother Finds Hope
Posted by | Middle East, Patient CareWhen Hebah Abdullah, now 38, first visited Johns Hopkins in 2015, the swelling, stiffness and joint pain from rheumatoid arthritis had her confined to a wheelchair. As the inflammatory disorder progressed, she couldn’t do chores around the house or even provide care for her children—a boy, now 9 years old, and a daughter, 6. The Kuwaiti(...)
Hitting Reset on Chronic Disease in Saudi Arabia
Posted by | Collaboration, Middle East, Patient Care, Primary CareNearly half of the patients at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH), Johns Hopkins Medicine's joint venture in Saudi Arabia, are at increased risk for diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. While these conditions are highly prevalent in Saudi Arabia, we’re working hard to limit them. Implementing lifestyle medicine principles—making more informed decisions about nutrition, exercise and the(...)
Charles Wiener Appointed to Lead Johns Hopkins’ Continued Global Expansion
Posted by | Academic Medicine, Collaboration, Health Innovation, Patient CareCharles Wiener, M.D., professor of medicine and physiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who had been serving as acting president of Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI), has been named president of JHI and senior vice president, international, of Johns Hopkins Medicine, following Pamela Paulk’s retirement. In this role, Charlie will work closely with(...)