Medical Briefs

Published: September 23, 2007

The Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center's Pediatric Echocardiography Department has been granted accreditation by the Intersocietal Commission for Accreditation of Echocardiography. The accreditation is recognition for the department's commitment to patient care and provision of diagnostic testing.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, costing society over 83.7 billion dollars a year in health services, medication and lost work time due to disability.

Accreditation status signifies that the facility has been reviewed by an independent agency that recognizes the laboratory's commitment to quality testing for the diagnosis of heart disease.

"Courage to Take Charge: Taking Charge of Your Health” is the topic of the Oct. 4 meeting of the Oklahoma Arthritis Network at 2 p.m. at the state Health Department, 1000 NE 10th Street.

The guest speaker will be Brandi Fossett, program planner for the Northern Oklahoma Development Authority Area Agency on Aging in Enid.

Fossett is an Arthritis Foundation exercise instructor in Garfield County. She helped implement the Chronic Disease Self Management Program.

Teleconferences of the event will be held at some county health departments.

To learn more information about upcoming events, call 271-9444, ext. 56410, or e-mail marisan@health.ok.gov.

Variety Health Center has received a $3,000 grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and its Capacity Building program. The grant will be used to assist the redesign of the health center's Web site. The new site will include information for patients in English and Spanish.

The mission of Variety Health Center is to provide maternal and child health care to low-income families. In fiscal year 2007 Variety cared for 18,341 women and children. Founded in 1969, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation manages more than $540 million in assets and is ranked as one of the largest community foundations in the country.

The Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Hospital at Integris Southwest Medical Center has signed an agreement with a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary to serve as an evaluation site for the INDEPENDENCE iBOT Mobility System.

The iBOT 4000 Mobility System is a patented, balanced, personal-mobility system that allows people with disabilities to go up and down a flight of stairs, reach high objects sit comfortably under a desk and travel over uneven terrain.

The Oklahoma County Medical Society is accepting nominations for the 2008 Don F. Rhinehart, MD, Medical Service Award. The award was created to recognize medical society members who have demonstrated significant involvement in projects to help improve health care, the community or the state. Previous recipients are Dr. Edward N. Brandt, 2006, and Dr. Ronald Gilcher, 2007.

Nominations should include the nominee's name, the project in which the nominee has been involved and the reason why the person's involvement is considered worthy of recognition.

Nominations should not exceed 650 words and must be received by Oct. 29. Mail nominations to 601 NW Grand Blvd., Suite B, Oklahoma City, OK 73118, fax them to 843-9610 or e-mail them to llarason@o-c-m-s.org.

Compiled by Jeff Raymond, Staff Writer

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