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Tammy Krantz was just 3 years old when doctors diagnosed her with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a rare genetic eye disorder that leads to progressive vision loss. Many with RP lose their sight before adulthood.   In recent years, Tammy’s vision declined. She stopped driving and considered quitting her job. Meanwhile, her sister, Kimberley Bell, discovered her own vision was deteriorating after a routine eye exam at work.    Faced with the prospect of blindness, the sisters began looking for answers. Their search brought them to Pittsburgh and UPMC. The UPMC Vision Institute is one of only 14 centers in the country to offer Luxturna, a gene therapy that can help halt the progression of RP and preserve vision. Dr. Joseph Martel, who specializes in vitreoretinal surgery and diseases, recently performed surgery on Tammy. Kimberley expects to undergo the procedure soon. We have assembled a truly world-class team at the UPMC Vision Institute, harnessing clinical and research expertise to deliver comprehensive care to patients like Tammy and Kimberley. To celebrate this turning point, the women headed west to see Old Faithful and the stunning landscapes of Yellowstone National Park.    I am so glad that we were able to support Tammy and Kimberley on their journey, and we wish them all the best. https://lnkd.in/ecJ9aAW5

In this week's episode of UPMC NOW: fun in the sun at Schenley Park during the 9th annual Walk for Children’s; UPMC partners with the community of McKeesport, Pa., to throw a party for those that wouldn't seek health care under normal circumstances; UPMC Passavant celebrates 175 years of providing world-class health care to Pittsburgh's North Hills community; and a Medical Equipment Recycling Program (MERP) location was opened at UPMC Jameson in New Castle, enhancing access to free medical equipment for the community.

Respiratory Therapy has never been more important to our patients and communities. As a Respiratory Therapist, you can help patients breathe easier, while building a high-potential clinical career. Through UPMC's partnership with Carlow University, students can gain the training and education needed to launch their Respiratory Therapy careers on an accelerated path, while enjoying a variety of potential benefits like flexible, part-time work while enrolled and employment opportunities at UPMC upon graduation. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eY4rS6fs

An operating room nurse works in the hospital setting to attend to patients before, during, and after surgeries. “I’ve had the opportunity to observe a wide variety of surgical procedures and participate in many aspects of the surgical process, which sparked my fascination with surgery and inspired me to pursue a career as a Registered Nurse in the operating room,” said Kelsey Heimbaugh, BSN, RN, at UPMC Harrisburg. “As a member of the robotic surgery team, I'm honored to work alongside phenomenal surgeons to provide life-changing care to patients every day.” To learn more or to apply, visit https://lnkd.in/eMiqP2iC or https://lnkd.in/eQk7Qr9U.

UPMC presents the 2024 Update in Transplant Medicine, an in-person educational series for health care professionals, which will feature in-depth discussions about the latest advancements in transplant medicine. Join us for our first event as we dive into organ allocation and the procurement process.

We are proud to announce that the UPMC Heart Transplant Program was recently recognized by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) as a top transplant program in several distinct outcome categories. Notably, UPMC demonstrated the best performance in the United States in 90-day survival with a functioning graft rate following adult heart transplantation. In addition to achieving excellent outcomes, experts at UPMC are also committed to providing access to transplant for our patients. “It’s extremely rewarding to be able to transplant patients who have no other options,” said David Kaczorowski, MD, surgical director of the UPMC Heart Transplant Program. UPMC was the highest volume heart transplant center in Pennsylvania in 2023. UPMC’s rich legacy and excellent outcomes continue define the program as a pioneer in the field of heart transplant. Learn more about our heart transplant program from Dr. Kaczorowski.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have created a vast interactive atlas that may eventually help doctors use #precisionmedicine to target treatments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Why this is important ➡ With 40-50 million new cases each year, the global incidence of TBI outstrips common neurological diseases, including stroke and Alzheimer's disease. Effective treatments have remained elusive because each TBI is different, but treatments are not. University of Pittsburgh experts ⤵ - Patrick Kochanek, MD, distinguished professor, vice chair of critical care medicine, and director of the Safar Center for Resuscitation Research - Gary Kohanbash, Ph.D., assistant professor of the department of neurological surgery - Dhivyaa Rajasundaram, Ph.D., director of the bioinformatics core at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Learn more 🔗https://lnkd.in/eN-DX_TT

Rachal Clark, RN, forensic nursing coordinator, Emergency Department, UPMC Williamsport, has always been interested in helping people. Coming from a family of law enforcement, Rachal went to nursing school so she could have a positive impact on people’s lives. It was there during her clinical rotation in Ob-gyn that she learned about forensic nursing and sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE). Rachal oversees forensic nursing at UPMC Williamsport, UPMC Muncy, and UPMC Outpatient Emergency Department in Lock Haven. She’s seen the program grow in her four years with the department from two nurses being on-call 24/7 to a team of 21 forensic nurses with one almost always being on-site ready to do an exam. The department doesn’t just handle sexual assault cases, they also handle intimate partner violence, child abuse, elder abuse, and physical assaults. The SAFE-T System recently launched at UPMC Cole and is better suited for less populated areas where the demand for on-call SANEs is low or resources are limited placing a high demand on the available nurses. When an individual presents to the emergency department at UPMC Cole after experiencing sexual violence, they have immediate access to a board-certified SANE through the TEAM SAFE telehealth model. UPMC Wellsboro, which Rachal and her team serve as back-ups, also has the SAFE-T System and a fully functioning forensic nursing team. Becoming a SANE is a serious endeavor for nurses. To obtain certification, clinical preceptorship is required plus a minimum of 300 case hours must be completed to sit for the exam; a 41-hour online course for adults and adolescents, a 43-hour online course for pediatrics, and the rest of the hours to be completed hands-on. “The best days that I've had as a forensic nurse have been helping get the convictions in court, knowing that my testimony made a difference,” Rachal said. “We were able to get justice for victims and that is the most rewarding feeling I've ever had.” “I just hope that within our community they know we're here as a resource, knowing that if they need us, we’re available. There are resources here and there's help. Programs like this, we don't want to be out in your face advertising it, but just making sure that people know if you need us, we’re here.”

We are pleased to announce that UPMC has once again been recognized by U.S. News & World Report for excellence across many specialty areas of care in the newly released “Best Hospitals” rankings and ratings. Most notably, UPMC is the only hospital system in the region to be nationally ranked in 9 specialties: - UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside is the #1 hospital in the Pittsburgh metro area and is nationally ranked in 7 specialties and is high-performing in 3 specialties. - UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital is ranked #24 in the nation for obstetrics and gynecology. - UPMC Mercy is ranked #13 in the nation for rehabilitation. - UPMC Harrisburg is once again ranked among the top 10 hospitals in Pennsylvania. A sincere thank you to our doctors, nurses, clinicians, and staff for your commitment to providing life-changing medicine and quality care for each patient who walks through our doors. https://lnkd.in/g5DFd4Ap

UPMC Hamot recently celebrated their 500th successful implant of a WATCHMAN device. The WATCHMAN is a small device, implanted one-time, for people with atrial fibrillation (AFib). Typically, these patients cannot take blood thinners and need this procedure to prevent the risk of blood clots or stroke. Electrophysiologist, Jean Moubarak, MD, was the cardiologist that performed the 500th procedure. To learn more about UPMC’s expertise in heart and vascular care, visit https://lnkd.in/eb4AHRuv.